Load selection with layer mask

[PWeareB]

Hello,

Very simple question:

Using PS CC (2015.5):

I have mad a selection of a sky and saved it as a new channel.

I now want to add that sky as a new layer with a mask, above the background layer. When I activate the selection in the channels palette, and then click the layer mask icon in the layers palette, the mask is loaded onto the background layer, not a new layer.

How can I accomplish a new layer with my selection with a layer mask on it, without first making a duplicate of the background layer?

Thank you. PatrickB

[JJMack]

What layer was targeted when you clicked the add layer mask icon.  Background layers can not be masked they do not support transparency, The Background layer you state get the layer mask can not actually be Photoshop background layer.  A mask would add transparency the layer would need to have been converted to a normal layer.

[PWeareB]

JJMack  wrote

What layer was targeted when you clicked the add layer mask icon.  Background layers can not be masked they do not support transparency, The Background layer you state get the layer mask can not actually be Photoshop background layer.  A mask would add transparency the layer would need to have been converted to a normal layer.

I understand what you mean, but actually, I can:

If I have only the "background" layer, and I apply, for instance, the magic wand to select the sky, then with the selection ants still marching click the layer mask icon on the bottom of the layers palette, I will get a mask of the sky on the background layer, which is now converted to "Layer 0" and the part of the image which is not the selected sky is transparent.

I'm not sure where the discrepancy comes in, but it happens.

Patrick

[War Unicorn]

You could do a Layer Via Copy command? (Ctrl (Cmd on Mac) + J is the keyboard shortcut.) Could do your masking from there.

[JJMack]

Warunicorn  wrote

You could do a Layer Via Copy command? (Ctrl (Cmd on Mac) + J is the keyboard shortcut.) Could do your masking from there.

Yes that new layer could be used as a clipping mask if the sky was selected well. However an actual layer mask would be better for they are easy to improve.

[War Unicorn]

Now that I think about it, why not just use the layer mask on the converted background layer? What's the goal/workflow? A layer mask is totally non-destructive and will leave the image itself alone.

[PWeareB]

Warunicorn  wrote

Now that I think about it, why not just use the layer mask on the converted background layer? What's the goal/workflow? A layer mask is totally non-destructive and will leave the image itself alone.

The goal/workflow is to select the sky from the image, and put it on a new layer to make adjustments to only the sky with curves, etc. But I wanted to have a mask with it so that I could refine the edge of the selection, not just once, but maybe go back to it. The way I have accomplished this now is to duplicate the background layer, then apply the selection to this new duplicate layer, then click the mask icon. I now have two layers that are both full pixel layers, but the top layer has a mask of the sky.

Maybe this is actually the correct way to accomplish it. It just seems a bit cumbersome and without a need to copy the entire background layer.

Patrick

[davescm]

Hi

The best way to do that is to put the mask on the adjustment layer so that the adjustment only effects the sky area. No need at all to have a duplicate of the sky pixels.

Edit to add : With your selection made just add the adjustment layer - it will automatically get the mask

Dave

[PWeareB · Accepted solution]

davescm  wrote

Hi

The best way to do that is to put the mask on the adjustment layer so that the adjustment only effects the sky area. No need at all to have a duplicate of the sky pixels.

Edit to add : With your selection made just add the adjustment layer - it will automatically get the mask

Dave

Yes, this is probably the best way to do it. Thank you. No need to copy the pixels.

I guess I was over-thinking a way to be able to edit the mask more than once, for instance with a feather, but this can be done on the mask applied to the curves layer also.

Thank you all.

Patrick

[JJMack]

PWeareB  wrote

Warunicorn   wrote

Now that I think about it, why not just use the layer mask on the converted background layer? What's the goal/workflow? A layer mask is totally non-destructive and will leave the image itself alone.

The goal/workflow is to select the sky from the image, and put it on a new layer to make adjustments to only the sky with curves, etc. But I wanted to have a mask with it so that I could refine the edge of the selection, not just once, but maybe go back to it. The way I have accomplished this now is to duplicate the background layer, then apply the selection to this new duplicate layer, then click the mask icon. I now have two layers that are both full pixel layers, but the top layer has a mask of the sky.

Maybe this is actually the correct way to accomplish it. It just seems a bit cumbersome and without a need to copy the entire background layer.

Patrick

Correct you no longer have a background layer the background layer can not have transparency.

When you click on the add layer mask icon the currently targeted layer will be masked. If the Currently targeted layer is the background layer the layer will be converted to a normal layer and be masked with the current selection.  If the replacement sky  layer was targeted it would have been masked and you would still have your Background layer..

After you selected the background layer sky you failed] to target the layer above it to add the layer mask to it.