A Photoshop cutout can move away from its mask when the image layer and mask are unlinked. The mask stays in one position while the selected image component moves, or the reverse happens. Inspect the chain icon between the thumbnails before refining the edge again. Relinking preserves future joint movement; it does not automatically repair an offset that already occurred.
Separate registration from edge quality
Compare the current cutout with the approved source. A contour displaced in the same direction across much of the subject suggests a position relationship worth investigating. A narrow bright fringe around hair may have a different cause, such as the selection itself. Do not replace an accurate mask because a transform moved its partner.
In the Layers panel, inspect the image thumbnail, mask thumbnail and the link symbol between them. Adobe documents that layers and their masks are linked by default and can be unlinked for independent movement. Check the actual document rather than assuming that the default still applies after earlier editing.
Observe one small movement
This is a reproducible test plan, not a recorded result. Duplicate the document. Select the intended component and make a small, reversible move, watching both the subject and the mask boundary. Record whether they move together and undo the movement. Do not simultaneously resize, rotate and change mask feathering during this comparison.
If the components move independently and the link is absent, that supports the linkage explanation. If the chain is present but the cutout still behaves unexpectedly, confirm which layer, group or component is actually selected. A different mask or transformed group can make a casual visual diagnosis misleading.
Restore alignment before relinking
Use the source and known landmarks to restore the correct relative position. Check hard edges such as a shoulder or sleeve as well as soft hair boundaries. A mask may intentionally need independent movement for a design effect; decide whether that relationship belongs in the approved final image.
Once the intended alignment is restored, click between the image and mask thumbnails to restore the link as appropriate. Repeating the move on a copy should then show joint behavior. Clicking the chain does not reconstruct the earlier position by itself, so a misaligned cutout needs alignment review as a separate step.
Acceptance for a portrait layout
For a hypothetical event portrait, the subject may have been shifted to make room for a date. The document passes when the head, shoulders and clothing remain within their intended mask after that repositioning, without revealing old background or clipping the person. This is a planning example, not a tested delivery.
Save and reopen the layered master, then inspect the export at the actual display size and around critical boundaries. Record any intentional unlinked mask so later editors know why it exists. These are desktop Photoshop controls. An Imagild photo can enter this layout, but semantic region selection in Imagild is separate from the chain relationship stored in the external file.