DIGITAL IMAGING I UNIT 4 1 Practice: Using Layer Masks INTRODUCTION: Layer Masks are a way to hide elements on a layer without erasing them. In that manner, the hidden elements can be re-exposed without starting all over making a new selection. In the Layers panel, the Pixel based Layer Mask appears as an additional thumbnail to the right of the layer image thumbnail. Black on the Layer mask will hide elements on the layer, while white exposes elements on the layer to which it is associated. In this practice, layer elements will be hidden or exposed by using Layer Masks. PRACTICE SKILLS: Use Layer Masks to blend two layers together. Create and re-load gradient Channel Mask. Apply gradient blend to a Pixel mask to merge two layers together. Apply filters to the channel. RESOURCE FILES: Acquire the images below for this practice. They are located in the ClassFiles folder in the D_Img 1 folder Unit 4 folder or download them from Unit 4 in Blackboard. Place files in your Class folder > YOUR PREFIX_Daily Work > Unit 4. Rename and save each image with YOUR PREFIX as follows: YOUR PREFIX_U4_Wilderness.psd YOUR PREFIX_U4_Mtns-Mask.psd YOUR PREFIX_U4_Clouds.psd YOUR PREFIX_U4_Bear.psd YOUR PREFIX_U4_Waterfall.psd YOUR PREFIX_U4_Fern.psd YOUR PREFIX_U4_Rockies.psd YOUR PREFIX_U4_Dune.psd PROCEDURE: Version 1: Using Layer Masks in Wilderness. This is a tour of Layer Masks. 01. Open YOUR PREFIX _U4_Wilderness.psd. This file will be examined to see how it is constructed. It will not need to be submitted for grading. 02. Look at the Layers panel. Each of the layers above the Landscape layer, have Layer Masks to right side of the image Thumbnail. 03. Turn off all the layers above the landscape layer, by clicking on the eye icon. Look at the landscape layer. 04. Turn on the fish layer, by clicking on the well where the eye was. This turns the layer back on. The image of the fish appears in the lower right corner. The blending mode of this layer is Soft Light with 45% opacity. (Look at top of layers panel.) Change the blending mode to Normal by clicking on the Soft Light button and selecting Normal from the pop up menu. Increase the opacity to 100% by dragging the slider to the right in order to see the fish clearer.
DIGITAL IMAGING I UNIT 4 2 05. Turn off the fish Layer Mask by holding down the shift key and clicking on the mask icon to the right of the fish image. A red X will appear over the mask. This turns off the mask and shows what the mask is hiding. On this layer, the mask hides the blue background that exists around the fish shape. 06. Turn on the bird layer and do the same as in step 4. Put the blending mode back to Normal and the increase the opacity to 100%. Then turn off the Layer Mask to see what the mask hides. Repeat with the fisherman layer. All layers are now set to 100 opacity with normal blend mode. 07. After looking at each layer, turn off the top 2 layers. Leave the fish layer on. Turn its Layer Mask back on by shift clicking on the mask icon again. 08. With the fish layer selected, unlock layer opacity by clicking on the small checker board icon at top of the Layers panel. 09. Click on the Layer Mask to the right of the fish layer thumbnail. You will see a small frame appear around the mask to indicate it is selected. Change the Layer Mask by painting with white on the mask. This will expose the area around the fish that was previously hidden. If more of the fish layer needs to be hidden, then paint with black on the mask. 10. After modifying this mask, experiment with the other Layer Masks. There is not a specific look or a final version of this file. Experiment with any of the previous steps. This is to see how Layer Masks work. This does not need to saved or submitted for grading. Version 2: Use Layer Masks from Selections 01. Open YOUR PREFIX _U4_Clouds.psd, YOUR PREFIX _U4_Bear. psd, and YOUR PREFIX _U4_Mtns-Mask.psd files from your class folder. Look at the image size of each of the images by choosing Image > Image Size or by pressing Cmd + Opt + I (Mac OS) or Ctrl + Al + I (Windows). or All are 72 dpi but the sizes and dimensions are different. 02. Select the cloud image. It is one fourth the Document size of the Mtns-Mask.psd. This will be used to replace the previous sky. Resample this image by choosing Image > Image size. Replace 3.85 inches in the width box with 8 inches. This image is now close to the size of the mountain file. 03. With the clouds image still open, choose Select > Select All. Then choose Edit > Copy. Close the clouds file. Do not save it. The black part of a Layer Mask will hide parts of an image to which the mask is linked. The white part will expose the image on the layer to which it is associated. New to Creative Cloud PS Resampling: Since this is an image of clouds which are soft, resampling them is not much of a problem. In the past, increasing image size was never recommended as the image would become extremely soft and blurry looking. In the image size dialogue box allows you to Enlarge the image with little to no loss of detail. Choose Automatic or one of the other options for enlargement. Look at both. When you are satisfied with your choice, click OK.
DIGITAL IMAGING I UNIT 4 3 04. Bring the YOUR PREFIX _U4_Mtns-Mask.psd forward. Select all of the sky area using the Magic Wand or Quick Selection tool. See the moving ants in the shape of the sky area. Select > Save selection. Name the selection Sky. 05. Choose Edit > Paste Special > Paste Into. The clouds are pasted into the sky selection. This adds a new Layer Pixel Mask. The mask hides the clouds behind the mountains. Name the layer Sky. Go to File > Save As and rename this file: YOUR PREFIX_U4_Mtns-Mask_comp. psd. This indicates this file is now a composite. 06. Select the sky-cloud image layer. Move the cloud image to view different parts of the clouds in the sky area. 07. Select the Bear image and drag it into or copy and paste into the YOUR PREFIX_U4_Mtns-Mask_comp.psd image. The Bear image is larger vertically than the Mtns_Mask image. Move the bear so the main part of the bear covers the canvas on the right side. The mountains will still be exposed on the left. This layer should be above the clouds layer. Name the layer Bear. Close the Bear image. No need to save it. Choose File > Save the PREFIX_U4_Mtns-Mask_comp.psd image. 08. Use the Magic Wand or Quick Selection tool to select the bear and tree. Since the brown bear and tree have contrast with the blue and white background it is easier to select. The selection should fit around the edges of the Bear and the tree trunk. Select > Save Selection. Name the selection Bear. 09. Select the Bear Layer. With the selection still active, click on the mask icon at the bottom of the Layers panel. This will add a Layer Mask to the Bear and will hide the white/blue background. 10. Click on the Layer Mask next to the Bear layer. Open the Properties panel. (In CS 5 use the Mask panel.) Select the Feather slider and enter 1 pixel. There should not need to be much feathering or the edges will look too soft. 11. Select the Background, the mountains layer, which is a little lighter in comparison to its surroundings. 12. Go to menu Select > Load Selection. From pop up menu, select sky. With the selection active, click on the Quick Mask tool. Observe that the mountains are covered in pink. That means they are protected by the Quick Mask. Layer Mask not linked: Notice that as a result of using Paste Into, the Mask and sky are not linked. That way the image can be moved separately from the mask.
DIGITAL IMAGING I UNIT 4 4 13. Press Cmd + I (Mac OS) or Ctrl +I (Windows) to inverse the Quick Mask. The mountains are now exposed and the sky is protected. Turn off the Quick Mask to toggle back to Standard mode and observe the active selection. 14. With the selection still active, choose the Levels Adjustment Layer from the black and white circle at the bottom of the Layers panel. Move the left and right triangles towards the center of the Histogram so they barely touch the edges of the Histogram profile. Click OK. Deselect the selection when finished. This adds a new layer to the file, while creating a Layer Mask with the Adjustment Layer. The Mask hides the tonal changes on the layers below. 15. Click on the Background layer. Name the layer Mountains. 16. Go to File> Save or press Cmd + S (Mac OS) or Ctrl + S(Windows). There should be no need to rename the file if it was named in step 5: YOUR PREFIX_U4 _Mtns-Mask_comp.psd Version 3: Use Layer Masks to Refine Edge. 01. Open Waterfall and Fern images previously saved with your YOUR PREFIX in your Unit 4 folder. Zoom both images to 100% to get a visual sense of their relative sizes to each other. 02. Duplicate the Background Waterfall layer by dragging it down to the paper icon on the layers panel or use the short cut Cmd + J (Mac OS) or Ctrl + J (Windows). 03. Flip this Background copy layer left to right by selecting Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal. Name the layer Falls. 04. With the falls layer selected, click on the Layer Mask icon on the bottom of the Layers panel. This makes a new blank Layer Mask. 05. Go to File > Save As and rename this file: YOUR PREFIX_U4_ Waterfall_comp.psd. This indicates that this file is now a composite. 06. Select a soft brush. Vary the size of the brush using the L-R bracket keys. Paint on the mask with black to hide the people and the red areas on this layer. The lower image will show through where black is painted. This allows some of the foliage of the lower layer to show through the upper layer hiding the people. By using a soft brush the edges will blend into the lower layer better. BDrag the Fern image into the Waterfall file. Move the fern to the lower right or against a darker area of the background. Close the fern file. No need to save it. 07. Name the new layer Fern. Brush Size: The left bracket [ = smaller and the Right Bracket Key, ] = larger.
DIGITAL IMAGING I UNIT 4 5 08. To select the fern with the Magic Wand, deselect Contiguous in the Option Bar, Tolerance (default) 32. Change the sample point to 5 x 5 average and click on the light green of the fern. If parts of the fern are still not selected, use the shift key and click in those areas to add to the selection. When satisfied, Select > Save Selection. Name this selection fern. 09. With the selection still active, click on the Refine Edge button on the Options bar. 10. In the Refine Edge dialog box, select View Mode > White, check Smart Radius, and Decontaminate colors. Then select the Refine Radius brush to paint gently around the edges of the fern to clean them up. Use the Zoom Tool to magnify the fern. It helps make the selection easier. Paint with the outside of the brush just touching the edges of the fern. Use the Erase Refinements brush to put back an area if that is deleted. 11. When reasonably satisfied, select Output To: New Layer with Layer Mask. Click OK. 12. If more refinement of this edge is needed, rather than use the refine Selection edge, use the refine Mask edge. Click on the Layer Mask on this new layer. Go to the Properties panel. (In CS 5 use the Mask panel.) Click on the Mask Edge button. Continue refining the edge by experimenting with Shift Edge (to contract or expand the mask edge), Smoothing or Feathering. Select Output To: New Layer with Layer Mask again. This creates another new layer with a Layer Mask to edit separately. This is all non-destructive editing because it is so easy to go back and correct it. 13. Save this file for grading. No need to rename the file if saved with your YOUR PREFIX_U4_ Waterfall_comp.psd in step 5. Variation 4: Layer Mask with Gradient 01. Open the Rockies and Dune images. Arrange the images side by side. 01. Select the Dune image. Click on the Dune Background layer. Hold down the shift key and drag the Dune Background layer to the Rockies image. Holding down the shift key centers the Dune image. Close the Dune image without saving it. 02. Drag the Dune layer so that its right edge is aligned with the right edge of the Rockies image. 03. With the Rockies/Dune image selected, name the new layer Dune. Choose File > Save As. Navigate to Your Class folder > YOUR PREFIX_Daily Work > Unit 4 folder. Rename the file YOUR PREFIX_U4_RockieDune_comp.psd. 04. Add a new Layer Mask next to the Dune layer by clicking on the Mask icon on the bottom of the Layers panel.
DIGITAL IMAGING I UNIT 4 6 05. Select the gradient tool. Make sure black is the foreground color and white is the background color. (Default colors.) Select the dune Layer Mask. Place the Cross Hair cursor about one quarter of an inch inside the dunes image on the left side. Drag from left to right about half way over the image of the dunes with the gradient tool. 06. This creates a gradient from black to white on the Layer Mask hiding the left side of the dunes. Black hides the left side of the dune exposing the mountain layer. White exposes the right side of the dune layer. No pixels are deleted, just hidden. This is non-destructive editing. 07. Save this file. Do not rename it if it was saved with your YOUR PREFIX in step 4. 08. A filter may be added to a mask to add texture. Select the Layer Mask, and choose Filter > Noise > Add Noise to about 50%. Move the slider until you get the look desired. This is optional. 09. If the left edge of the Dune image shows, blend the edge by painting with a black large (100 px or more) soft brush on the Layer Mask on the left edge of the dune mask. Painting with a lower opacity brush would also help blend the edge of the dune into the Background layer. 10. Go to File > Save As a layered PSD and rename this file: YOUR PREFIX_U4_RockieDune_comp2.psd. Lab Submission: Submit files to your instructor as directed for grading completed work. Online students: Upload the final PSDs (YOUR PREFIX _U4_Mtns- Mask_comp.psd, YOUR PREFIX_U4_ waterfallcomp.psd and YOUR PREFIX_U4_RockieDune_comp2.psd) to the Blackboard submission link as directed by your instructor for grading. It is recommended that these files be put in a folder with other Unit 4 files to be compressed (zipped) for a single upload. Gradient Tool: The longer the drag with the gradient tool the more gradual the gradient. Gradients can be re-applied to the same layer or mask and it will replace the previous version