A Complete Guide to Layer Masks in Photoshop

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Use layer masks to reveal or hide different parts of your images
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Layer masks are an essential Photoshop skill. They allow you to hide or reveal parts of an image without permanently erasing parts of the image. This allows you to frame a photo or blend a photo with another photo. In photo editing, it is preferable to preserve the data from the parts of the image you delete or erase in case you want to use it again. This is what is known as non-destructive editing. This wikiHow article teaches you how to add layer masks in Photoshop.

Adding a Layer Mask

You can apply layer mask in Photoshop by selecting a layer and clicking the icon that resembles a circle inside of a rectangle at the bottom of the Layers panel. Alternatively, you can select a part of an image and click Layers > Layer Mask and then Reveal Selection or Hide Selection .

Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

Adding a Freeform Layer Mask

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  1. To do so, double-click the Photoshop icon and click New File on the title screen to create a new document. Click Open to open an existing document. You can also double-click a document in the list of recent projects.
    • Alternatively, you can open or create a new document at any time in Photoshop by clicking File in the menu bar at the top, and then clicking New or Open .
  2. To deselect everything in the canvas, press Ctrl + D on Windows or Command + D on Mac.
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  3. In the "Layers" panel of the Photoshop window, click the layer that you want to mask. The Layers panel is generally on the right-side by default.
    • If you don't see the Layers panel, click Window followed by Layers to open the Layers panel.
    • To add a new layer, click the icon that resembles a page or a plus (+) sign at the bottom of the Layers panel.
    • You cannot mask the background layer. If you want to mask the background layer, right-click the background layer in the Layers panel. Then click Duplicate Layer . Click the eyeball icon next to the original background layer to hide it. Select the duplicate of the background layer and apply a mask to that layer instead.
  4. To do so, click the Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers panel. It resembles a dark circle inside a white rectangle. You will see a white square appear next to the layer in the Layers panel. This is the layer mask. [1]
    • If you hold Alt or Option on Mac and click the Layer Mask icon, it will create a negative mask that hides the entire layer. This will appear as a black square next to the layer in the Layers panel.
    • Alternatively, you can click Layer in the menu bar at the top, followed by Layer Mask and then click Reveal All or Hide All . "Hide All" will hide the entire image and you will see a black square next to the layer in the Layers panel.
  5. To do so, click the white or black square next to the layer in the Layers panel. When you have the layer mask selected, you will be editing the layer mask instead of the actual image or image layer.
  6. You can hide parts of the image by painting the layer mask black. Paint it white to reveal parts of the image. You can also use shades of gray to create different levels of transparency in the image layer.
    • To change colors, click one of the colored squares at the bottom of the toolbar, which is generally to the left. Then use the color picker window to select a color. You only need to use black, white, and shades of gray when creating a layer mask.
    • To go back to editing the image in the layer, click the image thumbnail in the Layers panel to the right.
  7. Click File in the upper-left corner, then click Save in the drop-down menu.
    • If you created a new project, doing this will open the "Save As" window in which you'll need to enter a file name, select a location, and click Save again.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Masking a Photo Selection

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  1. To do so, double-click the Photoshop icon and click New File on the title screen to create a new document. Click Open to open an existing document. You can also double-click a document in the list of recent projects.
    • Alternatively, you can open or create a new document at any time in Photoshop by clicking File in the menu bar at the top, and then clicking New or Open .
  2. To deselect everything in the canvas, press Ctrl + D on Windows or Command + D on Mac..
  3. In the "Layers" section of the Photoshop window, click the layer that you want to mask. The Layers panel is generally to the right by default.
    • If you don't see the Layers panel, click Window followed by Layers to open the Layers panel.
    • To add a new layer, click the icon that resembles a page or a plus (+) sign at the bottom of the Layers panel.
    • You cannot mask the background layer. If you want to mask the background layer, right-click the background layer in the Layers panel. Then click Duplicate Layer . Click the eyeball icon next to the original background layer to hide it. Select the duplicate of the background layer and apply a mask to that layer instead.
  4. Depending on the level of detail that you want to preserve, you'll have to use one of the following tools for this step:
    • Select Subject —This feature allows Photoshop to try to automatically detect the subject of your photo. You may need to make slight adjustments to the selection. To automatically select the subject of your photo, click Select in the menu bar at the top. Then click Subject .
    • Marquee Tool —Used to select a large area without worrying about fine edges. Click the dotted-line icon near the top of the "Tool" section, then click and drag your mouse around the area that you want to show or hide. This tool is useful for creating a rectangle or circle mask around the image.
    • Lasso Tool —The Lasso tool is used to highlight specific shapes in a picture. It's the tool that has an icon that resembles a lasso. Use the lasso tool to drag around the shape you want to hide or reveal. You can also use the magnetic lasso tool, which tries to snap to the edges of an object, or the polygon lasso tool, which allows you to create points around the shape.
    • Pen Tool —Used to select fine details. Click the fountain pen-shaped icon in the "Tool" section, then click and drag your mouse around the area that you want to show or hide. The Pen tool is used to create a vector mask that is not dependent on the resolution of the image. This will create finer edges than the other tools.
    • Shape Tools —The Shape Tools are used to create basic polygonal shapes. These use vectors instead of resolution-based shapes. These will create finer edges than the other selection tools.
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    Use the lasso or polygonal lasso tool to make a selection. You can also use the object selection tool. Click Edit in the drop-down menu at the top and click Content Aware Fill . Adjust the space around the selection using left click on the mouse. Click and drag to add to the selection. Hold Alt (or Option on Mac) and click and drag to remove from the selection.

  5. This will either reveal or hide the selection on your layer. Use the following steps to apply a layer mask to your layer:
    • Click Layers in the menu bar at the top.
    • Click Layer Mask .
    • Click Reveal Selection to remove all except your selection, or click Hide selection to hide your selection and reveal the rest of the image.
  6. You can use the slider bars in the panel to the right to adjust the feathering and density of the mask:
    • Feathering —Feathering creates a fade along the edge of the mask. Increase the feathering to make the fade along the edge thicker.
    • Density —Density adjusts the overall transparency. Lower the density to allow some of the original image to show through the mask.
  7. If you want to move the mask up to display above a different layer, click and drag the masked layer in the "Layers" section up or down until it's positioned where you want it.
  8. Click File in the upper-left corner, then click Save in the drop-down menu.
    • If you created a new project, doing this will open the "Save As" window in which you'll need to enter a file name, select a location, and click Save again.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Using Select and Mask

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  1. This tool allows you to select a part of an image to serve as the "revealed" part of a layer mask, which is useful when attempting to remove a person from a background or remove the background around a person.
  2. To do so, double-click the Photoshop icon and click New File on the title screen to create a new document. Click Open to open an existing document. You can also double-click a document in the list of recent projects.
    • Alternatively, you can open or create a new document at any time in Photoshop by clicking File in the menu bar at the top, and then clicking New or Open .
  3. In the "Layers" section, click the image that you want to turn into its own layer mask. The Layers panel is usually on the right side by default.
    • If you don't see the Layers panel, click Window followed by Layers to open the Layers panel.
    • To add a new layer, click the icon that resembles a page or a plus (+) sign at the bottom of the Layers panel.
    • You cannot mask the background layer. If you want to mask the background layer, right-click the background layer in the Layers panel. Then click Duplicate Layer . Click the eyeball icon next to the original background layer to hide it. Select the duplicate of the background layer and apply a mask to that layer instead.
  4. All the tools are in the toolbar to the left. You can select the Object Select tool, the Lasso tool, the Magic Wand tool, or the Marquee tool.
  5. It appears below the menu bar at the top of the screen when you have a selection tool selected.
  6. You can quickly select the subject of the image by clicking Select subject at the top of the screen. You can also use any one of the selection tools in the toolbar to the left to make a selection.
    • For example, you can use the marquee tool to make a rectangle selection around the area you want to keep. Or you can use the Lasso tool to manually draw a selection around an object in the image.
  7. Use the drop-down menu below "View Mode" in the "Properties" panel to the left to select a view mode. View modes make it easier for you to see the edges of the mask while you edit and refine them. The view modes are as follows: [2]
    • Onion Skin —This displays the mask as a transparent layer on top of the background.
    • Marching Ants —This displays the mask as an outline that resembles marching ants around the edges of the mask.
    • Overlay —This displays the mask as a transparent color overlay on top of the image. The default color overlay is red.
    • On Black —This displays the mask as a black background.
    • On White —This displays the mask as a white background.
    • Black & White —This displays the mask as a black outline and the selection as a white outline.
    • On Layers —This displays the mask as transparent, allowing you to see the layers below the mask.
  8. Pay attention to the edges around the subject, especially if you use the "Select Subject" feature. It may miss a few spots or include areas that are not part of the subject. You can easily add or remove parts of the selection. To do so, click one of the tools in the toolbar to the left. Then click the plus (+) icon at the top to add to the selection, or click the minus (-) icon to remove parts of the selection. Use the tool you selected to add or remove parts of the mask.
    • The tools available to touch up the edges include the Quick Selection tool, the Refine Edge brush tool, the Brush tool, the Object Selection tool, and the Lasso tools.
  9. You can use the slider bars in the Properties panel to the right to make refinements to the edges of your mask. The refinement options are as follows:
    • Radius —This determines the size of the edge in which the refinements occur. This option is under "Edge Detection" in the Properties panel.
    • Smart Radius —This option allows for variable width along the edge of the selection. This is useful if your selection includes hair. This option is under "Edge Detection" in the Properties panel.
    • Smooth —This smooths out rough edges along the edge of the selection. This is under "Global Refinements" in the Properties panel.
    • Feather —This blurs the edge of the selection creating a faded edge along the edge of the mask and the selection. This is under "Global Refinements" in the Properties panel.
    • Contrast —This is used for soft edge transitions. When Contrast is increased, the transition becomes more abrupt. This is most useful when Smart Radius is enabled. This is under "Global Refinements" in the Properties panel.
    • Shift Edge —This shifts the edges of the border inward or outward making the mask selection bigger or smaller. This is under "Global Refinements" in the Properties panel.
  10. To do so, ensure "Decontaminate Colors" is checked at the bottom of the Properties panel Then select "New Layer with Layer Mask" in the Output drop-down menu. Then click Ok at the bottom of the Properties panel. This will duplicate the image layer and apply the mask to the new layer.
  11. Click File in the upper-left corner, then click Save in the drop-down menu.
    • If you created a new project, doing this will open the "Save As" window in which you'll need to enter a file name, select a location, and click Save again.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Managing a Layer Mask

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  1. To disable a layer mask, right-click the layer mask next to the layer in the Layers panel. Then click Disable Layer Mask . To re-enable the layer mask, right-click the layer mask in the Layer panel and click Enable Layer Mask .
    • Alternatively, you can hold Shift and click the layer mask in the Layers panel to enable or disable it.
  2. If you want to permanently delete a layer mask, right-click the layer mask in the Layers panel. Then click Delete Layer Mask .
  3. To copy a layer mask to another layer, hold Alt on Windows or Option on Mac, and click and drag the layer mask from one layer to another layer you want to apply it to.
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      Warnings

      • Masking part of a layer won't have any effect if the layer itself isn't above a layer that you want to display.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/masking-layers.html
      2. ↑ https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/select-mask.html

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open a Photoshop project.
      2. Deselect any parts of images by clicking the Select menu and clicking Deselect
      3. Select a layer.
      4. Click Layer
      5. Select Layer Mask
      6. Click Hide All

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