Masking is one of the most important tools in Photoshop. It allows you to selectively edit parts of an image while leaving other parts untouched.
Masking is a powerful tool that can be used for a variety of purposes, such as removing background images, creating collages, and more. There are two main types of masking in Photoshop: layer masks and clipping masks.
Layer masks are the most common type of mask in Photoshop. They are used to mask layers so that only certain parts of the layer are visible. Layer masks are created by adding a mask to a layer.
When you add a layer mask, you will see two icons in the layers panel: the layer mask icon and the vector mask icon. The layer mask icon is used to create a raster layer mask, which is made up of pixels. The vector mask icon is used to create a vector layer mask, which is made up of paths.
Clipping masks are used to hide parts of layers so that only certain parts of the image are visible. Clipping masks are created by adding a clipping mask to a layer.
When you add a clipping mask, you will see two icons in the layers panel: the clipping mask icon and the group icon. The clipping mask icon is used to create a raster clipping mask, which is made up of pixels. The group icon is used to create a vector clipping mask, which is made up of paths.
There are many different ways to use masks in Photoshop.
In this article, we will focus on two main types of masks: layer masks and clipping masks. We will also briefly touch on some other types of masks that you may encounter while using Photoshop.
Layer Masks
Layer masks are the most common type of mask in Photoshop. As we mentioned before, they are used to selectively edit parts of an image while leaving other parts untouched. Layer masks are very versatile and can be used for a variety of purposes, such as removing background images, blending images together, creating photo montages, and more.
There are two main types of layer masks: raster layer masks and vector layer masks. Raster layer masks are made up of pixels, while vector layer masks are made up of paths.
Raster layer masks give you more control over the Masked Area since you can use soft or hard brushes when painting on the Masked Area. On the other hand, vector layer masks give you more control over the Edges since you can use anchor points to fine-tune the shape of the masked area.
Both raster and vector layer type have their own advantages and disadvantages, but ultimately it comes down to personal preference on which one to use. If want more control over Masked Area, then go with a raster layer mask. If want more control over Edges, then go with a vector layer mask.
Clipping Masks
Clipping masks are another type of common mask in Photoshop. They differ from layer masks in that they allow you to selectively edit parts of one layer by using another layer as a guide . Clipping masks are often used to create collages or photo montages.
There are two main types of clipping masks: raster clipping masks and vector clipping masks.
Raster clipping masks, like raster layer masks, are made up of pixels. Vector clipping masks, on the other hand, like vector layer masks, are made up of paths.
There are many different types of masking available in Photoshop, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. In this article, we focused on two main types: Layer Masks and Clipping Masks. However, there are several other types worth mentioning :
