![]() ![]() The darker shades of gray are more opaque whereas lighter shades of gray are more transparent. White reveals, black conceals, and gray does something in between. The Photoshop concept is derived from the painting technique, except that Photoshop masks are often referred to as “layer masks” since each mask only applies to a single layer within your overall document.Ī layer mask is linked to another existing layer, and the mask acts as an invisible guide that controls which parts of the layer are visible using black, white, and gray pixels. Of course, painters originally got the term from the theatre where actors used masks to transform their identities, but we don’t need to go too far down the etymology rabbit hole. The term “masking” originally comes from painting, when painters would cover sections of their canvas, hiding the sections or ‘masking’ them, to control where their paint was applied. Let’s set up a demonstration so you can see how this works. Using a layer mask, however, is a non-destructive edit. Once you’ve erased the pixels, they’re gone and you can’t get them back. Just like a pencil eraser, the edit is destructive. It works just like a pencil eraser and we can wrap our heads around that.īut, it has the same problem. You could also use the Eraser tool, which people like because it is a simple tool to understand. Plus, you would have to undo everything you did in between). Photoshop only tracks a certain number of adjustments so you might not be able to get back to it. (I know you can undo it, but I’m talking about after you’ve made other edits, then notice the mistake. In other words, if you make a mistake, you can’t go back and adjust it later. However, that would be a destructive edit because it irreversibly deletes the pixels. You could crop the layer using the Marquee tool or another selection tool (see detailed explanation here). Note: the screenshots below are taken from the Windows version of Adobe Photoshop, if you’re using the Mac version, the navigations may look slightly different. ![]() First, we’ll take a quick look at how manual masking works for readers who are in a rush to get started, and then I’ll explain how masking works in much more detail, and give you some helpful tips to speed up the process. Masks give you the ultimate degree of control over your layer contents while still preserving all your original image data, which makes them an essential part of any non-destructive editing workflow.įor those of you who are totally new to masking and want a detailed explanation of how it all works, I’ve got you covered. Masking is one of the most essential techniques used in Photoshop, and every experienced image editor has their own favorite method of how to use it. But, once you do, you’ll be awed by the magnificent mask as well. It takes a bit to wrap your head around the concept. Masks were intimidating to me at first, too. Unfortunately, some folks get scared off because they don’t understand how they work.īut, I get it. Layer masks in Photoshop are an incredibly useful tool. ![]()
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