Using masks in photoshop

M
Posted By
mzchar
Oct 4, 2004
Views
416
Replies
6
Status
Closed
I asked this before but I couldn’t get it to work. Does anyone know how to use masks from PSP in photoshop. They look like stencils.. I have photoshop 5.5.
Thanks
Charlene
Related Tags
mask

Must-have mockup pack for every graphic designer 🔥🔥🔥

Easy-to-use drag-n-drop Photoshop scene creator with more than 2800 items.

A
arrooke
Oct 4, 2004
I asked this before but I couldn’t get it to work. Does anyone know how to use masks from PSP in photoshop. They look like stencils.. I have photoshop 5.5.
Thanks
Charlene

Use them the same way you use a photoshop mask. I don’t know if photoshop opens psp files so you may have to convert the file to one that photoshop will recognize first.
TD
The Doormouse
Oct 4, 2004
Charlene,

The quick answer is to paste the mask as a new layer. Make a selection based on that mask. Select the layer that you want to mask off. Make a new layer mask based on that selection.

-or-

Select the layer that needs a mask. Create a layer mask that reveals all. Create a new channel. Put the PSP image in that channel. Copy it to the mask.

The Doormouse

—
The Doormouse cannot be reached by e-mail without her permission.
M
mzchar
Oct 12, 2004
<snip>
Select the layer that needs a mask. Create a layer mask that reveals all. Create a new channel. Put the PSP image in that channel. Copy it to the mask.

The Doormouse

Hi Doormouse,

I’m Charlene’s husband and we’re working off of the instructions from your post (quoted above). It looks like even when we did everything the way you said too, it still messed up the image. Let me go through the steps we followed then tell you what the result was and you might be able to spot where we went horribly, horribly wrong….

1: We opened the original image (1024×866 px)
2: We opened the mask image (also 1024×866 px)
3: We selected the layer that contained the original image. 4: We created a new layer mask that revealed all (Layer->Add Layer Mask->Reveal All)
5: We created a new channel (this showed up as BLACK which was our PS background color).
6: We copy/pasted the image we wanted to use as a mask into this new channel
7: We then selected the channel, did an EDIT->COPY, selected the new layer mask created in step #4, and did an EDIT->PASTE.

Now, everything SEEMED to have gone alright. But we somehow lost our original image (which was replaced by the mask image). I am assuming that we went wrong somewhere in steps 6 and 7.

Lastly, there was a time when we did not do the EDIT->COPY and EDIT->PASTE of the mask and ended up with the "mask" showing but in pink.

Any clues? Tutorial links?

Thanks in Advance,
Anthony & Charlene

P.S. Could we possibly email you privately if this isn’t enough information and work from there?
TD
The Doormouse
Oct 12, 2004
Yes. That’s probably the step where it goes wonky. You practically had it when you saw pink … see step #9 below.

Here’s more in depth:

The image that you want to mask should be on its own layer … then you do this:
1. select the layer
2. menu command:
Layer -> Add Layer Mask -> reveal all
3. look at the channels palette – see "layer 1 mask" in italics and blue. The mask is WHITE.
4. open your PSP image, which you have previously saved as JPG/BMP/TIFF/GIF.
Channels palette should STILL BE VISIBLE.
Select one channel from the ones shown by clicking once on it. I like using the green palette. It will turn OFF the blue bars on all the other channels, while GREEN will stay selected.
5. use CTRL-A or SELECT ALL, and a dotted line will appear around the image
6. use CTRL-C or COPY and then close the image.
7. Notice that the Layer 1 mask is still selected.
8. Notice the eyeballs nect to every channel but the Layer 1 mask? Click the empty box on that channel and it, too, will get an eyeball.
9. use CTRL-V or PASTE. The PSP image should now be in miniature in the
channels palette on layer 1. A pink version should be on the main image. 10. Click that eyeball again, and *bamm*, there’s your mask. 11. DESELECT ALL
12. create a new layer for safety 🙂

Lastly, there was a time when we did not do the EDIT->COPY and EDIT->PASTE of the mask and ended up with the "mask" showing but in pink.

THAT WAS 99% OF THE WAY THERE! You had it. 🙂

The Doormouse

—
The Doormouse cannot be reached by e-mail without her permission.
M
mzchar
Oct 14, 2004
Ok We are going to try this when we get time this week. I’ll let you know how it goes. Thanks SO much for all your time and patience. Hugs
Charlene

The Doormouse …
Yes. That’s probably the step where it goes wonky. You practically had it when you saw pink … see step #9 below.

Here’s more in depth:

The image that you want to mask should be on its own layer … then you do this:
1. select the layer
2. menu command:
Layer -> Add Layer Mask -> reveal all
3. look at the channels palette – see "layer 1 mask" in italics and blue. The mask is WHITE.
4. open your PSP image, which you have previously saved as JPG/BMP/TIFF/GIF.
Channels palette should STILL BE VISIBLE.
Select one channel from the ones shown by clicking once on it. I like using the green palette. It will turn OFF the blue bars on all the other channels, while GREEN will stay selected.
5. use CTRL-A or SELECT ALL, and a dotted line will appear around the image
6. use CTRL-C or COPY and then close the image.
7. Notice that the Layer 1 mask is still selected.
8. Notice the eyeballs nect to every channel but the Layer 1 mask? Click the empty box on that channel and it, too, will get an eyeball.
9. use CTRL-V or PASTE. The PSP image should now be in miniature in the
channels palette on layer 1. A pink version should be on the main image. 10. Click that eyeball again, and *bamm*, there’s your mask. 11. DESELECT ALL
12. create a new layer for safety 🙂

Lastly, there was a time when we did not do the EDIT->COPY and EDIT->PASTE of the mask and ended up with the "mask" showing but in pink.

THAT WAS 99% OF THE WAY THERE! You had it. 🙂

The Doormouse
TD
The Doormouse
Oct 14, 2004
Charlene,

You are most welcome.

*hugs to you both*

The Doormouse

—
The Doormouse cannot be reached by e-mail without her permission.

How to Improve Photoshop Performance

Learn how to optimize Photoshop for maximum speed, troubleshoot common issues, and keep your projects organized so that you can work faster than ever before!

Related Discussion Topics

Nice and short text about related topics in discussion sections