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Displace Filter in Photoshop & Displacement Maps Tutorial Beginner's Guide

By Andrew Buckle, Video Tutorial Creator / Designer

Updated : 2021

 

How to use the Displace filter and displacement maps in Photoshop tutorial.

 

displacement map pose displace filterYou can use PSD files as displacement maps. Access the displacement map PSD files via the filter menu and distort and displace.

  1. To use displacement maps, goto the Filter menu

  2. Distort category

  3. Displace filter

  4. Stretch to fit

  5. Repeat

  6. Scale

  7. OK

  8. Select a file to use in Photoshop PSD format in the displace filter

PSD files and displacements in Photoshop - PSD is the standard format for the displacements in Photoshop

displace filter and photoshop displacement maps

The displacement maps are standard PSD files. They can be made from anything, images, type etc but you can also use displacement maps via patterns or textures.

 

You can find ourdisplacement maps (all in PSD format) on this site for all kinds of work such as create awesome linear effects, scratching, text effects and more.

 

If the file is in PNG format, you can simply open the PNG file and then save it as a PSD file. It should be noted that Affinity Photo requires PNG format so the conversion is in reverse The key thing about the displacement map is that is PSD and it is loaded via the displace filter found in the distort menu of Photoshop and it can be used once or multiple times.

  1. Open image

  2. Filter menu

  3. Distort

  4. Displace

  5. Horizontal scale

  6. Vertical scale

  7. Displacement map stretch or tile

  8. Undefined area such as wrap or repeat.

  9. OK

  10. Select the file to use for the displacement map

  11. OK

Use the displace filter multiple times for even more amazing effects

The displace filter is one of those tools that probably works best when applied multiple times. One application of the displacement maps and displace filter can look a little limited, apply it again and the magic really happens and even better, apply the magic with the displace filter combined with other filters such as noise or oil paint and you will see the tool in many new ways. You can also combine the displacement maps with other resources as well (they are not cast in stone) such as adding addition artworks to the design (perhaps intermixed with effects) such as brush strokes

  1. Open image

  2. filter menu

  3. distort / displace filter

  4. Set scale, stretch etc and select a displacement map

  5. apply

  6. filter menu

  7. distort / displace filter

  8. Set a different scale, stretch etc from the first time

  9. select a different displacement maps for the displace (or the same one)

  10. OK

  11. repeat as required

Displace filter and Photoshop layers for even more amazing effects

displace filter blending modes displacement maps photoshop

As with many filters, I find that the filters work best with a layer so before you use the filter, simply duplicate the current layer via the layer menu. Apply the displace filter to that layer and then use the layer menu and the blending modes to blend with the original image such as select blending mode of darken

  1. open image

  2. layer menu

  3. duplicate layer (perhaps more than once if you want multiple layers to blend)

  4. filter menu

  5. distort category / displace

  6. set scale etc

  7. select displacement map

  8. apply effect

  9. go to the layer menu and set blending mode to darken etc

  10. repeat with other layers if available

Use displacement maps as smart objects with displace filter - make it easier to change the effect in seconds

photoshop displace filter and photoshop smart objects

A key thing for me is that the displace filter can be used with Photoshop smart objects and that means instead of just applying the effect and that is that, you can use it but at the same time you can decide that you don't want it or try different settings and so on. It is a pity that you can't select the displace entry and duplicate and duplicate (so adding 10 or so filter entries), you have to manually create them

  1. Select a layer

  2. Layer and smart objects

  3. Convert (to smart object)

  4. Apply displace filter

  5. Apply another displace filter and so on

  6. Add adjustments to smart objects

 

You can also combine multiple smart filters with the smart object and also combine those effects with adjustments and layer effects to create a truly awesome effect. You can also bundle the whole thing up in a new smart object and save the result to the CC libraries.

 

You can also combine the displacement maps for use with the Photoshop displace filter with patterns but central to the whole thing is the PSD file (unless Adobe change their mind with the filter and allow for multiple other sources such as ones from CC libraries and PNG files as well).

Displace filter on color channels - you don't have to use the displacements just in RGB but in the red channel etc

displace filter channels photoshop

The displace filter can be used with color channels, separate color channels.

  1. Channels panel

  2. Select red channel

  3. Filter and distort and displace filter

  4. Settings and select file

  5. Select green channel

  6. Different settings and different file if you wish

  7. Blue channel etc

 

You can create some very interesting colorful effects with the channels and the displacement maps

Modifying displacement maps - they can be modified, they are not textures cast in stone

photoshop displacement maps displace filter

You can also open the displacement maps PSD files and apply other effects to them such as blurs etc. If you want to avoid the seams then use masks / selections etc to control the effect on the edge. Or perhaps use brushes on the displacement map and only modify the center of the work. Another option is to use the edit menu and define pattern. You can then re-size the document, perhaps make it 10 times bigger and then fill that new document with patterns and they will still be seamless. You can then save that new file as a PSD file and use that with the displace filter. All the PSD files on this site are grayscale, you can always manipulate the image with the full RGB and then use that in the displace filter for additional features (for another tutorial)

  1. Open PSD file

  2. Edit menu

  3. Define pattern

  4. Layer menu in Photoshop

  5. New fill layer

  6. Pattern

  7. Select pattern

  8. Scale to 25%

  9. Flatten

  10. Filter menu

  11. Twirl (or another filter)

  12. File menu

  13. Save as PSD