Contents
- Index
- Previous
- Next
Editing Window:
Mask
Creating a Mask
Other Uses for Masks
PRO Version. The Mask Layer allows you to filter out portions of the image, add background textures and highlights, etc. When you first click on the Mask Layer tab, your image will be shown as it currently exists. Use White paint to paint over the portions of the image which you wish to remain unchanged. Use darker colors to paint areas which you wish to be replaced by a second image (see below). Remember: the lighter the color, the more of the current image will be preserved.
If you click the Binoculars icon on the tool options bar, you can see the results of your changes as you edit.
Note: To use Masking, you must be working in a Hi-Color or True-Color display mode (configure this using the Windows Control Panel).
The Mask Layer editing window features additional controls along the top of the window. Click on the illustration below for more information on each control.
Creating a Mask
Step 1: The image being edited is loaded. For this example, we want to keep the man's head and replace the rest of the image with another background.
Step 2: We click on the Mask Layer tab. A preview (in grayscale) of the image is displayed at first. Using the tools on the Tool Bar, we block out the unwanted portions of the image using Black paint. In a later step, we will use another background image to fill these darkened areas. Areas which we wish to retain (i.e., the man's head), we will color with White paint. In this example, we used the Smudge tool to soften the edges between the black and white areas. Gray areas will blend the original image with the new background (the lighter the gray shade, the more of the original image will be retained.
Step 3: Click on the yellow folder icon to choose the new background image. This will be placed into the darker areas of your mask. If you wish to reposition or stretch the new background image, click on the arrow icon next to the yellow folder.
Step 4: Once you have selected the image by clicking on the yellow folder icon, you can preview the result by clicking on the Binoculars icon. If you are satisfied with the result, click on the yellow Merge icon (far left) to merge the two images.
Other Uses for Masks
Background Textures: You can create and save masks for adding a background texture to the main. Paint over the grayscale preview using shades of gray. You need not use another image. When you click the Merge icon, the gray areas will become darker, while the white areas will remain unchanged.
Shadows and Highlights: You can create the illusion of raised and shadowed areas by using White and light grays to designate portions of the image to be highlighted. You can shadow areas by using darker grays. Use a medium gray for all other areas of the mask. E.g.:
+ 
= 