Select Window > Layers and in the Layers panel, select the layer or mask you want to transform.
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Distort specific image areas with Puppet Warp
Last updated on
Oct 28, 2025
Learn how to use Adobe Photoshop to reshape parts of an image with precision pins while keeping the surrounding areas unaffected.
Puppet Warp overlays a mesh that you can adjust for subtle edits, such as shaping hair, or major changes, like repositioning arms or legs. It works on image layers, layer masks, and vector masks. To distort non-destructively, apply Puppet Warp to Smart Objects.
Choose Edit > Puppet Warp.
Adjust the mesh settings in the Options bar:
• Mode: Set the mesh elasticity. Select Distort for flexible warping of wide-angle images or texture maps.
• Density: Control the spacing of mesh points. More points give precision but slow performance.
• Expansion: Expand or contract the mesh edge.
• Show Mesh: Turn off to view only pins for a cleaner preview. Press H to temporarily hide adjustment pins for a clearer view.
Add pins in the image window to transform the required areas and anchor others in place.
Drag pins to warp the mesh. To reveal overlapped mesh areas, select Pin Depth icons in the Options bar.
Delete a pin by selecting it and pressing the Delete key, or remove all pins using the Remove All Pins option in the context menu.
To rotate the mesh around a pin:
• For fixed-degree rotation, press Alt (Windows) or option (macOS), position the cursor near, and drag when a circle appears.
• For automatic rotation based on the selected Mode, select Auto from the Rotate dropdown in the Options bar.
Press Enter to complete the action.
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