By freezing areas of the preview image, you protect those areas from changes. Frozen areas are covered by a mask that you paint using the Freeze Mask tool . You can also use an existing mask, selection, or transparency to freeze areas. You can view the mask in the preview image to help you apply distortions.

You can use the icons’ pop‑up menus in the Mask Options area of the Liquify dialog box to choose how the frozen, or masked, areas of the preview image work.

Using the Freeze Mask tool

Select the Freeze Mask tool  and drag over the area you want to protect. Shift-click to freeze in a straight line between the current point and the previously clicked point.

Using a selection, mask, or transparency channel

Choose Selection, Layer Mask, Transparency, or Quick Mask from the pop‑up menu of any the five options in the Mask Options area of the dialog box.

Freezing all thawed areas

Click the Mask All button in the Mask Options area of the dialog box.

Inverting thawed and frozen areas

Click Invert All in the Mask Options area of the dialog box.

Showing or hiding frozen areas

Select or deselect Show Mask in the View Options area of the dialog box.

Changing the color of frozen areas

Choose a color from the Mask Color pop‑up menu in the View Options area of the dialog box.

When you have an existing selection or mask in an image, that information is retained when the Liquify dialog box opens. You can choose one of the following mask options:

Replace Selection 

Shows the selection, mask, or transparency in the original image.

Add To Selection 

Shows the mask in the original image, so that you can add to the selection using the Freeze Mask tool. Adds selected pixels in channel to the current frozen area.

Subtract From Selection 

Subtracts pixels in channel from the current frozen area.

Intersect With Selection 

Uses only pixels that are selected and currently frozen.

Invert Selection 

Uses selected pixels to invert the current frozen area.