Coarsening filter
I would like to exclude the facet effect from this section, as it does not offer any setting options and only creates something of a painterly effect when repeated several times. The blur effect also offers us no dialog and in principle only simulates camera shake when taking a picture. The image is copied several times, slightly shifted and offset to create a soft focus.
Color grid
First, you could use Filter>Smoothing filter to apply the color screen, which simulates the screen of a four-color print, to a rather boring black and white gradient. We do this to get to know the general effect of this filter. The maximum radius of the dots is set to 10 pixels, the angle of the screen is set to 45 degrees for channels 1 and 2 and to 100 degrees for channels 3 and 4. Confirm your entry.
The difference in the degrees in the channels has caused the blue channel to be slightly shifted in relation to the other channels. For RGB images, only channels 1, 2 and 3, which correspond to the red, green and blue channels, are of interest. Only with CMYK are all channels used.
You can easily check this in the channel view. In the red and green channels, the dots are nicely lined up, in the blue channel we have a skewed position, which also causes the color shift.
The Ctrl+Z command undoes the effect once again. If the filter is applied a second time, but at 45 degrees in all channels, no color shifts can be seen. All channels show the same result. This results from the differences in brightness, which determine the distances between the dots and their spread.
On an empty layer, use the brush to set three points where the hardness varies by 100%, 50% and 25%. Click on the layer thumbnail while holding down the Ctrl key to select the contents of the layer and then go to Selection>Invert Selection in the menu.
The Q key calls up the masking mode. Use the coarsening filter>color grid and press Q again. The selection is inverted. Delete the layer with the dots and create an empty layer. The selection is filled with black color and then removed. You can clearly see how the different softness has influenced the spacing and the number of dots.
What have we learned? You can control the size of the dots and their angle within the color grid dialog, but you can only control the spacing and distribution via the brightness gradations.
If you want to get a little more creative now, you could move the selection to one side before deselecting it, with a selection tool activated. Hold down the Shift key and use the arrow key to move the selection in one direction. Press the delete key. This way you can even create grids with holes. You can easily add a pop color to the result using Layer Style>Color Overlay.
The following image could quickly be given an interesting background with this effect. On a new layer, use the brush tool and hold down the Alt key to repeatedly pick up colors from the image. Use this to paint around the edge of the document.
Use the filter>Blur filter>Gaussian blur with a radius of about 20 pixels. Apply a mask to the layer and fill the area with 50% gray. Use the coarsening filter>Color Grid. Ctrl+I, to invert, now creates dots instead of a grid.
With the eraser tool and an opacity of 20%, which you set in the options bar, as well as a fairly large tool tip, you can now ensure that the effect is weakened in some places. The color grids therefore offer an uncomplicated way to create cool backgrounds or design elements in just a few steps. Further elements could complement the graphic.
© aldra / Stock photo File #: 7296448 / Flying hair - http://www.istockphoto.com
Crystallize
The coarsening filter>Crystallize combines pixels into colour groups in order to form polygons from these areas. If you set the cell size very high, the effect will be clearly visible. When applied to photos, you can create very blatant distortions that could also be used as a kind of bokeh effect.
To do this, roughly select the background with the quick selection tool and press Ctrl+J twice to copy the contents of the selection. Use the blur filter>Gaussian blur with a radius of 2 pixels on the first copy.
On the second copy, use the filter>Smoothing filter>Crystallize with a large cell size. Change the blending mode of the top layer to Soft Light and reduce the opacity. You could add to this effect with an appropriate bokeh brush.
© quavondo / Stock photo File #: 6800699 / Beautiful Latina Fashion Model - http://www.istockphoto.com
The use of crystallization in masks is far more interesting. With a texture, for example, you could select an area with the selection rectangle and then click on the Add layer mask button to give the layer a mask, whereby the shape of the selection has been adopted.
In the mask, apply the coarsening filter>Crystallize. The aim is to create an edge that looks torn and aged. First set the cell size to 5 and confirm with OK. Then use the filter again with a cell size of 3. A good basis for further steps.
Mezzotint
The mezzotint effect is reminiscent of old newspapers in which images were only printed very roughly and in black and white. In contrast to the color grid style already introduced, lines or dots are used here for tracing, which appear more randomly distributed.
As all the shading is used in the photo, it is advisable to use a picture element that is placed on a white background, or even better: cut out on a separate layer. This makes it stand out nicely. These butterflies here may not offer an exciting motif, but they are well suited for demonstrating this filter.
© Jordan McCullough / Stock photo File #: 11931041 / Flying Butterfly Isolated - http://www.istockphoto.com
A little preparatory work is advisable. You could first transform the image element into an achromatic version via Image>Corrections>Black and White. Click on the Auto button or optimize the conversion by hand. To do this, simply move over the areas of the image that you want to lighten or darken, hold down the mouse button and move the mouse pointer to the right or left.
To support the effect, it is possible to overdraw the image element. To do this, go to Filter>Sharpen filter>Unsharp mask and set the strength to 100% and the radius to 7 pixels. This will also increase the contrast.
Further optimization could be achieved by concentrating on the darkest and lightest areas. To be able to work flexibly, go to Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Threshold and perhaps readjust the slider. In most cases, however, the preset value 128 is suitable.
I would recommend using the adjustment layer to comfortably improve areas that are too heavily converted within the mask with the brush, black foreground color and a reduced opacity in the options bar. Once you are satisfied, press Ctrl+E to reduce.
Now go to Filter>Smoothing filter>Mezzotint and adjust the values to your own taste. In my example, I first copied the layer using Ctrl+J and set the type of the copy to Large dot. I used Medium point for the layer below.
The blending mode of the upper layer was then changed to Multiply. You could also use the coarsening filter>Dot in combination with Mezzotint to generate even more white spaces beforehand.
© Ivan Bajic / Stock photo File #: 5187629 / Blank Book - http://www.istockphoto.com
Mosaic effect
The mosaic effect is very well known, but it does nothing more than produce boxes based on the colors, the size of which you can adjust. For example, you could copy a photo using Ctrl+J and apply this copy using the Filter>Smoothing filter>Mosaic effect with size of mosaic tiles: 5. The result is nice. It seems that this filter is really only suitable for making people unrecognizable or for simulating old computer graphics.
However, if graphic elements such as circles are arranged around the face, the result is a very special image. The filter could also be applied to a copy with a larger size of the tesserae and adjusted to the remaining areas in a mask. A beautiful effect that could stand for the "digital world".
Distortion filter
Distortion and warping
The Distorsion and Warping filters are perfect for enlarging or reducing shapes, whereby this is of course done with a blatant distortion. As a test, you could create a new document in the size 600 x 600 pixels with white background content and change the foreground color to white. The background color should be set to #cc8844. Then apply the filter>Render filter>Clouds.
This is followed by the Filter>Distortion filter>Distortion, where a high strength ensures that the image is drawn in and a strength in the minus range ensures that it bulges out. For this example, please set the strength to 100%. After confirming with Ok, apply the filter five more times, for example with Ctrl+F. A beautiful beam effect has been created.
Use the Filter>Render filter>Lighting effects with Type: Soft spotlight, Intensity: 50, Gloss and material: 100, Exposure: 50 and Environment: -60. The color under Light type must be reset so that the effect is visible. I have used the color #ffddbb here. This created a basis for an "evil eye".
While the Distorsion filter compresses content, the Warping filter projects the image onto a sphere. As a positive or negative value can be entered for both filters, both filters behave very similarly. However, the distinction to distortion is clearer with the Warp filter.
The curvature filter creates a hard edge, just like a sphere and its boundary to the background. However, if you create a soft selection, both filters can be used to shape bodies.
For example, you could use the polygon lasso tool to roughly select an area and then use the menu and Selection>Change selection>Soft edge with a radius of 10 pixels to create a softer transition. Ctrl+J copies the content of the selection to a separate layer.
This is followed by Filter>Distortion filter>Bend with -15%. This could easily be used to create an even more beautiful waistline. There is a special feature with the Warp filter, as the sphere can also be turned into a cylinder by changing the mode from Normal to Horizontal or Vertical.
© Alexander Yakovlev / Stock photo File #: 9800741 / the dancer - http://www.istockphoto.com
Glass
The distortion filter>Glass creates a distortion based on a structure, which can be changed in terms of the strength of the distortion and the smoothing of the structure. For the structure, we are offered a number of presets, such as cuboids, frosted glass or small lenses, the size of which is controlled via the scaling. However, it is far more interesting to provide the filter with its own texture.
For example, you could offer the filter a water texture. To do this, create a document in the size 4000 x 4000 pixels with a white background. Use the Filter>Noise filter>Add noise with Strength: 75%, Distribution: Even and Monochromatic. Press D on the keyboard for the standard colors black and white and apply the filter>Drawing filter>Bas-relief with Detail: 10, Smoothing: 3 and Light: Bottom.
This is followed by the filter>Blur filter>Motion blur with Angle: 0 degrees and Distance: 80 pixels. To soften the structure a little, press Ctrl+J to copy the layer and change the blending mode of the copy from Normal to Multiply Negative. Ctrl+E reduces the layer with the layer below to one layer. Double-click on the background layer to turn it into a layer 0. Now the layer can be easily distorted via Edit>Transform>Perspective. The two lower grab points are pulled apart. This creates the water surface, which you save under a suitable name.
Now you can add a water reflection to a suitable photo. To do this, copy the photo using Ctrl+J and expand it downwards by 200% using Image>Working area. This is followed by Edit>Transform>Vertical mirroring. Now the copy can be arranged below the original using the Move tool.
Click on Filter>Convert for smart filter in the menu. The Filter>Distortion filter>Glass is called up and the water texture you have just created is selected under Structure. After confirming, you can draw a black and white gradient within the filter mask to simulate a transition from wavy to calm water.
The ripple or ocean wave distortion filters can also create beautiful waves. However, it is advisable to follow the steps described first and then use these filters as a small addition. This will achieve far more realistic results.
© Adam Mandoki / Stock photo File #: 5078249 / Winter - http://www.istockphoto.com
Polar coordinates
Polar coordinates convert rectangular coordinates into round polar coordinates and vice versa. Perfect for creating entire planets from square photos. A panorama should be used to provide Photoshop with some material. Here's a little tip in advance: As the polar coordinates filter will align the edges to the left and right of the panorama, it is advisable to create a nice transition to save yourself the work later. To do this, copy the layer using Ctrl+J and mirror it using Edit>Transform>Mirror horizontally.
The layer is given a mask, for example via Layer>Layer mask>Hide all, to then create a transition with white color and a small tool tip with the brush on one side, in which the image is mirrored a bit. Once the transition is successful, press Ctrl+E to reduce it.
© Benjamin Goode / Stock photo File #: 2833152 / Seattle Panorama - http://www.istockphoto.com
The following step is also recommended to ensure that the world not only transitions cleanly at the edges after the polar coordinates filter, but also stands in the middle without any disturbing distortions. In the menu, go to Image>Image rotation>Flip workspace vertically and Image>Workspace and increase the height so that it corresponds to the width.
The width and height should therefore have the same numbers. Then change the direction of the extension so that the workspace is enlarged towards the bottom. White should be set as the background color. The square shape ensures the perfect circle, the mirroring ensures the positioning of the water in the middle and the skyscrapers on the outside.
Now use the Filter>Distortion filter>Polar coordinates with Rectangular>Polar. The panorama has been arranged in a circle in the center of the document. An ingenious basis for adding further elements to this new world. In my example, the water was optimized and an airplane was added.
Vibrations
The distortion filter>Vibrations offers the option of specifying generators for waves whose wavelength, amplitude and wave types you can define. This quickly creates chaos, but also order if you are a bit tricky. Create a document with the dimensions 700 x 700 pixels and set the foreground color to #222222 and the background color to #bbbb99. Activate the gradient tool and set a gradient from the foreground to the background color and Linear gradient in the options bar. Drag the gradient from top to bottom while holding down the Shift key.
Go to Filter>Distortion filter>Vibrations. You can see from the preview how the different settings affect the gradient. If you now want to create a neat striped pattern instead of the chaos of the waves, set the generators to 5, the wavelength to 69 and 70, the amplitude to 500 and 700 and Scale to 100% in each case. Set the type of oscillation to square. The number of stripes can now be controlled via the size of the wavelength, whereby the values should be approximately the same.
Swirl
To explore the distortion filter>Strudel, you could first create a simple basis in a document with the dimensions 800 x 800 pixels. Press D on the keyboard for the default colors black and white. Select the gradient tool and set a gradient from foreground to background color and Linear gradient in the options bar. Draw a gradient from top to bottom, i.e. from white to black.
Use the Filter>Distortion filter>Vibrations with Generators: 5, Wavelength: 1 to 750, Amplitude: 1 to 130 and Type: Square. This is followed by the distortion filter>Polar coordinates. Press Ctrl+J to copy and go to Edit>Transform>90 degrees clockwise in the menu.
The filling method is changed from Normal to Copy one into the other. Now apply the distortion filter>Swirl with angle: 135 degrees. The swirl thus creates a rotation that is more pronounced in the middle and where you can specify the direction. This creates a spiral.
Press Ctrl+E to reduce and use the distortion filter>Distortion with strength: 100%. The result could now be colored. To do this, create a new layer and set the blending mode to Color. Activate the gradient tool, set the foreground and background color to your taste and use a radial gradient for the coloring.
Distort
The distortion filter>Bend offers us a line that can be bent after setting a grab point. The first point can be followed by many others, which makes it possible to create a curved implementation. If you want to wrap a garland around this rod, for example, that's no problem. Create a new layer and select an elongated area with the selection rectangle. Fill the selection with a pattern via Edit>Fill area with Use: Pattern.
Ctrl+D cancels the selection. In the menu, go to Filter>Distortion filter>Bend and set numerous points alternately to create a curved gradient. The layer is given a mask so that you can create the illusion of a wrapped ribbon using the brush tool and black foreground color.
Alternatively, you could also click on the layer thumbnail with the rod while holding down the Ctrl key and then fill the selection in the mask with black paint. Now it is much easier to draw in the ribbon with white color. You can use the layer styles to create a slight 3D effect. There are good alternatives to this filter under Edit in the menu, such as Shape Grid or the Warp transformation.
Offset
The distortion filter>Offset works with a so-called displacement matrix. This is basically nothing more than a grayscale file in which black causes the maximum negative shift and white the maximum positive shift. In other words, two directions in which the pixel material can move. A neutral gray does not cause any shift at all.
© Bill Noll / Stock photo File #: 9927388 / Young blonde woman - http://www.istockphoto.com
If, for example, a logo or an illustrative motif is to be applied to a T-shirt, the graphic would have to follow the drape. A black and white version of the T-shirt could serve as the basis for the offset filter. Press Ctrl+A to select and Ctrl+C to copy. Create a new document and say Ctrl+V to paste. Go to Image>Mode>Grayscale and use the Filter>Smooth Filter>Make Matte to remove noise. The file could be saved as t-shirt-map.psd. 
Now insert the logo above the T-shirt and change the fill method to Multiply. You could also reduce the layer opacity slightly. After Filter>Convert for smart filter, use the Filter>Distortion filter>Displace with Horizontal and Vertical scaling each set to 6. This scaling is a percentage value that determines the strength of the displacement in relation to the matrix. The offset matrix, i.e. the grayscale file, which the filter requires immediately, could be scaled to the current document size or repeated like a pattern. For undefined areas, you have the choice between Repeat edge pixels or Replace with shifted part.
After confirming with OK, Photoshop asks for the path to the grayscale file and you select the file you have just created. In the before and after comparison via Ctrl+Z, you can see that the graphic now follows the folds of the T-shirt. As the filter was implemented as a smart filter, the dialog window can be opened at any time by double-clicking on the filter name in the layer palette to change the values. For example, the scaling could be reduced to soften the folds.
Soft light
The distortion filter>Soft light does not distort directly, but works like a soft light filter. A white noise suppression effect is added. Perfect for a glamor-glow implementation. Press Ctrl+J twice and apply the Filter>Distortion filter>Soft light with Grain: 0, Amount of light: 2 and Contrast: 6. You can now increase the saturation slightly via Image>Correction>Dynamics. Change the blending mode to Multiply and the underlying layer to Multiply Negative.
© Iconogenic / Stock photo File #: 3755915 / Dancing - http://www.istockphoto.com
Waves
The filter>Distortion filter>Waves is reminiscent of the waves that can be seen when a stone is thrown into the water. The strength can be adjusted in a positive and negative direction, as can the number of waves. Three different types are also offered. I would like to illustrate this effect with a text example. Create a new layer and fill it with a linear gradient from white to black.
Apply the filter>Distortion filter>Waves with Strength: 20, Waves: 15 and Type: Concentric from the center. Repeat the filter ten times using Ctrl+F. This makes the shape very clear and can help us with positioning. Write three large letters in the Bauhaus 93 font. The color now comes into play via Layer> Layer Style> Gradient Overlay. The gradient is changed to Spectrum, the angle to 180 degrees. If this is too colorful for you, activate a color overlay with blending mode: Color. The layer style can then be easily moved to the other layers by holding down the Alt key and thus copied.
Activate the top layer with a letter, then hold down the Shift key and activate the bottom layer with a letter. Press Ctrl+E to reduce and use the Filter>Distortion filter>Waves again with the same settings. Repeat the filter about eight times using Ctrl+F.
The filter blurs the edges. To reduce this slightly, click on the layer thumbnail while holding down the Ctrl key and then click on the Add layer mask button. Apply the Filter>Blur filter>Gaussian blur with radius: 3 pixels. This is followed by Image>Corrections>Tone value correction with Shadow tone value spread: 150 and Highlight tone value spread: 180. This has made the edge a little sharper. This is a trick that generally works with masks. The letters could then be repositioned.
