ADOBE TRAINING, PHOTOSHOP CS6 BASICS: MASKING Photoshop has many sophisticated tools to manipulate images for correction and effect. In this tutorial you will learn to: • • •
Define the purpose and applications of Layer Masks Apply Layer Masks to blend photos in project Use Layer Masks to selectively adjust and correct a photo
What are Layer Masks? A Layer Mask allows you to selectively control the transparency of a layer without destroying the original image. Unlike the Opacity Tool that reduces the transparency of the entire layer, Masks only effect parts of the layer selected. Masks can be used to blend photos together and to apply corrections and effects to only selected elements in a project.
Blending Photos Using Layer Masks Using Layer Masks to blend photos allows you to retain the integrity of both images while seamlessly stitching the photos together in a kind of collage. It can be used to make a picture within a picture style project or to create a variety of effects.
ADOBE TRAINING, PHOTOSHOP CS6 BASICS: MASKING - 1
Agria
10/17/2012
Step One: Open both photos in Photoshop and with the Move Tool selected left-click and drag one of the photos into the other by dropping it on the project tab. (1) Both photos will appear in the Layers Pane of a single project.
Step Two: With the (1) Move Tool selected in the Toolbar activate the (2) Transform Controls and left-click/hold using the transform guides to (3) reduce the size of the new layer and move it to fit into an area of your image. Note: Hold the SHIFT key to retain the image size ratio. Double-left-click or select the checkmark in the upper right of the workspace to accept the transformation to the layer.
ADOBE TRAINING, PHOTOSHOP CS6 BASICS: MASKING - 2
Agria
10/17/2012
With the new layer selected, add a new (1) Layer Mask using the icon at the bottom of the Layers' Pane. The (2) Layer Mask will default to white. Layer masks use only white, black, and the shades of gray in between to control the transparency of a layer. White in a layer mask means the image is 100% visible. Black in a layer mask means that the image is 100% transparent. And gray in a layer mask provides an image transparency in between at 50%. These settings can be used to apply different blending effects. In this tutorial we are using white. Note: To change the mask transparency select Edit > Fill and in the dialog box use the Contents drop down menu to pick another fill type.
ADOBE TRAINING, PHOTOSHOP CS6 BASICS: MASKING - 3
Agria
10/17/2012
Step Three: With the (1) Mask Layer selected in the Layers Pane choose the (2) Brush Tool from the Toolbar. Make sure that the brush is set to (3) Black. Note: Using black brush on a white mask will hide any areas touched by the brush, but since we are using a mask it won't destroy the original images. Using a white brush on a black mask will reveal the image.
ADOBE TRAINING, PHOTOSHOP CS6 BASICS: MASKING - 4
Agria
10/17/2012
Step Four: In the Tool Options Bar set the (1) brush size and (2) style settings. Note: A softer brush will create a more subtle effect. You can use the left/right bracket keys [ ] to increase the size of the brush while applying the effect in the workspace. Also remember to use the Control (PC)/Command (MAC) + / - combination to increase the size of the project in the workspace.
Step Five: Left-click/hold and paint over the areas with the brush that you want to hide.
ADOBE TRAINING, PHOTOSHOP CS6 BASICS: MASKING - 5
Agria
10/17/2012
In the (1) Layers' Pane the area painted over will appear black.
Correcting or Revealing Hidden Areas: If you make a mistake as you are hiding parts of your image using the brush, reverse the (1) brush color to White and paint over the area to reveal the image.
ADOBE TRAINING, PHOTOSHOP CS6 BASICS: MASKING - 6
Agria
10/17/2012
Selective Image Correction with Masks Sometimes a good picture has some trouble spots that keep it from being great. In this photo the left-side of the image is really dark. Applying a layer adjustment would effect the entire image. By applying Layer Masks to only selected areas corrections can be made without damaging the original photo.
ADOBE TRAINING, PHOTOSHOP CS6 BASICS: MASKING - 7
Agria
10/17/2012
Step One: Use the (1) Polygonal Lasso Tool to select the buildings in the image. Note: Remember this tool works by left-clicking around the image like a dot-to-dot picture.
Step Two: From the Photoshop Menu select (1) Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Levels. Select OK in the dialog box.
ADOBE TRAINING, PHOTOSHOP CS6 BASICS: MASKING - 8
Agria
10/17/2012
Step Three: Drag the (1) middle gray icon to the left OR toward the high point of the graph. The shadows on the buildings lighter, but the mountains and the clouds are unchanged, because our selection created a mask for the adjustment layer. You can see a (2) black and white thumbnail representing this layer mask in the layers palette. Where the mask is black the adjustment has not been applied.
ADOBE TRAINING, PHOTOSHOP CS6 BASICS: MASKING - 9
Agria
10/17/2012
Step Four: Adjusting the levels can sometimes wash out the colors. To fix this, hold down the Control (PC) / Command (MAC) key and (1) click the mask thumbnail on the Layers' Pane. This will reload the selection.
Step Five: From the Photoshop Menu select (1) Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation. Select OK in the dialog box.
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each tool to get an explanatory tooltip. Only one tool can be activated from the toolbar at a time. Percent of Image Size in Workspace. Also next to the toolbar is the image size percent indicator. This is the percent of the full size image as it app
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Tip: If you don't know what an icon represents, just hover over it for a quick tooltip! The Control Panel is Context Specific. The contents of the Control Panel are context specific, meaning they will change based on the object or items you. have sel
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