How to Use the Freeze Mask Tool in Liquify

The Freeze Mask tool is an essential feature in image editing software like Adobe Photoshop that allows you to lock specific areas of an image, shielding them from unintended warping, stretching, or shifting when using the Liquify filter. By painting a temporary protective mask over sensitive features—such as straight background lines, eyes, or intricate patterns—you can freely reshape adjacent elements with precision. This guide covers how to select, configure, apply, and remove the freeze mask during your retouching workflow.

Accessing the Liquify Workspace

  1. Open your image in your photo editing application.
  2. Convert the layer to a Smart Object by right-clicking the layer and selecting Convert to Smart Object. This ensures your edits remain non-destructive.
  3. Navigate to the top menu and select Filter > Liquify (or press Shift + Ctrl + X on Windows / Shift + Command + X on macOS) to launch the workspace.

Selecting the Freeze Mask Tool

In the toolbar on the left side of the Liquify window:

  • Select the Freeze Mask Tool (represented by an icon of a brush over a square, or simply press the shortcut key F).
  • Locate the Brush Tool Options panel on the right side of the screen to adjust the tool's behavior before painting:
    • Size: Match the brush diameter to the scale of the area you want to isolate.
    • Density: Controls the hardness of the mask edge. A higher value creates a hard boundary, while a lower value blends the protection softly.
    • Pressure: Determines how quickly the mask reaches full opacity with each stroke.

Painting the Protection Area

  1. Paint directly over the elements you want to keep static. A red translucent overlay will appear, indicating that the pixels beneath are locked.
  2. To protect fine details or straight lines (such as architecture or horizons behind a portrait subject), lower the brush size and trace closely along the subject's border.
  3. If you accidentally cover an area you want to modify, switch to the Thaw Mask Tool (shortcut D) located directly below the Freeze Mask Tool, and paint over the red overlay to erase it.

Performing Liquify Adjustments

With your protected zones masked out in red:

  1. Switch to your preferred reshaping tool, such as the Forward Warp Tool (shortcut W), Pucker Tool, or Bloat Tool.
  2. Make your adjustments near the boundary of the masked area. The brush will manipulate unprotected pixels while the red masked pixels remain completely stationary.
  3. If the red overlay obstructs your view of the edges, look at the View Options panel on the right and uncheck Show Mask to hide the overlay without disabling its protective effect.

Clearing and Finalizing

  1. Once your adjustments are complete, you can remove the mask within the Liquify panel by clicking None under the Mask Options section on the right-hand panel, or simply leave it in place; the red mask does not transfer to the final document.
  2. Click OK to apply the Liquify adjustments to your layer.