Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
that the extra content makes your file somewhat larger, but that's a small price to pay for so
much flexibility.
NOTE
Adjustment and Fill layers (which you'll learn about in the next section) automatically
come with layer masks already attached to them; you don't have to do anything to add
them.
Layer masks are a tad confusing at first, but you'll quickly get the hang of them and learn
how much they can do for you. The easy way to remember what they do is to think of them
as Halloween masks for your layers: Whatever is behind the mask is hidden, and you can see
everything that's not covered by the mask.
You can add a layer mask to any layer except a Background layer. Here's how:
1.
Make sure the layer you want to mask is active
.
If it's not, click it in the Layers panel.
2.
Add a layer mask
.
You have several choices for how the mask should start off:
▪
Empty, showing all the layer's contents
. To create a “blank” layer mask (in oth-
er words, one that starts out not covering anything in the layer), just click the
“Add layer mask” icon at the top of the Layers panel (it looks like a circle within
a square, as shown back in
Figure 6-5
) or choose Layer→Layer Mask→Reveal
All. When you do, a pure white mask thumbnail appears in the Layers panel to the
right of the active layer's thumbnail. (You can see an example of such a mask by
flipping ahead to
Figure 6-20
.
)
▪
Filled, completely hiding the layer
. To create a “full” layer mask that covers
everything in the active layer, Alt-click/Option-click the “Add layer mask” icon in
the Layers panel or choose Layer→Layer Mask→Hide All. Elements adds a black
mask thumbnail to the Layers panel. You'd use this option if you wanted to hide
most of the layer. That way, you can just reveal (“unmask”) the areas you want
visible, like the eyes and lips of a portrait, for example. That's faster than painting
