About layer and vector masks

You can use masks to hide portions of a layer and reveal portions of the layers below. You can create two types of masks:

• Layer masks are resolution-dependent bitmap images that are edited with the painting or selection tools.
• Vector masks are resolution independent and are created with a pen or shape tool.
  Layer and vector masks are nondestructive, which means you can go back and re‑edit the masks later without losing the pixels they hide.
  In the Layers panel, both the layer and vector masks appear as an additional thumbnail to the right of the layer thumbnail. For the layer mask, this thumbnail represents the grayscale channel that is created when you add the layer mask. The vector mask thumbnail represents a path that clips out the contents of the layer.
  Note: To create a layer or vector mask on the Background layer, first convert it to a regular layer (Layer > New > Layer from Background).
  
  

  Masking layer

  A.

   

  Layer mask thumbnail

  B.

   

  Vector mask thumbnail

  C.

   

  Vector Mask Link icon

  D.

   

  Add Mask

You can edit a layer mask to add or subtract from the masked region. A layer mask is a grayscale image, so areas you paint in black are hidden, areas you paint in white are visible, and areas you paint in shades of gray appear in various levels of transparency.

Background painted with black; description card painted with gray; basket painted with white

A vector mask creates a sharp-edged shape on a layer and is useful anytime you want to add a design element with clean, defined edges. After you create a layer with a vector mask, you can apply one or more layer styles to it, edit them if needed, and instantly have a usable button, panel, or other web-design element.

The Masks panel provides additional controls to adjust a mask. You can change the opacity of mask to let more or less of the masked content show through, invert the mask, or refine the mask borders, as with a selection area.

Masks panel

A.

 

Select the filter mask.

B.

 

Add a pixel mask. 

C.

 

Add a vector mask. 

D.

 

Panel menu.

E. 

Apply Mask

Add layer masks

When you add a layer mask, you need to decide if you want to hide or show all of the layer. Later, you’ll paint on the mask to hide portions of that layer and reveal the layers beneath. Or, you can create a layer mask that automatically hides a portion of the layer by making a selection before creating the mask.

Add a mask that shows or hides the entire layer

1. Make sure that no part of your image is selected. Choose Select > Deselect.
2. In the Layers panel, select the layer or group.
3. Do one of the following:
   • To create a mask that reveals the entire layer, click the Pixel Mask button in the Masks panel, or click the Add Layer Mask  button in the Layers panel, or choose Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All.
   • To create a mask that hides the entire layer, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) the Pixel Mask  button in the Masks panel, or Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) the Add Layer Mask button, or choose Layer > Layer Mask > Hide All.

Add a layer mask that hides part of a layer

1. In the Layers panel, select the layer or group.
2. Select the area in the image, and do one of the following:
   • Click the Pixel Mask  button in the Masks panel, or the New Layer Mask button  in the Layers panel to create a mask that reveals the selection.
   • Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) the Pixel Mask button in the Masks panel, or the Add Layer Mask button in the Layers panel, to create a mask that hides the selection.
   • Choose Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal Selection or Hide Selection.

Apply a layer mask from another layer

 Do one of the following:

• To move the mask to another layer, drag the mask to the other layer.
• To duplicate the mask, Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac OS) the mask to other layer.

 

Mask layers with clipping masks

A clipping mask lets you use the content of a layer to mask the layers above it. The masking is determined by the content of the bottom or base layer. The non-transparent content of the base layer clips (reveals), the content of the layers above it in the clipping mask. All other content in the clipped layers is masked out.

Clipping mask: content of the clipped layer (Potatoes) is only visible within the content of the base layer (Logo)

You can use multiple layers in a clipping mask, but they must be successive layers. The name of the base layer in the mask is underlined, and the thumbnails for the overlying layers are indented. The overlying layers display a clipping mask icon .

The Blend Clipped Layers As Group option in the Layer Style dialog box determines whether the blending mode of the base affects the whole group or just the base. (See Group blend effects.)

Create a clipping mask

1. Arrange the layers in the Layers panel so that the base layer with the mask is below the layers that you want to mask.
2. Do one of the following:
   • Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS), position the pointer over the line in the Layers panel dividing the base layer and the first layer above it that you want to include in the clipping mask (the pointer changes to two overlapping circles ), and click.
   • Select the first layer above the base layer in the Layers panel, and choose Layer > Create Clipping Mask.
3. To add additional layers to the clipping mask, use either method in step 2, and work your way upward one level at a time in the Layers panel.
   Note: If you create a new layer between layers in a clipping mask, or drag an unclipped layer between layers in a clipping mask, the layer becomes part of the clipping mask.
   Layers in the clipping mask are assigned the opacity and mode attributes of the base layer.

Remove a layer from a clipping mask

 Do one of the following:

• Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS), position the pointer over the line separating two grouped layers in the Layers panel (the pointer changes to two overlapping circles ), and click.
• In the Layers panel, select a layer in the clipping mask, and choose Layer > Release Clipping Mask. This command removes the selected layer and any layers above it from the clipping mask.

Release all layers in a clipping mask

1. In the Layers panel, select the clipping mask layer just above the base layer.
2. Choose Layer > Release Clipping Mask.