Using Layer Mask in PS 5.5 or 6.0

[graphixboy]

Does anyone know how to use/make layer masks? I'm doing work with very complex masks and selections that will be used by someone else later. Several people have recomended a layer mask but I can't figure out how to use it.

[Kev Borg]

hi graphixboy

there are several ways to make layer masks depending how complex your masks need to be
can you give us some idea how complex and what your doing


cheers kev

[graphixboy]

Thanks for the imput. the masks need to be very complex. they include rigging and mesh objects on some ships.

-graphixboy

[Beth]

Man did you open up a can of worms. This can be fairly simple to do...but it can also be very complicated too with the masks being created in a variety of different methods.

One of the simplist ways of creating a layer mask...is to make a selection (and there are lots of different ways of doing this depending on the task at hand) and then select the layer that you want the mask applied to in the layer palette. Next clik on the 'add mask' button. It should be next to the effects button and looks like a round circle with grey on the ourside and white on the inside (ie. a selection that has been masked). Poof...a layer mask thumbnail will appear next to the layer thumbnail in the layers palette. Anything outside of this selection will appear black in this thumbnail while anything that was on the inside of the selection will appear white in the mask thumbnail. The black areas on the layer mask will hide what is in that layer. White areas will be completely visable.

You can also paint directly on the layer mask itself. You will need to selected the layer mask by clicking on the thumbnail (if it is not already selected). You can tell if you have the layer or the layer mask selected by the little icon for that layer. If you have a paintbrush thingy, you will be working on the actual layer itself. If you have the white circle in a grey box (ie the mask icon), you will be working on the mask itself.

WHen you are working with masks, you will only have black white and greys to work with. As I mentioned above, black will make that part of the layer invisable and white will allow that part of the layer to show thru completely. Greys will give you partial transparency with the darkest greys acting to hide most of that part of the image and the lighter shades of grey to make them only slightly inviseable.

You can also create a layer mask without making a selection. That is, if you have a layer with an image (not a background layer), and you click on the layer mask icon...a layer mask will be added to that layer, but it will be filled completely with white making the whole layer opaque. With the layer mask selected, click on the gradient tool and paint a gradient from black to white across the layer mask. This will create graduated transparency across the layer making more or less of the underlying layers show thru depending on the grey value.

You can also paint directly on the layer mask to hide parts of the layer. The airbrush tool is quite effective at fading parts of the image into the background.

This is the whole idea behind the layer masks and what makes Photoshop such a good tool for image manipulation. And the big advantage of hiding parts of the image using layer masks is that you have not lost the hidden part....you can go back and make it visable by painting white on the layer mask. But if you used the eraser on the layer to hide parts of the image...they will be gone for good.

I have not delved into the many ways of making selections. And I dont really have the time right now. BUt if you can make a good selection, you can then make a layer mask of that selection by simply cliking on the mask icon for that layer. To quickly mention some of the methods though....there is the straight selection method using the selection tools or the lasso tools.
The magic lasso tool is sometime handy.
You can also select areas based on colour or value (select>colour range)
You can make selections based on channel info as some channels might give good contrast to allow you to make selections easier
Then you can enter quick mask and paint on your selections.
You can also create a path and then convert it to a selection

And so on and so on. This is an incredible complex and powerful feature in photoshop. Definately worth reading the manual or another photoshop book.

Best of luck,
Beth