Freeze or thaw areas

Last updated on Oct 27, 2025

Learn how to protect parts of your image from distortion or restore them for editing in Adobe Photoshop using the Liquify filter.

Select the layer you want to distort in the Layers panel.

Select Filter > Liquify to open the Liquify dialog box.

Select the Freeze Mask icon from the toolbar.

Adjust the brush size using the Size slider in the Brush Tool Options area.

Paint over the areas you want to protect. Frozen areas are covered with a red overlay.

To remove frozen areas, select the Thaw Mask icon from the toolbar and paint over the overlay to clear it.

Select OK to apply the changes and exit the Liquify dialog box.