Info: In this lesson we will cover Masks including how to use them and how to make them.
Before we get started let me explain masks a little bit. Masks are images that are used to mask (show/hide) areas of the image/layer it is applied to. Any areas covered by a white area of the mask will show through and any areas covered by a black area of the mask will be hidden. However not all masks are black and white some have shades of gray. A mask actually has of color depth of 256 ranging from Black to White with around 254 varying shades of gray. The areas of an image covered by a gray area will be partially visible depending on the shade of grey. The closer the grey is to white the more visible it will be and the closer the gray is to black the less visible (more transparent) it will be. Now with that said let's get started.
Masks are handled differently in PSP 8 then they were in previous versions. I am not going to tell you differences instead we will learn how to do masks in PSP 8.
1. Create a New canvas. (Click File|| New [Ctrl+N])
Width = 200 pixels
Height = 200 pixels
Resolution = 72.00 pixels
Background = Raster
Color Depth = 16 Million Colors (24 Bit)
Color = Transparent Checked
2. Select the Flood tool. Tool Options settings: Match Mode = None, Sample Merged = UNChecked, Blend Mode = Normal and Opacity = 100 and Flood the image with #1A0B59.
3. Add a New Raster Layer (Layers || New Raster Layer) and Flood the layer with #ABC7F5.
We are going to create a marble pattern using a mask. The mask will only affect the light blue layer masking parts of it which will let the dark blue area show through.
4. Load the Mask (Layers || Load/Save Mask || Load Masks From Disk) in the dialog that pops up click the arrow beside the thumbnail and select Marble. Before you click Load let's cover this dialog some.
Create Mask from has 3 options explained below:
Source Luminance is the default selection as masking is applied according to the shades of gray as explained in the beginning of this lesson.
Any Non-Zero values treats your mask as a black and white image. Any gray areas will be treated as if they are white.
Source Opacity is used mainly when creating a mask from an image that has some transparency. Any totally transparent area will be treated as if they were white, any partially transparent areas will be changed to a gray value depending on the amount of transparency, and any non transparent (opaque) areas will be treated as if they are black.
Orientation determines how the mask will be fitted to the canvas/layer.
Invert Transparency works like Negative Image it converts white to black, black to white, and so on.
5. Make sure Source Luminance, As Is, and Hide All Mask are selected and click Load. Looking at your image it should look like Marble now.
If you look at your Layer Palette you will see there is a Mask Layer. PSP created a group layer and placed the mask layer and the image layer that the mask was applied to in the group. You could if you wanted drag the mask layer out and then any layers under the mask will have the mask applied to it. You cannot drag out the layer the mask was applied to. Note: A mask cannot be applied to a Background layer if you forget to Promote Background Layer PSP will do it for you.
6. We are going to keep this as is so Click Layers || Merge || Merge All (Flatten). Save (File || Save) and Close.
Note: If you were going to continue working on the image you could have chosen Click Layers || Merge || Merge Visible or Click Layers || Merge || Merge Group. In PSP 7 you had to Delete the layer and click yes to merge the mask with the layer below it. To make your marble seamless click Effects || Image Effects || Seamless tiling with default settings.
7. Create a New canvas. (Click File|| New [Ctrl+N])
Width = 400 pixels
Height = 400 pixels
Resolution = 72.00 pixels
Background = Raster
Color Depth = 16 Million Colors (24 Bit)
Color = Transparent Checked
8. Set the Foreground to White and the Background to Black. We are going to create our own mask and this will make it easier.
Note: We are creating a mask from scratch which we will later apply to photo to make a frame. We want our frame to have crisp clear lines (no feather effect) so we are using black and white to create it.
9. Select the Flood tool. Tool Options settings: Match Mode = None, Sample Merged = UNChecked, Blend Mode = Normal and Opacity = 100. Flood the canvas with White.
10. Selections || Select All (Ctrl+A), Click Selections || Modify || Contract = 15.
11. Right click in your canvas to flood the selection with Black. Deselect (Selections || None [Ctrl+D]).
12. Click on the Selection tool and change type to Circle. Place the mouse pointer at around x:200 and y:200 holding down the left mouse button drag out a circle selection around 365 x 365 (second group of numbers in the status bar) and release the mouse. Change back to the flood tool and left click to flood the selection with white.
13. Click Selections || Modify || Contract = 15 and right click in the selection to flood it with black. Deselect (Selections || None [Ctrl+D]). Now that we have created a mask let's see how it looks applied to photo. Leave it open but you can minimize it if you want.
Make a mental note of the name of this image (in title bar) mine is Image 3 but yours will probably be different.
14. Open (File || Open) any photo you want. If you don't have one grab one from the Sample Images folder located where you installed PSP. I am going to use girls.jpg.
15. Make sure the Photo image is active and click Layers || New Mask Layer || From Image. In the Dialog that pops up for Source Image select the mask you made earlier (for me it is Image 3 but was probably different for you), Source Luminance selected, and Invert Mask Data = UNchecked. Click OK.
Note: Part of the photo I want to show is hidden (covered up) so let´s edit the mask real quick to fix this.
16. Make sure the mask layer is selected in the Layer Palette. Click the Magic Wand tool. Click inside the circle to select it. Click Selections || Modify || Expand = 2. Change to the flood tool and left click in the selection to fill with White. Deselect (Selections || None [Ctrl+D]).
Note: Filling inside the circle on the mask layer with white allows what was hidden by the black circle to now show through. You can edit the mask layer just like any other layer as long as you have the mask layer selected in the Layer Palette. Apply effects, adjustments, paint, fill, etc can all be applied and will automatically be converted to the proper shade of gray. You can click Layers || View Overlay to see the mask on your image, it will be a reddish color. The overlay helps you see what you are doing to the mask. You can also invert the mask by clicking Layers || Invert Mask / Adjustment.
17. Click Layers || Merge || Merge Group.
We applied this mask to hide all the parts of the photo except what we wanted. Now we will apply the mask again to finish making our frame.
18. Add a New Raster Layer (Layers || New Raster Layer). Change to the Flood tool.
19. Change the Foreground to a Color, Gradient, or Pattern of your choice. This will be what the frame is made of. I chose a finished wood pattern. Tip: It also looks great if you pick a color from the image using the Color Dropper tool. Left click to flood the layer with your chosen Foreground.
20. Click Layers || New Mask Layer || From Image same settings as before (don't forget to choose the mask image you created as source, the same as you did in step 15). Click OK.
If you want to save your mask where you can use it again make sure your Mask layer is selected and click Layers || Load/Save Mask || Save Mask To Disk.
21. Layers || Merge || Merge Group. Click Effects || 3D Effects || Inner Bevel and choose a Preset you like, I chose Angled. Click OK.
22. Add a New Raster Layer (Layers || New Raster Layer) and Layers || Arrange || Send to Bottom.
23. Change to the flood tool and fill the layer with a color, pattern, or gradient of your choice, I chose a lighter colored wood pattern. Tip: You can also use your Color Dropper tool here to choose another color from the image. Save (File || Save).
That's it but if you want to save your frame here's how you do it. With the top layer (frame) click inside the circle with the Magic Wand Tool. Click Selections || Modify || Expand = 10. Right click on the middle layer in the Layer Palette and left click Delete. Left Click on the Bottom layer in the Layer Palette and hit the Delete key (the one on the keyboard. You should now have a transparent area where your picture will be. Click Layers || Merge || Merge Visible. Click File || Export || Picture Frame name it what you want and click Save. The frame will now be available anytime you want to use it.
24. Create a New canvas. (Click File|| New [Ctrl+N])
Width = 400 pixels
Height = 400 pixels
Resolution = 72.00 pixels
Background = Raster
Color Depth = 16 Million Colors (24 Bit)
Color = Transparent Checked
25. Flood canvas with black. Note: Filling with black will let us maintain transparency when we apply the mask.
26. Select the Picture Tube tool. Select a tube you like, I chose a rose. Click in your canvas to place the tube.
27. Click Image || Greyscale. Make a mental note of the image name in the title bar.
Note: We just created a mask using a picture tube. I love using this effect on items such as a rose as it enables me to make many different color roses easily.
28. Create a New canvas. (Click File|| New [Ctrl+N])
Width = 400 pixels
Height = 400 pixels
Resolution = 72.00 pixels
Background = Raster
Color Depth = 16 Million Colors (24 Bit)
Color = Transparent Checked
29. Flood fill with a color of your choice.
30. Layers || New Mask Layer || From Image Source window = the image you applied the Greyscale to. The rest of the settings stay the same. Click OK. Note: You can close the greyscale image now as we done with it.
If you want to Save your mask, make sure the mask layer is chosen in the Layer Palette and click Layers || Load/Save Mask || Save Mask To Disk.
31. With the mask layer still selected click outside the tube area with the magic wand. Click Selections || Invert. Layers || Merge || Merge Group.
32. Add a New Raster Layer (Layers || New Raster Layer) and Layers || Arrange || Send to Bottom.
33. Make sure the Bottom layer is selected and fill the selection with a different color, I used a darker shade of the color I filled with earlier. Deselect (Selections || None [Ctrl+D])
34. Click Layers || Merge || Merge Visible. Now you can Export it as a new Picture tube (Click File || Export || Picture Tube) or whatever you want to do. When done Save and Close.
35. Open (File || Open) another photo. Then using the selection tools choose an area you want to keep.
36. Layers || New Mask Layer || Show Selection. Save your Mask and Merge Group.
This was just to show you how this feature works. You can also flood with white and create some cool masks using the selection tools and this option. Hide Selection works the opposite of Show Selection.
37. You can also make Masks from Gradient and Patterns. Let me show you how. Create a New canvas. (Click File|| New [Ctrl+N])
Width = 200 pixels
Height = 200 pixels
Resolution = 72.00 pixels
Background = Raster
Color Depth = 16 Million Colors (24 Bit)
Color = Transparent Checked
38. Flood fill with a light color, I use white myself. Add a New Raster Layer (Layers || New Raster Layer) and flood fill with a Dark color, I use black.
39. Layers || New Mask Layer || Show All. Make sure the Mask Layer is selected and flood fill the mask layer with a Gradient or Pattern of your choice, I used the same wood pattern I used earlier.
40. Click Layers || Merge || Merge Visible now I can use the flood tool with the blend mode set to Color or Multiply and make any color wood I want. I could also use the colorize tool.
Basically this was to show you how the Show All option works. Show All makes an all White mask. Hide All makes an all Black mask. Use the Show all to create your own mask. Remember you can use any tools on this layer the same as any other layers. Use the paintbrush, effects, and so on to create some really cool masks. I am looking forward to seeing them.
That's it for this lesson. I hope you learned a lot about masks.