Apply or delete a layer mask, Mask layers with clipping masks, Mask layers with clipping – Adobe Photoshop CS4 User Manual
Page 336: Masks, Mask layers, With clipping masks
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USING PHOTOSHOP CS4
Layers
Last updated 1/10/2010
Apply or delete a layer mask
You
can apply a layer mask to permanently delete the hidden portions of a layer. Layer masks are stored as alpha
channels, so applying and deleting layer masks can help reduce file size. You can also delete a layer mask without
applying the changes.
1
In the Layers panel, select the layer containing the layer mask.
2
In the Masks panel, click the Pixel Mask button.
3
Do one of the following:
•
To remove the layer mask after applying it permanently to the layer, click the Apply Mask icon
at the bottom
of the Masks panel.
•
To remove the layer mask without applying it to the layer, click the Delete button at the bottom of the Masks panel,
and then click Delete.
You can also apply or delete layer masks using the Layer menu.
Note: You cannot apply a layer mask permanently to a Smart Object layer when deleting the layer mask.
Load a layer or layer mask’s boundaries as a selection
You can select all the non-transparent areas on a layer, or, if a layer mask exists, all the unmasked areas. This is useful
when you want to select text or image content that is surrounded by or contains transparent areas, or to create a
selection that excludes masked areas on a layer.
1
Do one of the following:
•
To select only the non-transparent areas on an unmasked layer, Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac
OS)
the layer thumbnail in the Layers panel.
•
To select the unmasked areas on a layer that has a layer mask, Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac
OS)
the layer mask thumbnail in the Layers panel.
2
If a selection already exists, you can do any of the following:
•
To add the pixels to an existing selection, press Ctrl+Shift (Windows) or Command+Shift (Mac
OS), and click the
layer thumbnail or layer mask thumbnail in the Layers panel.
•
To subtract the pixels from an existing selection, press Ctrl+Alt (Windows) or Command+Option (Mac
OS), and
click the layer thumbnail or layer mask thumbnail in the Layers panel.
•
To load the intersection of the pixels and
an
existing selection, press Ctrl+Alt+Shift (Windows) or
Command+Option+Shift (Mac
OS), and
click the layer thumbnail or layer mask thumbnail in the Layers panel.
If you want to move all the contents of a layer, use the Move tool without loading a transparency mask.
Mask layers with clipping masks
A clipping mask lets you use the content of a layer to mask the layers above it. The masking is determined by the content
of the bottom or base layer. The non-transparent content of the base layer clips (reveals), the content of the layers
above it in the clipping mask. All other content in the clipped layers is masked out.