Mask Layer

I would like to create a layer that contains a kind of helping mask, being black where one shall not paint and being transparent where it is allowed. It shall be the topmost layer and it must not print. You see, it’s like the guide lines from the view menu, you see the lines, they are topmost and they are invisible to the printer. I need a "guide layer" containing more than just some lines, but working just like the guide lines. So far I simply switch the layer off manually before printing, but sometimes I forget that and print garbage.
– Is it possible to have a layer to stay always on top?

– Is it possible to make a layer unprintable?

My photoshop version is 6.0.

Hi all,
I would like to create a layer that contains a kind of helping mask, being black where one shall not paint and being transparent where it is allowed. It shall be the topmost layer and it must not print. You see, it’s like the guide lines from the view menu, you see the lines, they are topmost and they are invisible to the printer. I need a "guide layer" containing more than just some lines, but working just like the guide lines. So far I simply switch the layer off manually before printing, but sometimes I forget that and print garbage.
– Is it possible to have a layer to stay always on top?
– Is it possible to make a layer unprintable?

My photoshop version is 6.0.

Thanks in advance.
Thorsten.

I would like to create a layer that contains a kind of helping mask, being black where one shall not paint and being transparent where it is allowed. It shall be the topmost layer and it must not print.

Make an alpha channel. If visibilty is turned on it will show in a color of your choice(even 100% black though I think that would not ve very useful) but not print. If it is also made into a selection one can choose which areas can be worked on and which cannot.

Thorsten wrote:

– Is it possible to have a layer to stay always on top?
– Is it possible to make a layer unprintable?

Thank you all. An alpha channel seems to be exactly what I am looking for. Only one problem remains: When printing the image I get a second page containing the alpha channel greyscale. Strange enough. Is there an option not to print alpha channels? Or must I always make the alpha channel invisible before printing?

edjh wrote in message news:

Make an alpha channel. If visibilty is turned on it will show in a color of your choice(even 100% black though I think that would not ve very useful) but not print. If it is also made into a selection one can choose which areas can be worked on and which cannot.

Thorsten wrote:

– Is it possible to have a layer to stay always on top?
– Is it possible to make a layer unprintable?