7 Replies Latest reply: Jun 29, 2010 9:43 AM by Ian R. Brown RSS

    Does PSE 8 (Mac) Have Something Like Photoshop's Quick Mask Tool?

    Ian R. Brown Community Member

      The question is in the title.

       

      I did a search but got some inconclusive info.

       

      Obviously there isn't a quick Mask Tool but is there some workaround to achieve the same effect . . . . easily?

        • 1. Re: Does PSE 8 (Mac) Have Something Like Photoshop's Quick Mask Tool?
          MTSTUNER Community Member

          Yes, elements has a selection brush.

           

          You can either paint with a selection or mask.

           

          If you paint with the mask and then set the tool to

          selection (tool options bar) or switch tools,

          your mask turns into a selection.

           

          This is somewhat similar to the quick mask in

          photoshop.

           

           

          selection-brush.jpg

           

          select-brush-pse-8.jpg

           

          MTSTUNER

          • 2. Re: Does PSE 8 (Mac) Have Something Like Photoshop's Quick Mask Tool?
            Ian R. Brown Community Member

            Thank you for that very helpful answer.

             

            However, it does not quite solve my problem, which I had better explain!

             

            I want to cut out a person from the background.

             

            In Photoshop the procedure is to go round the person with the Magnetic Lasso. This of course leaves bits where the Magnetic Lasso has not quite followed the edges of the person. This is then tidied up by adding the Quick Mask which makes the background magenta. You then swop to the normal brush tool and use black or white to paint in the detail right up to the edges of the person.

             

            The problem with Selection Brush technique is that the moment I switch to the normal brush, the magenta mask disappears and I am unable to paint out to the edges of the person.

             

            I can make the masked area bigger but I can't paint to reduce the mask area.

             

            I am probably not explaining this properly so to see exactly what I am doing look at this video tutorial  called "Prep Images in PSD for 3D Animation" near the bottom of this page:-

             

            http://www.rippletraining.com/free_motion_tutorials.html?cms=f88ea7d0c1eabe0972b6ff786a5be 50c

             

            The process starts about two and a half minutes into the 5 minute tutorial.

            • 3. Re: Does PSE 8 (Mac) Have Something Like Photoshop's Quick Mask Tool?
              Ian R. Brown Community Member

              I think I may have discovered the final answer!

               

              The problem with the brush was that whilst I could add to the masked (magenta) area, I could not replace parts of the person that the mask had accidentally covered.

               

              The solution appears to be to hold down the Option key whilst going over the person in order to remove the bits of unwanted magenta mask. (Using the selection brush on its own adds to the mask. Holding down the option key makes it subtract from the mask . . . . or add to the person).

               

              Is this correct or is there an even better way?

              • 4. Re: Does PSE 8 (Mac) Have Something Like Photoshop's Quick Mask Tool?
                MTSTUNER Community Member

                Yes, that is correct.

                 

                If you look on the tool options bar, when you have the selection

                brush tool selected, on the left hand side you will see two icons

                .

                The first one: add to selection.

                 

                The second one: subtract from selection.

                 

                When you hold down the option key, the selection brush does the

                opposite of the icon you have selected.

                 

                There are other selection tools besides the magnetic lasso, which may

                give better results depending on the image.

                 

                You could try the quick selection tool. (grouped in the same slot with the selection brush)

                 

                http://tv.adobe.com/watch/the-russell-brown-show/quick-select

                 

                 

                MTSTUNER

                • 5. Re: Does PSE 8 (Mac) Have Something Like Photoshop's Quick Mask Tool?
                  Ian R. Brown Community Member

                  Thanks, that has really filled in some of the gaps in my knowledge (the little icons).

                   

                  I know about the other selection tools. It's just that after using PS and PSE off and on for the last 7 years I had never been aware of the uses of the mask tool.

                   

                  In the past, cutting out a shape was a laborious and often inaccurate procedure!.

                  • 6. Re: Does PSE 8 (Mac) Have Something Like Photoshop's Quick Mask Tool?
                    Priyanka_Azad Employee Hosts

                    Another quick tip:

                     

                    The default tool would be - add to selection

                     

                    even when you are in add to selection and if you have selected some extra area, rather than going and selecting subtract from selection, just hold down the ALT key. As long as you hold the ALT key it would change to subtact mode, so you can quickly remove the extra selection and as you release, you are back to add to select again.

                     

                    Hope that helps.

                     

                    Also, have you tried using the quick selection tool. Its my personal favorite and real quick.

                    • 7. Re: Does PSE 8 (Mac) Have Something Like Photoshop's Quick Mask Tool?
                      Ian R. Brown Community Member

                      Thanks for that reminder. I do tend to use the alt key to reverse settings and I have tried the other selection tools. I try to pick the most appropriate one for the particular image I am using.

                       

                      Wandering off at a tangent . . . . . . . 8 years ago, when I got my first computer, a G3 iMac, the appallingly brief instruction book talked about the Option key which I didn't seem to have on my keyboard.

                       

                      After experimenting, I discovered that the alt key appeared to do the same job but it was several years before I had official confirmation that the two were the same!

                       

                      The same instruction book also explained clearly how to switch on but not how to switch OFF. I ended up yanking the plug out! Luckily I then remembered a friend who also had a Mac and a brief phone call ensured I never yanked the plug again!