1. Within a graphics processing system that includes a texture mapping subsystem, a higher level filter for image processing comprising: one or more bilinear filters, located within the texture mapping subsystem, that are operative to provide one or more bilinear filtered texel values in response to one or more fetch coordinates; and a combiner that is operative to provide the one or more fetch coordinates and to provide a higher level filtered texel value in response to the one or more bilinear filtered texel values.