How to make a mask in Photoshop
Skill level: Beginner
Software: Adobe Photoshop 7
This tutorial will explain how to make a mask to isolate or protect
a selected area of an image this helps you apply color changes, filters,
or other effects to the rest of the image.
The masks allows you to save and reuse time-consuming selections as
alpha channels. (Alpha channels can be converted to selections and then
used for image editing.) Because masks are stored as 8-bit grayscale
channels, you can refine and edit them using the full array of painting
and editing tools.
There are two types of masks:
• Layer and Quick masks are bitmap images, the mask is a grayscale
image linked to the layer, so what you paint in black will be hidden,
what you paint in white will be visible, and what you paint in gray
shades will be showed in various levels of transparency. The difference
between the Layer and the Quick mask is mainly the fact that the Quick
mask mode makes a temporary mask channel in the Channels palette while
you work in that mode and when then you go back to standard mode, the
unprotected areas became a selection. Temporary masks are useful when
you don't need to save the mask for later use.
• Vector masks are resolution-independent and are created with
the pen or shape tools. A vector mask creates a sharp-edged shape on
a layer and is useful any time you want to add a design element with
clean, defined edges, you can also apply one or more layer styles to
it, edit them if needed, and instantly have a usable button, panel,
or other Web design element.
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| Our original image (save it by right clicking, then choose Save as...) |
Layer
mask
1. In the Layers palette, select the layer
where you going to put a mask.
2. With any one of the selection tools (L),
(the magic wand tool (W) or any one of the marquee tools (M)) make a
selection around the part of the image you want isolated. Don’t
worry about making the selection perfect because the mask is always
editable.
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3. Click the New Layer Mask button in the
Layers palette to create a mask. That’s reveals the selection
or in the command menu choose Layer > Add Layer Mask > Reveal
Selection or Hide Selection.
To
edit your mask use the brush tool (B) with the default black and white
settings (D). You can also click on (X) switch to foreground to background
colors and vice versa.
Next
do one of the following:
-To subtract from the mask and reveal the layer, paint the mask with
white.
-To make the layer partially visible, paint the mask with gray.
-To add to the mask and hide the layer or layer set, paint the mask
with black.
To edit the layer instead of the layer mask, select it by clicking its
thumbnail in the Layers palette. The paintbrush icon appears to the
left of the thumbnail to indicate that you are editing the layer. To
go back to the layer mask, select it by clicking its thumbnail in the
Layers palette. The layer mask icon appears to the right of the thumbnail
to indicate that you are editing the layer mask.
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| Our final image |
