What is a mask?

The easiest way to explain what are masks is that they are like a stencil.

For example, if you make a circle in the center of a square piece of cardboard, then cut out the circle, you could place that piece of cardboard on another object and spray paint a circle.

Masks allow you to blend one picture into another, just the same as "spray painting" with a stencil.

Let's have a quick look at how this is done.

STEP 1

First you need to make a mask.

Open a New Image 300 x 300, White background, 16 Million Colors or RGB - 8 bits/channel. 200 dpi.

STEP 2

Add a new Layer go to Layers \ New Raster Layer

Select the Flood Fill Tool.

Set your Foreground Color to Black and flood fill your image.

STEP 3

Click on the Selection Tool and apply the following settings.

Selection Type to Ellipse, Feather to 10, Anti-alias is Unchecked.

Draw an Ellipse shape on your image, then hit the "Delete Key"

Deselect the image (CTRL + D) and merge layers by going to Layers / Merge / Merge All (Flatten)

Your image should now look like this.

STEP 4

Open up an image you would use. Anything will do, I will use the Coastal Shores image that is attached.

STEP 5

You activate the mask like this. Choose the mask image by clicking on it. Then click on Layers / New Mask Layer / From Image and Check Source Luminance and click OK

Now save your mask by clicking on Layers / Load/Save Mask / Save Mask to Disk and Name your Mask (like Oval) and click on Save.

STEP 6

Load the mask to your image. Choose the image by clicking on it, go to Layers / Load/Save Mask / Load Mask from Disk

Choose the Mask you just saved. with settings as below

then click on Load.

Your image should now look like this

You get a transparent frame from the image. Or we can Undo this image by going to Edit \ Undo Load Mask from Disk and create a different look by reversing it. Again go back to Layers / Load/Save Mask / Load Mask from Disk this time make sure the Invert Transparency button is clicked as below

And your new image should look like this

This is a very basic instruction on using Masks but there are many other uses, we will be discussing some more complicated uses in further lessons. Have fun with this, try layering one image over another with the use of masks. The results can be quite remarkable.

Any changes for XI are in blue.

Have Fun!