The Distort filters geometrically distort an image, creating 3D or other reshaping effects. Note that these filters can be very memory intensive. The Diffuse Glow, Glass, and Ocean Ripple filters can be applied through the Filter Gallery.

Diffuse Glow

Renders an image as though it were viewed through a soft diffusion filter. The filter adds see-through white noise, with the glow fading from the center of a selection.

Displace

Uses an image, called a displacement map, to determine how to distort a selection. For example, using a parabola-shaped displacement map, you can create an image that appears to be printed on a cloth held up by its corners.

Glass

Makes an image appear as if it were being viewed through different types of glass.You can choose a glass effect or create your own glass surface as a Photoshop file and apply it. You can adjust scaling, distortion, and smoothness settings. When using surface controls with a file, follow the instructions for the Displace filter.

Lens Correction

The Lens Correction filter fixes common lens flaws such as barrel and pincushion distortion, vignetting, and chromatic aberration.

Ocean Ripple

Adds randomly spaced ripples to the surface of the image so that it appears to be underwater.

Pinch

Squeezes a selection. A positive value up to 100% shifts a selection toward its center; a negative value up to –100% shifts a selection outward.

Polar Coordinates

Converts a selection from its rectangular to polar coordinates, and vice versa, according to a selected option. You can use this filter to create a cylinder anamorphosis—an art form popular in the 18th century—in which the distorted image appears normal when viewed in a mirrored cylinder.

Ripple

Creates an undulating pattern on a selection, like ripples on the surface of a pond. For greater control, use the Wave filter. Options include the number and size of ripples.

Shear

Distorts an image along a curve. Specify the curve by dragging the line in the box. You can adjust any point along the curve. Click Default to change the curve back to a straight line. In addition, you choose how to treat undistorted areas.

Spherize

Gives objects a 3D effect by wrapping a selection around a spherical shape, distorting the image and stretching it to fit the selected curve.

Twirl

Rotates a selection more sharply in the center than at the edges. Specifying an angle produces a twirl pattern.

Wave

Works much as the Ripple filter does, but with greater control. Options include the number of wave generators, wavelength (distance from one wave crest to the next),  height of the wave, and wave type: Sine (rolling), Triangle, or Square. The Randomize option applies random values. You can also define undistorted areas.

To replicate wave results on other selections, click Randomize, set Number Of Generators to 1, and set the minimum and maximum Wavelength and Amplitude parameters to the same value.

ZigZag

Distorts a selection radially, depending on the radius of the pixels in your selection. The Ridges option sets the number of direction reversals of the zigzag from the center of the selection to its edge. You also specify how to displace the pixels: Pond Ripples displaces pixels to the upper left or lower right, Out From Center displaces pixels toward or away from the center of the selection, and Around Center rotates pixels around the center.