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This chapter is from the book

This chapter is from the book

Adobe Photoshop Classroom in a Book (2022 release)Adobe Photoshop Classroom in a Book (2022 release)

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This chapter is from the book

This chapter is from the book

Adobe Photoshop Classroom in a Book (2022 release)Adobe Photoshop Classroom in a Book (2022 release)

Learn More Buy

Getting started

First, you’ll view the image that you’ll create using masks and channels.

  1. Start Photoshop, and then simultaneously hold down Ctrl+Alt+Shift (Windows) or Command+Option+Shift (macOS) to restore the default preferences. (See “Restoring default preferences” on page 5.)

  2. When prompted, click Yes to delete the Adobe Photoshop Settings file.

    NOTE

    If Bridge isn’t installed, the File > Browse In Bridge command in Photoshop will start the Creative Cloud desktop app, which will download and install Bridge. After installation completes, you can start Bridge

  3. Choose File > Browse In Bridge to open Adobe Bridge.

  4. Click the Favorites tab on the left side of the Bridge window. Select the Lessons folder, and then double-click the Lesson06 folder in the Content panel.

  5. Study the 06End.psd file. To enlarge the thumbnail so that you can see it more clearly, move the thumbnail slider at the bottom of the Bridge window to the right.

    In this lesson, you’ll create a graphic for a podcast. The model was photographed in front of a different background. You’ll use Select And Mask to quickly isolate the model over the final background. You’ll also tilt the model’s head up a little more and create a pattern for the background.

  6. Double-click the 06Start.psd thumbnail to open it in Photoshop. Click OK if you see an Embedded Profile Mismatch dialog box.

    NOTE

    If Photoshop displays a dialog box telling you about the difference between saving to Cloud Documents and On Your Computer, click Save On Your Computer. You can also select Don’t Show Again, but that setting will deselect after you reset Photoshop preferences

  7. Choose File > Save As, rename the file to 06Working.psd, and click Save. Click OK if the Photoshop Format Options dialog box appears.

    Saving a working version of the file lets you return to the original if you need it.

    TIP

    Because masks mark which areas of a layer are visible, they also control where your edits are visible. For example, if you paint a masked layer with the Brush tool, the brush strokes are visible only on the unmasked (white) areas of a layer.

ABOUT MASKS AND ALPHA CHANNELS

Alpha channels, quick masks, clipping masks, layer masks, vector masks— what’s the difference? They’re all forms of the same idea: an image overlay that uses white, black, and gray areas to control which areas of a layer are visible or transparent. Choose the right one by understanding the following important differences:

  • A color channel stores one of the visible components of a color image. For example, an RGB image has three color channels: red, green, and blue.

  • An alpha channel stores a selection as a grayscale image. Alpha channels exist independently of layers and color channels. You can convert alpha channels to and from selections or paths. In some file formats such as PNG, an alpha channel marks transparent areas of an image in a way that other applications recognize.

  • A layer mask is an alpha channel attached to a specific layer in Photoshop, controlling which parts of the layer are revealed or hidden. It appears as a white thumbnail next to the layer thumbnail in the Layers panel until you paint black in it; an outline around the layer mask thumbnail indicates that it’s selected.

  • A vector mask is a layer mask made of resolution-independent vector objects, not pixels, useful when precise mask edge control is more important than being able to edit a mask with a brush. You create vector masks using the commands on the Layer > Vector Mask submenu and using the pen or shape tools.

  • A clipping mask is created when a layer masks another layer. The thumbnail preview of a clipped layer is indented in the layer list, with a right-angle arrow pointing to the layer below. The name of the clipped base layer is underlined.

  • A channel mask is a mask created using the tonal contrast in a color channel, such as in the green channel in an RGB image. Creating channel masks is useful for advanced techniques for masking, color correction, and sharpening. For example, the edge between trees and sky may be clearest in the blue channel.

  • A quick mask is a temporary mask you create to restrict painting or other edits to a specific area of a layer. It’s a selection in pixel form; instead of editing the selection marquee, you edit a quick mask using painting tools.

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