UNDERSTANDING LAYER MASKS

[winwintoo]

I'm far from a celebrity My show is about Photoshop Elements. I'm doing a series of 6 half hour shows introducing PSE on the local cable station. I don't think anybody will watch it, but it's fun for me and i'm learning a lot. Nothing like a deadline to get the creative juices flowing!

The exciting part will be the website to accompany the show where I'll be posting the images I work on and tutorials for doing them and if I get moving here there'll be some 2 minute videos too.

It's fun that's all I can say,

Take care, Margaret

[Flora]

Great! Just Great!

It's so nice doing what you actually like doing!!!

Please, post the website link once it's up .... I know where to send people needing help for PSE ....

All the best.

Take care ...

[ebbtide]

Hi,
In the tutorial I got lost between image 6 and 7. In 6 the mask is shown as solid black. In 7 the mask is black with a white slit cut out. How did you make the white cut out. thanks, ebbtide

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by ebbtide

Hi,
In the tutorial I got lost between image 6 and 7. In 6 the mask is shown as solid black. In 7 the mask is black with a white slit cut out. How did you make the white cut out. thanks, ebbtide

Welcome to RetouchPRO and a great question...

1. Literally click on the mask thumbnail (the black one). This engages the layer mask. Note how the layer icon changes from a paint brush to a square with a circle inside it, signifying "the layer mask is active." (If you click on the image thumbnail, the icon switches back to a paint brush = the image is active.)

2. Paint with white. With the layer mask active, the paint will be applied to the mask. Where you paint white on the mask is what will reveal the layer below.

Hope this gets you moving.

~Danny~

[Dave Mamet]

Excellent tutorial, well written, easy to follow and understand. This is the kind of thing I joined Retouch Pro to learn about.

Dave.

[Flora]

Hi ebbtide,

Welcome to RP!

Originally Posted by ebbtide

In the tutorial I got lost between image 6 and 7. In 6 the mask is shown as solid black. In 7 the mask is black with a white slit cut out.

Right! .... Sorry about that ... Danny has already cleared part of your confusion but what actually created it was the fact that I used the wrong Image 7 !!!! I've already corrected and changed it!!

I had thought of showing how exactly an 'Activated Layer Mask' looks like only after having worked on it .... so I took that snapshot after having changed the mask already!!!

As for painting the 'white slit' on it, follow the steps in the Tutorial from Image 7 ....

Hope this has cleared all your confusion ....

[Flora]

Hi Dave,

If I haven't done this already,

Welcome to RP!

Thank you very much for your feedback!!!

[Marthig]

Originally Posted by Flora

A beginners Tutorial for better understanding Layer Masks in Photoshop [details]

It is true that I had no idea about the usefulness of this PS tool, it was like unknown territory and could never get the gist of it. The tutorial is excellent and perfect for beginners like myself. Thank you. !!
I just love this site so much to learn and so much fun doing it.

[Flora]

Hi Marthig,

Welcome to RP!

Thank you so much for your great feedback!!!

[palms1]

As i mentioned earlier in this thread i wuld have a practice and have found the tutorial excellent so i thought i would let you see a little of what i have been practicing ( no not perfect but getting there ) winnie is my cat and willling model, trouble is getting her not to be asleep ! ! ! ! ! !

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by palms1

...i thought i would let you see a little of what i have been practicing...

WAY TO GO, Palms! I'm glad you're making progress. (Nice subject... I like kitties.)

Not to worry... you'll never achieve perfection, but there's nothing wrong with striving for excellence. Keep on growing and learning.

[Flora]

Simply great Palms1!!!

I'm so happy you found the tutorial so helpful that you are having fun 'experimenting' with Layer Masks .... and with great results!!!

One word of warning though .... Layer Masks can be highly addictive!!!

[Fotofill]

Thank you for the excellent tutorial. I was hoping to be able to print it out and try to apply it to Print Shop Pro. However when I tried to print it none of the images printed although they showed up ok on the screen. I just got a blank box where the images shoudl be. Any ideas how I can print this out with the images so that I could work on in PSP

Thanks

[Flora]

Hi Fotofill,

Welcome to RP!

Thank you so much for your kindness!!!

I just made a test print of one page of the tutorial by clicking on the 'Print' link at the top of the page .... I did the test using Netscape first and Internet Explorer then .... both times the images came out perfectly ....

One silly question ... have you checked that in your browser's printing configuration/settings you have the 'print background and images' box checked ?

[discinque]

They say the best way to be a successful teacher is to have a really dense student <raises hand>.

On the discription for Image 4 the last line states to fill the layer with a color of your choice. Image 4 points to the little icon under the layers... after playing with that (and cleverly using "layer properties" to change the layer bar blue...) I finally realized I should use the Fill tool... ? is that right?

Also - for some reason - "Create Background Copy" isn't a choice when right-clicking Background. I found that if you drag the Background to the "Create a New Layer" icon it makes the Background Copy - is there another way to do it?

Thank you so much for your time and effort - glad I could help by being the Dense Student