Blocking Information on JPG Image

Charles,

If you want to use the Gaussian Blur technique suggested by Clive to hide some of the information in your file.

photoshopelementsandmore.com/post/82209

1. Duplicate the Background layer.
2. Use the Rectangular Marquee tool to select the area you want to hide.
3. With the selection still activated, apply the Gaussian Blur filter.

Going by what the layers are named, the top layer which is Layer 1 has the Gaussian Blur, if I hide that layer then the blur disappears and the words and numbers are readable where I did the Gaussian blur.

When the Gaussian Blur is turned on (Layer 1) the red words "Red is my Credit Cards" is readable. The weird thing (to me) when I turn off Layer 1 which is turning off the blurr (everything on top is now readable) then the red words "Red is my Credit Cards" are now blurred (the Background COPY layer is on).

So with Layer 1 on top, Background copy (Layer) in the center all turned on the MAIN portion of my Excel sheet is all blurred with the Words Red is my Credit Cards not blurred and very readable.

I then tried something, I switched the layers around putting the layer named Background copy on top with Layer 1 in the center, and all layers turned on, now all is reversed. The MAIN portion of my Excel sheet is readable, and the words "Red is my Credit Cards" are now blurred, nothing else is blurred.

What does all that tell anyone here? Is there an easy way to fix this?

Charles,

You seem to favor using the Gaussian Blur technique. If this is the case, I would suggest you start over, with a clean slate.

You don't need so many layers. All you need is . . .

- A Duplicate Background layer (to make the selection with the Rectangular Marquee tool and to apply the Gaussian Blur filter).
- Background layer.

See the screen shot in my earlier post -- photoshopelementsandmore.com/post/82343

Thank you Clive for telling and showing me about the Blur option!!

Is that what I wanted to do?  Kinda yes, kinda no

In this case yes that would work since the background is white.  If the background was a different color, (and I do know how to use the Color Picker Tool) or if it had a texture of some kind it was easier to draw a shape  (usually rectangle) then copy the shape and then move the shape to cover what I wanted covered.  It was always copying a portion of the background then moving that to a new location.

Do you know how to do what I am asking above using the Marquee tool?  I am SURE it was the Marquee tool I used to draw a shape around the area I needed to copy.

I wish I had a previous project I remembered doing to look at for myself and to show you what I did would be a huge help but I do not remember what job I would have done last time, which would have been well over a year ago now, maybe even 2 years or even longer.  I do not use Elements that often any more.  Never anything too complicated.

I doubt that I will ever use or try to use Free Transform again.  I did not get it to work this time.

There is something confusing to me about your instructions:

1. Create a new layer.

2. Activate the Rectangular Marquee tool.

3. Draw a rectangle on this layer.

4. Fill it with White.

5. Activate the Move tool.

6. Place your cursor anywhere within the rectangle.

7. Drag the rectangle down to cover "Red are my Credit Cards".

In this case I am thinking I would have drawn the rectangle around the words Red are my Credit Cards, then filling that rectangle with white. 
Why would I then need to use the Move Tool?

Where would YOU have drawn the rectangle?  Having to then move the white rectangle would have been what I used to do when copying the white cell with no words above the words?

Oh I do like the Alt Key option! I do not remember doing that, but doing that is SO easy!

As for drawing around Red are my Credit Cards then filling it with white, I can't get THAT to work. I had tried that a couple days ago then just again 2 minutes ago.
I use the Marquee Tool make my rectangle around the words, then grab the Paint Bucket Tool with white selected, then place that inside the rectangle pressing the mouse key.

Am I missing anything?

Thank you very much Sepiana! My problem was I had forgotten there was a step #3 - I was thinking what I said I did do, place the paint bucket in the area of the rectangle with the mouse and click OK

I never did deselect my selection. I do understand the reason for that! I am taking notes I can refer back to in a program I have used for years called AZZ Cardfile which replaced Microsoft Cardfile that was discontinued many years ago. I LOVE AZZ Cardfile software and have used it for decades!