From the course: Photoshop Masking and Compositing: Fundamentals

Unlock the full course today

Join today to access over 22,400 courses taught by industry experts or purchase this course individually.

The synthesis of masking and compositing

The synthesis of masking and compositing - Photoshop Tutorial

From the course: Photoshop Masking and Compositing: Fundamentals

Start my 1-month free trial

The synthesis of masking and compositing

As you've seen, masking relies on channels and compositing relies on layers. Of the two, channels are the older function. Channels and mask had been around since Photoshop 1, whereas layers were introduced in Photoshop 3. I mention this not to take you on a stroll down memory lane, but rather to make a point. Without masks, layers would not exist. See, every layer carries with it something called a transparency mask, which defines the boundaries of the layer, that is, which pixels are opaque, which are transparent, and which are somewhere in between. You can load that transparency mask as a selection by Ctrl+Clicking, or on the Mac Command+Clicking, on a thumbnail in the Layers panel. But that's just the beginning. You also have pixel-based layer masks, which allow you to temporarily erase portions of a layer or control the area affected by an adjustment layer. You have vector masks, which let you scalp layers inside ultra-smooth path outlines, and you can modify these masks…

Contents