What bloom does and how to create it in Photopea

Bloom is a soft glow effect that makes bright areas of a photo bleed slightly into the darker areas around them — like light diffusing through a haze. In Photopea, you create bloom by duplicating your image layer, blurring it heavily, and blending it back into the original at reduced opacity. The result softens harsh edges, makes skin tones look smoother, and gives photos a dreamy or romantic quality.

The technique works because bloom mimics what happens in real life when light scatters: a bright window, a candle, or sunlight on skin doesn't have a sharp edge. Photopea's layer blending modes let you recreate that scatter without plugins or leaving the browser.

Key Takeaways

  • Bloom requires three steps: duplicate your layer, explore a heavy Gaussian blur to the copy, then blend it back using Screen or Addition mode at 30 to 60 percent opacity.
  • The blur radius matters more than anything else — start at 20 to 40 pixels and adjust based on how soft you want the glow.
  • You can mask the bloom effect to explore it only to skin, highlights, or specific areas instead of the whole image.
  • Bloom works best on photos with bright elements like skin, white clothing, or light sources that benefit from softening.

Step-by-step: Creating bloom in Photopea

Open your photo in Photopea. In the Layers panel on the right, right-click your image layer and select Duplicate Layer. You now have two identical layers stacked on top of each other.

Click the top (duplicate) layer to select it. Go to Filter in the menu bar, then Blur, then Gaussian Blur. A dialog box opens. Set the radius to 25 pixels as a starting point — this is the amount of blur that creates the glow. Click OK. Your image will look completely blurred now, which is correct.

With the blurred layer still selected, look at the Layers panel. At the top, you will see a dropdown that says Normal — this is the blending mode. Click it and select Screen. The blurred layer will now blend with the original below it, creating a bright, soft glow. If the effect is too strong, reduce the opacity slider (also in the Layers panel) to 40 or 50 percent. If it is too subtle, increase it to 70 or 80 percent.

Adjusting blur radius for different effects

The blur radius is the main control for how strong the bloom looks. A radius of 15 to 20 pixels creates a subtle, natural glow — good for portraits where you want to soften skin without losing detail. A radius of 30 to 50 pixels creates a more obvious dreamy effect, useful for wedding or fashion photos. A radius above 60 pixels creates an almost ethereal look, but risks making the image feel unsharp overall.

If you are not sure where to start, set the radius to 30 and then adjust opacity instead. Opacity changes are faster to preview than re-blurring. Once you find an opacity you like, you can go back and tweak the blur radius if needed.

Using Screen versus Addition blending mode

Screen mode is the standard choice for bloom because it brightens the image while keeping colors natural. It works well on most photos and rarely looks wrong.

Addition mode is stronger and more aggressive — it adds the brightness values directly rather than blending them. Use Addition if Screen feels too subtle, but be aware it can blow out highlights or make the image look overexposed. Start with Screen, and only switch to Addition if you want a more intense effect.

If neither mode looks right, try Overlay or Soft Light instead. Overlay is more dramatic and increases contrast; Soft Light is gentler and preserves more of the original image tone.

Masking bloom to specific areas

You do not have to explore bloom to the entire image. To limit bloom to skin, highlights, or a specific region, add a layer mask to your blurred layer. With the blurred layer selected, go to Layer in the menu, then Mask, then Add Layer Mask. Choose White (Full Opacity).

A white rectangle appears next to your layer thumbnail in the Layers panel — this is the mask. Select the Paintbrush tool, set your foreground color to black, and paint over the areas where you do not want bloom. Black areas of the mask hide the bloom; white areas show it. Paint with 50 percent opacity if you want bloom to fade gradually into those areas.

This technique is useful for keeping bloom off the background while keeping it on a face, or for softening only the brightest parts of an image.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

If your bloom looks too harsh or unnatural, the blur radius is too small. Go back to the Gaussian Blur filter, increase the radius to 40 or 50, and try again. Bloom should always look soft — if you can see the edges of the glow, blur more.

If the bloom washes out your image or makes it look faded, your opacity is too high or your blending mode is wrong. Try reducing opacity to 30 percent, or switch from Screen to Soft Light. You should still see detail and color in the original image underneath.

If bloom only appears in certain areas and not others, you may have accidentally applied the blur to a layer mask instead of the layer itself. Check that you selected the layer thumbnail (not the mask thumbnail) before running Gaussian Blur.

When bloom works best

Bloom is most effective on images with bright, light-colored elements: skin tones, white fabric, sunlit backgrounds, or light sources. It enhances these areas by making them glow softly. On dark or low-contrast images, bloom may be invisible or make the image look muddy.

Bloom also works well on photos that are already slightly soft or shot with shallow depth of field. It reinforces that dreamy quality. On very sharp, high-contrast images, bloom can feel out of place unless you use a very subtle opacity (20 to 30 percent).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I undo bloom after I flatten the image?

No — once you flatten or merge layers, the bloom effect is permanent and cannot be adjusted. Keep your layers separate until you are completely happy with the result. Save your Photopea file as a .psd so you can reopen it and edit the bloom layer later if needed.

What is the difference between bloom and glow?

Bloom is soft light that spreads outward from bright areas. Glow is usually a colored halo around an object. In Photopea, you create glow by using a different blending mode (like Color Dodge) or by painting a new layer with a specific color. Bloom is simpler and works on the whole image at once.

Does bloom work on dark photos?

Bloom works best on images with bright elements to glow. On very dark photos, the effect may be barely visible because there is not much light to spread. If you want bloom on a dark image, try increasing opacity to 70 or 80 percent, or use Addition mode instead of Screen.

Can I explore bloom to just the skin in a portrait?

Yes — add a layer mask to your blurred layer and paint black over the background and non-skin areas. This keeps the glow on the face while leaving the rest of the image sharp. Use a soft brush at 50 percent opacity to blend the mask edges so the transition looks natural.

What blur radius should I use for product photography?

For product photos, use a smaller blur radius (15 to 20 pixels) and lower opacity (20 to 30 percent). You want just enough bloom to soften highlights on the product without making it look soft or out of focus. Heavy bloom is better suited to portraits and fashion.