I was retouching a photograph of Amy Patterson that had a wardrobe failure. The left side of her corset looked like it just didn’t fit. This is a quick fix in Photoshop using Liquify.
Liquify Problem
I discovered that Liquify is broken in the latest release of Photoshop CC 2015.1. A very bright block appears around the liquified area. The problem is readily apparent and not fixable. Or is it?
The workaround
Actually, there are two workarounds. The problem shows up only in 16-bit files. The first fix is to convert the file to 8-bit then apply Liquify. A lot of pros simply HATE the prospect of ever retouching an 8-bit file for fear of quality loss. So for my fellow 16-bit aficionados here’s the workaround until Adobe issues another dot release to fix the problem. Open the layer to be retouched in Liquify. Make all the changes you wish. Do not hit OK. Instead, click Save Mesh. A dialog will open asking where you want to save it. Click Save then click Cancel. Next, hold down the Option key on the Mac (Alt on Windows) then reenter Liquify. Click Load Last Mesh. The changes you made are applied. That’s what the mesh does. Click OK. The Liquify changes are made with out the bright box. Sometimes, Liquify will load the mesh from the previous use of Liquify because it thinks that cancelling Liquify is not the same as last use. If the changes applied with Load Last Mesh are different than the ones you made, undo by typing Command (Control on Windows) + Z. Click Load Mesh… navigate to the mesh just saved click Open. The new changes appear in the preview. Click Ok to apply them to the layer being Liquified.
The result…
Anger Management
Adobe makes fine software. It’s very well tested. I know. Because I’ve been a beta tester. The team hammers really hard on each release of Photoshop to make sure that it works. Sometimes, engineers being human after all, s**t happens. Angry, nasty, condecending remarks might make the commentator feel better, although I truly doubt it. They serve no useful purpose.
Vitriolic posts on forums do no good whatsoever. Do these folks who spew nastiness are not making the fix happen any faster. To those who feel Adobe woke up one morning with the express intention of depriving them of a tool with which they make their living are victims of truly awful thinking. I’ve had the privilege of meeting and chatting with a lot of the engineers who bring up Photoshop. These are dedicated, concerned, inventive geniuses who have contributed much to all of us who count on Photoshop. They deserve better from us. S**t happens. When it does, these folks work really hard to clean it up quickly.
I’ve noticed way more bugs lately than ever though. Seems like the recent 2015.1 doesn’t have as many as the one before it. That was a doozy! At least on the Mac.
30 shoots to edit by next week and I’m pretty sure you just saved me! Thank you!
Thank you very much! Your information was very helpful.
This didn’t work for me. I’ve followed the instructions over and over from many different workaround instructions for this issue and it still doesn’t fix it. :( I just want to get this wedding done. ….ugh…
You just saved my deadline. Thank you!
Can you please tell me what you mean by: Next, hold down the Option key on the Mac (Alt on Windows) then reenter Liquify. Click Load Last Mesh. Once I have saved the mash, do I need to press cancel and go out and then do filter->liquify again to reenter the liquify? I am not able to understand it properly and it always creates this bright boxes if I do cancel and then reenter liquify and do apply last mash. Please help!
Hi Rohit,
You are correct. After saving the mesh, click cancel. Next hold down the Option (Alt) key, go to Photoshop’s Menu then choose Filter > Liquify. Now click load last mesh. Sometimes, Liquify will load the mesh from the use before the one for which the mesh was just saved. If Liquify does something other than the changes just made, undo (command or control = A) then choose Load Mesh… navigate to the mesh just saved and open it. Now click Ok. The work you did now is applied to the layer opened in Liquify.
Thanks for asking!
Kevin
thanks for a level headed and clear set of workarounds. removing the GPU performance option also works but I do not mind 8bit as temp fix
Thanks so much for this. I was looking for what I had set wrong for quite some time.
Liquify is not working for me on 10 bit: https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2059015
30 shoots to edit by next week and I’m pretty sure you just saved me! Thank you!
I’ve noticed way more bugs lately than ever though. Seems like the recent 2015.1 doesn’t have as many as the one before it. That was a doozy! At least on the Mac.
Thank you very much! Your information was very helpful.
This didn’t work for me. I’ve followed the instructions over and over from many different workaround instructions for this issue and it still doesn’t fix it. :( I just want to get this wedding done. ….ugh…
Liquify is not working for me on 10 bit: https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2059015
Can you please tell me what you mean by: Next, hold down the Option key on the Mac (Alt on Windows) then reenter Liquify. Click Load Last Mesh. Once I have saved the mash, do I need to press cancel and go out and then do filter->liquify again to reenter the liquify? I am not able to understand it properly and it always creates this bright boxes if I do cancel and then reenter liquify and do apply last mash. Please help!
Hi Rohit,
You are correct. After saving the mesh, click cancel. Next hold down the Option (Alt) key, go to Photoshop’s Menu then choose Filter > Liquify. Now click load last mesh. Sometimes, Liquify will load the mesh from the use before the one for which the mesh was just saved. If Liquify does something other than the changes just made, undo (command or control = A) then choose Load Mesh… navigate to the mesh just saved and open it. Now click Ok. The work you did now is applied to the layer opened in Liquify.
Thanks for asking!
Kevin
You just saved my deadline. Thank you!
Thanks so much for this. I was looking for what I had set wrong for quite some time.
thanks for a level headed and clear set of workarounds. removing the GPU performance option also works but I do not mind 8bit as temp fix