[Photoshop] Clipping Masks - Explained
Photoshop Explained
Part one - Clipping Masks
Contents
1. Disclaimer
2. What in the world is a Clipping Mask?
3. Creating a Clipping Mask
4. Example .PSD file
Disclaimer
This tutorial is mine.
All images are mine.
The example .PSD is mine.
Use them without credit, and you die.
All tutorials only applicable to Photoshop CS5.
What in the world is a Clipping Mask?
A Clipping Mask is a layer or layers which become restricted to all active (non-transparent) pixels of a selected layer. (This'll be easier to understand in the pictures below.)
All Clipping Mask layers are also affected by their own layer styles as well as the layer style of the selected layer.
These are great for creating text filled with pictures, or restricting a texture to a piece of a picture.
Creating a Clipping Mask
Follow the below steps to create a clipping mask.
1. Create two layers, with the top layer being the one you want inside the other. (In mine, I used a picture, and a text layer)
http://i27.tinypic.com/szidtl.jpg
As you can see from my layers panel, the picture covers up the entire canvas, which means we wouldn't be able to see my text.
2. Select the top layer and go to Layer > Create Clipping Mask, or hit Alt+Ctrl+G. (assuming you use Windows).
http://i26.tinypic.com/2w3410y.jpg
(To add more than one layer as a mask, move them between the first mask layer, and the main layer.)
Mask layers will be indicated by an arrow next to the display box on the layer.
3. Apply any layer styles you want across all layers to the main layer, and all you want on individual masked layers to the layers themselves. Blend mode also still applies inside the mask.
http://i27.tinypic.com/2pq6puf.png
Example .PSD File
Download link: Example .PSD for Clipping Mask - Example.psd download - Plunder
Play around with layer styles, adding more layers to the mask, removing styles, anything.
All comments and questions should be posted below.
