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About this lesson
Layer Masks and Clipping are powerful Photoshop tools and are the bedrock of many of the tutorials that follow. This quick primer will give you a great overview of the techniques.
Exercise files
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Quick reference
Topic
Get the lowdown on layer masks and clipping masks - what each does, why, and when you might want to use each.
When to use
Layer masks and clipping masks are powerful Photoshop tools and are the bedrock of many of the tutorials that follow. This quick primer will give you a great overview of the techniques.
Instructions
Using layer masks:
- Position image over text
- Holding down the Command or Control Key, click on the layer that you want to use as a mask (in this case, the Text): this will create a selection from the text.
- Then click on the ‘Add Layer Mask’ button at the bottom of the Layers panel
To change the position of the mask and revelled image
- In the Layers panel, unclick the 'Chain Link' icon between the image and the mask.
- Make position adjustments
- Click chain back on after adjustments
Advantages of using layer masks
- The source of the mask no longer affects the mask
- You can paint on the layer mask directly to add or remove parts of the image
Using clipping masks:
- Position image over text (it has to be directly above)
- Right click on Image and choose ‘Create Clipping Mask’
- This will use the layer below to reveal the image
Advantage of using clipping masks
- Position adjustments are interdependent.
Tip
To continue to use effect on the clipping source:
- Go into the text layer styles' Blending Options, turn off ‘Blend Clipped Layers as Group’, Turn On ‘Blend Interior Effects As Group’
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- 00:04 Why would I choose to use a clipping mask versus a layer mask?
- 00:06 Let me show the advantages to both methods.
- 00:10 In this document we have a standard text layer and an image which I would like to
- 00:15 be placed inside the text.
- 00:15 Let's go over how this can be done with layer masks first.
- 00:20 To place this image inside the text, you must first position the image
- 00:24 over the text. approximately where we want it to end up.
- 00:27 Once it's in place, hold down either the Command or Control key
- 00:31 and click on the text layers thumbnail in the Layers panel to turn it into a selection.
- 00:34 Now that the selection is made click on the ‘add layer
- 00:38 mask’ button at the bottom of the Layers panel.
- 00:40 This will hide everything outside the text layer.
- 00:45 One slight disadvantage to using a layer mask in this situation
- 00:47 is that if we decide we don't like the positioning of the image, the process is
- 00:50 usually forgotten by most users.
- 00:52 In your Layers panel, you must unchain the layer mask from the image,
- 00:56 click on the image and then reposition the image to your liking.
- 00:59 Once it's in place, it's usually a good idea to link the layer mask back on the
- 01:03 image to avoid any misalignments.
- 01:04 One of the advantages to using a layer mask
- 01:08 is that it is not dependent on the original layer. For example, I'm able to hide or
- 01:12 even delete my original text layer
- 01:15 and my image layer remains intact. Another advantage to using a layer mask is that
- 01:19 you have the ability to bring back or hide areas of your original image
- 01:22 as you please. Grabbing a white brush
- 01:25 I can paint across the bottom of this document to bring back some the original
- 01:29 image,
- 01:30 to create a neat little transition effect. Now let's take a look at clipping
- 01:34 masks.
- 01:34 Starting off with a disadvantage, your image needs to be placed
- 01:38 right above your text layer in the Layers panel for clipping to work
- 01:41 properly.
- 01:42 Once it is right, click on the image in the Layers panel
- 01:45 and choose the ‘create clipping mask’ option. Just like with layer masks,
- 01:49 everything outside the image is hidden.
- 01:51 So what's the big difference? Well if you remember, when dealing with a layer mask,
- 01:55 if you weren't happy with the positioning on the image
- 01:57 we had to go through a bunch a small steps in order to reposition the image,
- 02:01 which most people forget about. With clipping masks, none of that is necessary.
- 02:05 I can simply drag the image around, and even rotate it if I choose,
- 02:09 and it remains within the text layer. That, alone, I think is the biggest advantage.
- 02:13 However, unlike using a layer mask, the original layer needs to remain
- 02:17 visible at all times.
- 02:18 If I were to hide my text layer, my image would go with it.
- 02:22 While we're discussing clipping masks, let me touch on an issue that comes up a lot.
- 02:26 Many users go to add a clipping mask to a layer and their image disappears.
- 02:30 Nine times out of ten, it is because the layer below it contains some
- 02:34 sort of an overlay.
- 02:35 If I turn on the pattern overlay for this layer, you'll notice that my pattern
- 02:39 appears but the image disappears.
- 02:39 Here's a solution: on the layer with the overlay, go into
- 02:44 your layer styles
- 02:45 and then into blending options. Now turn off
- 02:49 'blend clip layers as group' and then turn
- 02:52 on 'blend interior affects as group'. That will allow you to see your clip image once
- 02:57 again, and if you so choose, you can play around with the blending modes to
- 03:00 achieve some pretty nice effects.
- 03:02 So which method is better for you? Well it really depends on the project you're
- 03:06 working on.
- 03:07 Look at the pros, look at the cons, and see which benefits you the most.
- 03:10 In many cases, both methods work great.
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