Ever removed a background in Photoshop, only to find want to use parts of that background later? Layer Masks and Vector Masks are the elegant and often misunderstood answer to this common problem. Keep reading to see how they work.
In this article, we’ll learn exactly what a Layer Mask is, and two methods to use them in practically any version of Photoshop, including a simpler example for less experienced Photoshop users, and another for more seasoned users who are comfortable with the Pen tool and vectors.
What is a Layer Mask?
Layer Masks, put simply, are like a hidden layer that tells Photoshop where to “hide” the information in your chosen layer. To be more exact, it’s an “alpha channel” used to mask out the image information you want to hide. Because this information is in another channel separate from the image in your layer, you can revert to your original, unmasked layer at any time. As you can imagine, many Photoshop users prefer Layer Masks simply deleting info with the eraser tool
The Simple Method: How To Use Layer Masks
Start with an image appropriate for background removal. This image and hundreds like it are available on Wikipedia under Wikipedia Pictures of the Day. Simply use your own if you have photographs you wish to mask.
Make a copy of your background layer by right clicking on it in your Layers Panel. By default, it will rename your new layer to “Background copy.” For nearly all situations, this is fine. Click OK.
Click the
to hide your original Background layer as shown on the above left.
You can then click the
icon to create the blank mask on your layer. Make sure your layers panel looks like the image on the right to ensure your have a blank mask ready and selected and your background layer successfully turned off.
Press
to select the Brush Tool. Right click somewhere in your image to adjust your brush hardness and size. The default “Hard Round” brush is a good setting for this, as well. Otherwise, note the 100% Hardness setting shown above.
Hint: Check your Foreground/Background colors before you do anything. You’re going to want to paint with a foreground color of black and keep a background color of white. You can always press “d” on your keyboard to ensure you revert to the proper 100% black and pure white.
Simply paint into your new mask, and all areas you paint over will vanish, masked away to the background.
Exactly how is this different than using the Eraser tool? Masks, as stated earlier, can be turned off or deleted, allowing users to return to their original image.
Simply right click on the mask you’re working in in your layers panel. You’ll be given this contextual menu, where you can “Disable” your layer mask, delete it, or “Apply” it, which uses the mask you’ve painted to delete your masked information.
Beyond that, painting out your information with layer masks is no more complex than using the Eraser tool. Carefully paint around your object to remove it.
It helps to start with the most difficult areas closest to your object before removing the bulk of your image.
Once your most difficult areas are finished, you can use a larger brush to mask out the areas you don’t want.
Voila, your image is complete and masked for use anywhere you please. Not satisfied? Here’s an advanced method using vector masks.
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