Too many masks = ugly

[Rexx]

I am sure every beginner has this problem, yet I cannot find any tips on it. I am probably not looking long enough or in the wrong places

Here is my problem.

I have an image detail that I need to mask, let us say it is too dark.
Ok, I mask it using a contrast mask or something, apply Screen and opacity. Correct luminosity. Oops! The colour is now slightly off. No problem. Anoher adjustment layer, correct Hue/Sat, copy mask. Fine. Not. The mask is now a pixel or two off. I can see the edges. Argh! I go back and adjust the first mask. It gets worse. I adjust the second mask. It gets even worse. I need to darken the bakground...

I start over

How can I apply several adjustment layers using the same mask without visible edges? or -
How do I get the mask right in the first place??????????

No meta-image tips please!

[roger_ele]

Hi Vegard,

To answer specifically, you can mask a set ... move each of your adjustment layers that you want to be affected by the same mask into a set and move the mask to the set, delete the mask in each adjustment layer. I don't think the mask is a pixel off, but it is seeing a different edge than the lower masked adjustment layer is seeing because of the mask. Probably a bunch of ways to move a mask, I would control click the mask to create a selection from it, highlight set layer and click new mask icon ... This is also a good way to refine a mask with out losing it. Put a layer with a mask in a set and add a mask to the set to further refine it with insurance ...

The even easier way to accomplish what you want is to group your new adjustment layer with the one that has the mask ... this limits your adjustment to what is seen from the layer that has the mask.

Hope this helps,
Roger

[Rexx]

Hi Vegard,

To answer specifically, you can mask a set

OF COURSE! Why didn't I think of that? I use sets all the time, and even apply Blend modes to them, but never a mask. ARGH! Where is the Smiley for banging my head againt the wall?

Hope this helps,
Roger

You bet! Thanks a lot, Roger!

PS: Isn't it time to go to bed? It's 9 here. That should be midnight your place

[roger_ele]

This post was just a breath away from the pillow ... if I dream about it -> is that another kind of meta-image? Maybe a Beta-Meta_Image? (I have dreamed my whole life, so it has to be past alpha development? - although I have never dreamed with a group for feedback and bug fixes ...

Don't pass up group with, it is even easier when appropriate!

Roger

[Rexx]

Hey, you shouldn't smoke that stuff just before bedtime

I just jumped on the sets immediately, since I already know them.

Isn't this material for a grrrrrreat tutorial? Come on!

[Flora]

Hi Vegard, Roger,

Roger,

thank you *very* much for the tip for masking a set .... working with tons of layers and masks as I usually do....it never occurred to me!!!!!

Vegard,

I have an image detail that I need to mask, let us say it is too dark.
Ok, I mask it using a contrast mask or something, apply Screen and opacity. Correct luminosity. Oops! The colour is now slightly off.

...if your picture is generally dark because your flash didn't go off, you could try the Fill Flash Technique which I used for these examples, which is described here and which, in my opinion, is the best for this problem as it doesn't 'kill' the colours ....

....If it's just parts of your picture you'd like to brighten up, without 'killing' the colours, you could use an Overlay Layer, described
here

No problem. Anoher adjustment layer, correct Hue/Sat, copy mask. Fine. Not. The mask is now a pixel or two off. I can see the edges. Argh! I go back and adjust the first mask. It gets worse. I adjust the second mask. It gets even worse. I need to darken the bakground...

I start over

If the selection has a 'halo' it can be because it was feathered, or the Mask was painted on with a soft brush .... Try making your selections/masks with a hard edge .... you can always 'soften' them later .....

Another way to remove a selection 'halo' (if the selection only is placed on its own Layer) is to:

• Ctrl+left Click on the 'selection' Layer to get the 'marching ants' around your selection.

• Ctrl+Shift+I to Invert the selection.

• Select>Modify>Expand (1 or 2 pixels).

• Edit>Clear.

Finally, what, in my opinion, is the best tip for refining a mask can be found here.

Hope this was of help...

[roger_ele]

Flora wrote:
thank you *very* much for the tip for masking a set .... working with tons of layers and masks as I usually do....it never occurred to me!!!!!

You are welcome. If I remember right you can also have sets within sets with Photoshop CS - and a mask on each of them...

[Rexx]

Hi Roger (and Flora)

I now tried your other suggestion, the one with grouping layers. It works equally fine. There is one "but": With sets, you can easily turn on and off each layer individually. I haven't found an easy way to do this with grouped layers.

Flora,
I tried one of your "tricks" from the Cumbrian forest. You duplicated a channel by pulling it onto the New channel icon. I wonder, does it work if...

It does!

You can copy a mask from one layer to another! You have a mask on Layer A that you want to copy to Layer B.
- Select Layer B
- Drag the mask from Layer A (it will not become selected) onto the new mask icon at the bottom of the Layers palette

I did this to copy the mask from the set to the layer.

[Flora]

Roger, Vegard,

WOW .... thanks again to you both!!!

...I'm learning a lot of new useful things ....