Freelance Photographer
Seeing things differently
A taker of Photographs - A creator of images

Masks... in Elements 2

Photoshop Elements version 2 doesn’t support layer masks... However I don’t know whether you’ve noticed when a new adjustment layer is applied there is a layer mask attached to it... We will utilise this adjustment layer feature to apply a clipping mask to a normal layer by doing the following...

1. First we need to access the layers pallet to create a duplicate layer... If it’s not showing this is done by one of the following methods...

· By left clicking the mouse on the Layers tab in the Palette if it’s visible...

· Using the shortcut key of F11 in Elements or F7 in Photoshop...

· Left mouse clicking on Window from the menu bar and selecting Layers...

Once the layers palette is open we need to create a new background layer by  dragging the background down to the Create New Layer icon indicated by the red arrow...
This will add a new layer entitled Background copy (see image right)...

2. From the layers palette select the layer below the one you wish to apply the mask to, in this instance it's the background layer, which is highlighted left...

• If you are editing an image which already has several layers, and/or wish to add a new layer to apply the mask too, select the top layer...

3. Create a new layer mask by clicking the left mouse button on Layer from the menu bar...
Selecting... New Adjustment Layer...
Clicking the left mouse button on Levels...
You could just as easily use Brightness/Contrast or Hue/Saturation layers instead because its the mask we will be using not the effect...

Alternatively you could click the left mouse button on the half black-half white circle at the bottom of the layers pallet to create a new adjustment layer, indicated by the single red arrow...

This adjustment layer, like any other layer, can be dragged and dropped to just below the layer you wish to work on, if you created it in the wrong place...

4. Click OK without actually doing any adjustments to the new layer... This will just place the new adjustment layer and mask in the layers palette, enabling you to utilise its mask...

5. So we now have a new adjustment layer with a mask, but how do we utilise the layer mask which is attached to the adjustment layer... Simple really, we bring the cursor to the point that the layer mask meets the layer above it... Hold down the Alt key and you will see the cursor change, indicated by the black arrow on the image right...

When it changes click the left mouse button... The layer will move to the right slightly and a little right angled arrow will appear showing the layer is attached to the adjustment layer and mask below...

Please note... If you attach the adjustment layer to the layer below it, it will not work...

6. The swatches in the Tool Palette should now be black and white, if they aren’t press the ‘D’ key to reset the default colours... If black is not the foreground colour press the X key...

7. Click the Layer mask thumbnail to select it... The one indicated with the red arrow in below...



8. With the foreground colour set to black, and a soft edged brush selected you can paint over the layer to reveal the layer below the adjustment layer...

The beauty of using a mask is if you make a mistake you can change the brush colour to white by pressing the ‘X’ key and paint back over your mistake and it will restore the image...

Of course if you have the full blown version of Photoshop from 5 onwards, or a later version of elements you can select the layer you want to use a mask with by clicking the Add Vector Mask icon



at the bottom of the layers palette (Top, I think in CS2)...
You then select the layer mask before you start work as they are supported in the full version...