Photoshop Tutorial for Beginners
How to Layer Mask in Photoshop. In this tutorial we go from a vector based Path to a Pixel based Layer Mask to create a Transparent Background. It is also the first practical example with an actual object through to the final step of creating a Layer Mask.
Layer Mask Video Tutorial Outline
- Pathing real objects: Path around real objects in the same way as the solid shapes in the previous Lessons. Where and at what scale the image will be used will determine how much or little detail is required. For a lot of detail zoom in till you see Pixels, for less detail Zoom out
- From Path to Selection: Convert the Path to a selection by holding down CTRL/⌘ and click on the Path in the Paths Palette (See Lesson 8)
- Converting a Selection to a Layer Mask: With a selection active mouse over to the Layers Palette and press the Add a mask button (The circle inside a rectangle)
Click here or the image below to download the exercise file
Pen Tool Tutorial Captions
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Welcome to PEN TOOL Photoshop. In this tutorial, we’ll use the pen tool to create a path and
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then convert that into a layer mask. So, with cutting out real objects, it all depends on how big
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this image will be used. If you’re using it on a poster, or really huge, you can see all the detail.
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You have to zoom right in and get all the little bits of detail. If it’s used really small on the page,
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you would cut it out from way back here. You don’t have to worry about so much detail.
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So, I’ll just cut out this image and I’ll just go through that process and then convert it into a layer mask.
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You can see, I’m just, same as the shapes we were cutting out earlier, I’m just trying to follow
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the edge and stay in and not have a halo around the image. So, I’ve left a gap and then I filled the
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gap in. The distance between the circle and the line is still the same. It’s still the same formula.
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Down at the bottom here, it can be a bit difficult to see, but I just want to keep it smooth.
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Always the bottom of object, where there’s a shadow, it will require some extra post work to
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try and blend the image into the background so it isn’t hovering.
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Leave a gap, fill it in.
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So, you don’t want to include too my detail, because sometimes it can look a bit odd if you show
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every single little ripple. You just want to cut out the main shape. The thing where it does matter
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is this point here. Because, you can’t come in too far, otherwise this part of the apple will look
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like it notches in. So, you want to be right on the corner there.
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There’s a little bit of detail. If you zoom in, I can just put a few points down to show a bit of a
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rough detail of the top part of the apple. So, I put a point right there. What I mean is, I wouldn’t
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want put a point in here. I’ll show you when I check the path.
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So hold down command
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double click on the work path. Save it as a Path
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Command click on the Path, Press Q. See how this one on the left here, that looks nice?
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The line follows straight up. Whereas, that one was too far in. So, that’s what you don’t want.
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Command click on the path, bring it to the edge here
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This is where it has to be precise. Around here, I could come all the way in. It wouldn’t even
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matter. I could cut it out from back here. Bring these paths in.
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See, you can’t really tell. You can get away with quite a lot. The customers looking at these products
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Can’t see what I’ve cut out and what I haven’t cut out. You’re looking for a nice
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smooth shape all the way around. So, command-I to invert the quick mask so you can see what I’ve cut off
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That’s the cut out. If you’re happy with it, or you could smooth it out or you could do other work
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with it. Or you could come a little further. So, a bit of bleed. A bit of white halo around it.
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Depends what background it’s on. If it’s on a white background, it probably wouldn’t look too
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bad. So if I change the color of the red to white. Hit ok, Press Q. See? That’s what it looks like on a white background.
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Change the quick mask back to red
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So, I’ve got a selection and I want to make that into a layer mask. As you can see before, it was a
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bit hard- the edges a bit hard. So, I go up to select.
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Select, Modify, Feather, the setting would really would depend on the size of the image. Make it 2 pixels.
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Come here add a layer mask
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Before I do that, I can press Q again. Check the feather. It looks a bit softer.
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add layer mask
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That’s how you go from path to layer mask. I’ll see you in the next tutorial.
