Distort Filters (Exclusive Tutorial)

Distort filters bring geometric distortion to an image. Some filters from this collection have a graphic icon for quick identification. Distort filters bring geometric distortion to an image. Some filters from this collection have a graphic icon for quick identification.

1. Diffuse Glow

This filter adds luminescence to the current background color in light areas of the image. It creates the impression of looking at an image through a soft, diffused light.

Let's begin now by opening the image and selecting Filter>Distort>Diffuse Glow. You will find the following settings there:

Graininess - when increasing this setting, an image becomes grainier.
Glow Amount - Light areas become lighter and more luminous if you increase this setting.
Clear Amount - the higher this setting, the larger the visible area seen through a glowing light. It looks as if you are creating thinner or thicker fog.

Here's what I came up with:

2. Displace

This filter displaces the pixels of an image, using a displacement map from another file. With a displacement map, as a rule, you can use either special files (in Plug-insDisplacement maps), or typical textures, or any files in PSD (excluding only Bitmap) format. Pixels of middle tones move very little, while dark tones move by one diagonal and light areas move a different way. If you find two or more channels in your image, then the first channel determines the displacement along the horizontal line, and the second channel - along the vertical line. White corresponds with a positive shift, black - with negative.

Let's begin. Open an image and select Filter>Distort>Displace. You will see the following settings:

Horizontal Scale - the scale of displacement along the horizontal line.
Vertical Scale - the scale of displacement along the vertical line.
Displacement Map - the displacement map application has two modes.
Stretch To Fit - the map stretches to cover the entire image.
Tile - the map is broken up into tiles to cover the whole image.
Undefined Areas - you should choose a way to use color to fill empty pixels along the edges of an image. These empty pixels come from the areas where you have taken pixels that you have not replaced.
Wrap Around - using this you wrap pixels from one edge of an image around to the opposite edge of an image. But if the image at the bottom is a different, contrasting color, then you will get distracting color bands along the edges.
Repeat Edge Pixels - the edge pixels of one side continue to meet the edge pixels of another side.

After choosing your settings, you will see your map of choice.

Here's what I ended up with:

3. Glass

This filter distorts an image and gives the effect of looking through glass.

Let's begin by opening the image and selecting Filter>Distort>Glass. You will find the following next settings:

Distortion - regulates the degree of distortion.
Smoothness - regulates the degree of smoothness.
Texture - selects texture that will be used for the distortion.
Scaling - changes the scale of the texture depending on the image.
Invert - inverts the texture, that is to say turns it upside down.

The result:

4. Ocean Ripple

This filter is similar to the Glass filter, though it differs slightly in settings. There is only one texture here - ocean ripple.

Well, let's go. Open your image and select Filter>Distort>Ocean Ripple. You will see the next settings:

Ripple Size - regulates the scale of the texture.
Ripple Magnitude - regulates the magnitude of the texture.

Here's what I came up with:

5. Ripple

This filter is similar to the Glass filter, though it differs slightly in settings. There is only one texture here - ripple.

Let's begin. Open the image and select Filter>Distort>Ripple. You will find these settings:

Amount - regulates the size of the ripple.
Size - regulates the frequency of the ripples: large, small, medium.

Here's what I got:

6. Pinch

This filter creates a distended or compressed look similar to a funhouse mirror. This filter can be used not only for cosmetic distortion of characters, but also for changing the expression or lines of a face.

Let's get to work. Open an image and select Filter>Distort>Pinch. You will see the following settings:

Amount - regulates the extent of convexity or concavity, depending on which side you are aiming for.

Take a look at my results:

7. Polar Coordinates

This filter plots rectangular coordinate pixels in polar coordinates. An image completely changes when ground through this filter, as the straight lines twist into circles or spirals.

First, open an image and select Filter>Distort>Polar Coordinates. You will see the following settings:

Rectangular to Polar - converts rectangular coordinates to polar ones.
Polar to Rectangular - converts polar coordinates to rectangular.

This is my result:

8. Shear

This filter bends the image into curves, creating a form that you can change at will.

So, let's begin. Open the image and select Filter>Distort>Polar Coordinates. You will see the following property settings:

When opening a diagonal window, a curve has the appearance of a vertical line. You should form a curved bend by dragging points of this straight line (this can be done with any point) and dropping it wherever you wish, bending any form.

Wrap Around - wrap pixels around on edge of the image to the other. But if you have a different, contrasting color at the bottom, then you will get bands of color.
Repeat Edge Pixels - color of edge pixels stretches to meet beginning edge pixels.

Here's what I got as a result:

9. Spherize

This filter deforms an image, reshaping it in 3D transparency.

Here we go. Open an image and select Filter>Distort>Spherize. You will see these settings:

Amount - working with a positive setting you will get an concave line. The image stretches to form a cylinder (ball): the middle of which stretches and the sides of which stay intact. With a negative setting - to the contrary.
Mode - offers 3 variants:
1. Normal - the image is broken into two coordinates immediately, as a result a convex line or a concave line appears.
2. Horizontal Only - the image is divided only along the horizontal axis - as if it somehow stretches into a vertical cyclinder.
3. Vertical Only - the same as Horizontal Only, with the image being divided along the vertical axis.

My results:

10. Twirl

This filter twists pixels from an image to form a waterspout: the center being bigger than the periphery.

Moving on, we open our image and select Filter>Distort>Twirl. Here you will find these settings:

Angle - regulates the the angle at which you turn the image. With a positive setting, everything goes clockwise, and with negative settings - counter-clockwise.

My results, ladies and gentlemen:

11. Zig-Zag

This filter zig-zags and generally mixes up pixels. A good analogy of this filter effect is the effect caused by tossing a stone into a pond.

Well, let's get to it. Open your image and select Filter>Distort>Zig-Zag. Here you should see these settings:

Amount - adjusts the increase of the action.
Ridges - adjusts the number of the waves from the center to the edge of the selected area.
Style - selects style.
Pond Ripples - rings, like the ones created by stones tossed into a pond: pixels move to up and left or down and right.
Out From Center - pixels move out from the center in radial bands. Around Center - pixels move in concentric circles around the center.

This what I came up with:

12. Wave

This filter is similar to the Ripple filter, only with a wealth of additional opportunities. Using this filter you can create quite miraculous looking abtract images.

Moving on, open an image and select Filter>Distort>Wave. You will find these property settings:

Number of generators - sets the number of wave sources.
Wavelength - this alters the maximum and minimum length of a wave.
Amplitude - this changes the minimum and maximum amplitude of a wave.
Scale - this decreases the amplitude of this wave along the horizontal or the vertical.
Type - allows you chose the type of wave: Sine, Triange, Square.
Undefined Areas - You should chose colors for the empty pixels along the borders of the image. They are found in areas from which you have taken pixels, over which you have placed nothing.
Wrap Around - wraps pixels from one edge of an image to the opposite and over the end. However if at the bottom you have a different contrasting color, then the borders will become a distraction.
Repeat Edge Pixels - the color of the edge pixels continues to repeat, from one end to another.

Here's what I came up with: