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Specific Photoshop Topic Links

Using the Displace Filter
& Displacement Maps

My original interest was in how to map one image onto the "contours" of another image. But displacement maps will let you do all kinds of interesting "distortions" to an image. Here are links to a lot of tutorials and examples.

(Disclaimer to the owners of the sites below: I hope I am not doing anything wrong by using a graphic from your site for your link below. I am only trying to help get people to go to your site!)

An excellent how-to of using displacement maps by Bob Comings.

A GREAT site with a detailed explanation of the Displace Filter with many how-to examples. Site includes other topics as well. Check it out!

Steps for creating a waving flag out of a static flag image using a a layer with black and white brush strokes as the basis for the displacement map.

How to make text map to a waving flag.

How to create water distorting a background or in this case forming some text.

Overview of the topic and how to contour and "embed" text into to a sandy texture.

A waving flag out of a 2D static image.

A discussion of the topic of reflections, and an example of how to reflect the sky in the ocean.

A gereral tutorial on the topic that doesn't produce any "final" result. Below is an example from the article of a Dmap and the result.
9.

Uses a displacement map, several layers with blend modes, and the Lighting Effects filter to map a sheet to a shape. This tutorial is a 220K pdf file.

 10.

Distort an Image 1

One of two great tutorials on displace filter and displacement maps as well as several ways to use them to create interesting effects with an image.

 11.

Distort an Image 2

Second tutorial which exlores the displace filter further. The example below suggests that the Glass filter must make use of displacement maps behind the scenes to do what it does.
12.

Kai's Power Tips:
Displace Is Nice

Kai Kraus was one of the first explainers of the Displace filter.

 13.

Creating a Funky Background for Your Text or Image

 14.

Liquify Alert

Uses Liquify filter to act like Displacement Map effect but decided to include it here... Learn how to not only warp and bend an image into the contours of a flag, but also shade it so it appears to be lit the same way as the flag.
15.

Placing Artwork on Uneven Surfaces

You want to place an artwork on a t-shirt, so that it looks believable?

Last modified: 1/19/05