Create a temporary quick mask – Adobe Photoshop CS4 User Manual
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USING PHOTOSHOP CS4
Selecting and masking
Last updated 1/10/2010
Create a temporary quick mask
To use Quick Mask mode, start with a selection and then add to or subtract from it to make the mask. You can also
create the mask entirely in Quick Mask mode. Color differentiates the protected and unprotected areas. When you
leave Quick Mask mode, the unprotected areas become a selection.
Note: A temporary Quick Mask channel appears in the Channels panel while you work in Quick Mask mode. However,
you do all mask editing in the image window.
1
Using any selection tool, select the part of the image you want to change.
2
Click the Quick Mask mode button
in the toolbox.
A color overlay (similar to a rubylith) covers and protects the area outside the selection. Selected areas are left
unprotected by this mask. By default, Quick Mask mode colors the protected area using a red, 50% opaque overlay.
Selecting in Standard mode and Quick Mask mode
A. Standard mode B. Quick Mask mode C. Selected pixels appear as white in channel thumbnail D. Rubylith overlay protects area outside
selection, and unselected pixels appear as black in channel thumbnail
3
To edit the mask, select a painting tool from the toolbox. The swatches in the toolbox automatically become black
and white.
4
Paint with white to select more of an image (the color overlay is removed from areas painted with white). To
deselect areas, paint over them with black (the color overlay covers areas painted with black). Painting with gray or
another color creates a semitransparent area, useful for feathering or anti-aliased effects. (Semitransparent areas
may not appear to be selected when you exit Quick Mask Mode, but they are.)
A
C
D
B