PhotoPlus X2 User Guide - Serif

Creating the mask
Before you can use a mask, you have
to create it on a particular layer. The
mask can start out as transparent
(revealing the whole layer), opaque
(hiding the whole layer), a
transparency gradient (opposite) or—
if you create it from a selection—a bit
of both (with only the selected region
hidden or revealed). The mask shows
as a mask thumbnail.
Layers and Masks 149
The choice depends on how you want to work with the layer's contents. By
darkening portions of a clear mask, you can selectively fade underlying layer pixels.
By lightening an opaque mask, you selectively reveal layer pixels.
To create a mask:
1. Select a layer in the Layers tab. This is the layer where you want to create the
mask, and select specific region(s) if desired.
2. Then either:
• Click the Add Layer Mask button to create a Reveal All mask (or
Reveal Selection if there is one).
OR
• Choose Mask>Add Mask from the Layers menu and then one of the
following from the submenu:
• Reveal All for a transparent mask over the whole layer
• Hide All for an opaque mask over the whole layer
• Reveal Selection for an opaque mask with transparent "holes" over the
selected region(s)
• Hide Selection for a transparent mask with opaque "blocks" over the
selected region(s)
On the Layers tab, a mask preview thumbnail appears, confirming that a mask
exists.