Photoshop CS Timesaving Techniques For Dummies [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Technique 51: Grouping Layers into Clipping Masks

Overview

You’ve probably seen a matted picture in a frame. The opening in the matting can be shaped like a rectangle, or if it’s fancy, like an oval or heart. When the mat is placed over the image in the frame, it limits the area of the image that you can see. The matting acts like a mask.

Clipping masks (formerly called clipping groups) work in the same way. A clipping mask contains several layers, and the bottom layer acts like the matting. The outline of the bottom layer clips the other layers in the group, so only the pixels contained within the outline are shown in the image window. The finished effect actually looks like a knock-out.

This may seem a bit counterintuitive because the matting layer is on the bottom (it would make more sense if this layer were above, right?), but after you’ve used clipping masks a couple of times, it will seem natural.

This technique shows you how to create clipping masks. You can use any kind of shape for the masking layer, including type. First, you create a clipping mask by using a shape on a layer to define the clipped area, and then you create a clipping mask with type to define the clipped area.

Creating a clipping mask is easier than it may seem in the steps that follow. After you’ve created a few clipping masks, you’ll see how it works and get the hang of it. What other ways can you think of to incorporate clipping masks into your projects?