Create a puzzle from a photo with removed puzzle pieces in Photoshop

A puzzle effect is a creative way to present photos in a special manner. With Photoshop, you can create a realistic puzzle from an image and integrate removed pieces to add dynamism to your designs. In this tutorial, I'll show you two variations on how to achieve this effect: a classic puzzle look and a modern, abstracted version. Let's get started and transform your photo into an interactive artwork!

Step 1:

First, I create a new document; the size doesn't matter. I choose a very small size of 800x600 pixels. If you intend to print this effect, the unit should be changed from pixels to cm, and the resolution from 72 to 300 pixels/inch.

Step 2:

Now, I drag and drop a photo of my choice from the file manager into my document.

Step 3:

In order to correctly load the Texturize filter with a puzzle texture, I need a puzzle texture as a base, which is included in the Structures directory up to Photoshop CS3.

Step 4:

All Photoshop owners with a higher version can visit the link Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Optional Add-Ons+Opt.Optional Reading.pdf - German. (Available at www.adobe.de, then under Downloads>Updates and there under Photoshop).

Step 5:

In the compressed file, in the Textures directory, you will find the puzzle file. I will now unpack this.

Step 6:

For safety, I duplicate my photo layer with Ctrl+J and hide the original. I now activate my duplicated photo layer, go to the Filter menu, and select the Texturize filter.

Step 7:

Now I click on the Options menu to load my Puzzle.psd file.

Step 8:

During the scaling, I can also adjust the size. But be careful: The larger the scaling, the more blurry the puzzle effect becomes. I set the Relief height to 6 and the Light to Top right.

Step 9:

At 100% Scaling, my puzzle now looks like this:

Step 10:

Now, I want to remove a few puzzle pieces. There are various good methods for this. I choose the Pen tool solution: I create a Work path with the Pen tool for this purpose.

Step 11:

Next, in the Paths panel, I right-click on my work path and then choose Make selection. A Radius of 1 pixel can be set to create a soft selection. However, I leave it at 0 pixel Radius. I leave the Feather option as it is.

Step 12:

Now, I simply press Ctrl+X to cut out the image and Ctrl+V to paste it as a new layer. Then, I rotate my puzzle piece and add a drop shadow to both layers.

Step 13:

For the next puzzle piece, I use the Lasso tool. This works well if you have a graphics tablet or a very good mouse. With the Alt- or Shift key, I can add or subtract areas from the selection.

Step 14:

If I still have my selection and my selection tool active, I can call Refine Edge at the top of the control panel. I choose to Round a little and possibly also a minimal Feather Edge value.

Step 15:

Next, I press Ctrl+X again to cut out the image and Ctrl+V to paste it as a new layer. Then I rotate my puzzle piece and add a Drop Shadow to my layer.

Step 16:

I select the next two puzzle pieces with the Polygon Lasso Tool and optimize them with Refine Edge. To create an additional optional effect, I first add a Layer Mask to my photo.

Step 17:

Then I use the Lasso Tool to select the puzzle pieces from the top to the bottom along the edge.

Step 18:

Now I fill my selection with black to hide this part. And it already looks as if there are missing puzzle pieces at the edge.

Step 19:

At the edge, I remove another puzzle piece using the mask. I can fine-tune poorly selected areas within the mask with a brush. Additionally, I add an Inner Shadow to the top left puzzle piece using the Fill Option.

Step 20:

In the second method of creating a puzzle, I assume that the puzzle.psd file is not available and one has to come up with something else. I get a puzzle photo on www.sxc.hu. Unfortunately, there is no puzzle without distracting image contents. I chose this photo because only the middle part needs to be removed.

Step 21:

I then load this photo in full resolution (for this, you need to be registered for free at sxc.hu) into Photoshop and select half of it.

Step 22:

Now copy the contents of the selection and paste it using Ctrl+V. Then press Ctrl+T to transform the layer, then right-click and then Flip Horizontal.

Step 23:

Next, extend the workspace further and merge my layers together (select layers in the Layers Panel with the Shift key and press Ctrl+E). Then duplicate them with Ctrl+J, mirror them again with Ctrl+T, and piece together the empty spaces until a large puzzle texture is formed (more details are available in the video).

Step 24:

I save the large puzzle texture as a PSD file (the view is currently only at 8.33%, so as you can see, this texture is really very large).

Step 25:

Now I open a photo of my choice, then go to the Filter menu and click on Add Texture again. Then in the Options menu, I load my new puzzle PSD file, and the result looks like this with a photo over 4000 pixels wide.

Step 26:

Next, I convert the background layer to a normal layer by double-clicking and create a layer with white color underneath it.

Step 27:

Here I can again extract a puzzle piece using the Lasso tool and add a drop shadow to both layers.

Step 28:

At 25% zoom, the image looks like this:





I hope I could show with these two variants that it's not that difficult to create a puzzle from a photo.