Studio 21.1.1
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ADVANCED COLOR

How to blur a face or license plate

DaVinci Resolve Studio 21.1 · Original practical guide

An obscuring blur must remain effective throughout the shot. Review every frame where the sensitive detail appears, including transitions and motion-blurred edges.

Before you begin

Use a duplicate grade and inspect the full shot, including its most difficult frame.

ACTUAL RESOLVE INTERFACEView full size ↗
Power Window palette: shape selection and window controls
Power Window palette: shape selection and window controls Reference example from the DaVinci Resolve 21.1 manual, page 3269. Software screenshot © Blackmagic Design. The demonstration media and selected settings may differ from your project.

Step by step

  1. On Color, add a separate node and place a Power Window around the face or plate.
  2. Apply a suitable blur or mosaic effect to that node and increase it until the identifying detail is unreadable at delivery resolution.
  3. Track the window through the shot and manually correct any drift, especially when the object turns or is temporarily covered.
  4. Render the used range and inspect it frame by frame, including the first and last visible frames. Check that nearby unmasked details do not reveal the same information.

Check your result

The identifying feature stays obscured in the actual export for every frame it appears.

If it doesn’t work as expected

A soft blur can still leave readable characters or recognizable features. Increase coverage and strength, and use an opaque cover when dependable concealment is essential.

BUILD THE UNDERLYING SKILL

Color beyond the basics

Go deeper with the course’s explanations, exercises, and knowledge checks.

Open module 07 →
← PREVIOUS GUIDETrack a Power Window to a moving subjectNEXT GUIDE →Select a subject with Magic Mask

Technical reference: DaVinci Resolve 21.1 Reference Manual, Blackmagic Design, September 2026. Screenshot page numbers refer to that manual. Independently written guidance; specific controls may vary by platform and build. Authorship & image credits.