5 Replies Latest reply: Aug 15, 2010 10:56 AM by PurplePlumUK RSS

    Viewing image and layer mask?

    PurplePlumUK Community Member

      Hi, thanks for stopping by and reading.

       

      I've a layer with a group of people on it over a layer with a background on it.

      The layer with the people has a layer mask which I've worked on to cut the people out...

       

      Now I want to work round the cut out edge (layer mask) subtly refining it.

      The image is going to be printed large so I need to pay attention to the detail... like strands of hair.

       

      Intuitively (to me) I cut more hair off as opposed to left more hair on - if you follow. Perhaps unconciously thinking it was the way to minimse work because if it looks ok then job done.

       

      Now of course I'm effectively working blind as I seek to refine the mask by adding-in soft blurred hair. (Hope you follow) So...

      Q: Is there a way to view the entire original image with the mask overlaid?

       

      I've come up with a working fix... I'm duplicating the layer with the mask, deleting the mask and adjusting the opacity so I can work through this new layer onto the layer mask below.... should I have approached this differently... more elegantly? Hind sight is a marvelous thing.

       

      How do sensible people approach this exercise..?

       

      Hope you'll share, thank you and keep well.

        • 1. Re: Viewing image and layer mask?
          MTSTUNER Community Member

          One way to see the mask and image is to Option+click on the layer mask,

          then hit the tilde key (the key above the tab key, with a little squigly line)

           

          To go back to the image, option+click on the mask.

           

          Use the tilde key to cycle between the red mask overlay and layer mask channel.

           

          In the back of the help is a list of keyboard shortcuts.

           

           

           

          MTSTUNER

          • 2. Re: Viewing image and layer mask?
            Gyno-jiz Community Member

            Tuner, I'm not sure how that helps the OP see what they're painting back in. I'm sure I'm just missing something.

             

            I think the OP's solution is pretty good. Another is to use the masks panel to reduce the mask density, which achieves the same thing as they've been doing in less clicks. Another would be to shift-click the mask to hide it (you can still paint, albeit with no visual feedback of what you're doing). Another would to invert the mask and work backwards.

             

            Of course the unasked question is: is this even the best way of working? Any mask that you can get from the channel data will almost certainly be better than one you can paint. So be sure you're getting the most from the image before you touch up. There's a ton of tutorials out there, and also check out the new refine mask feature in CS5.

            • 3. Re: Viewing image and layer mask?
              MTSTUNER Community Member

              Maybe i misunderstood the question, but i read it to be he or she

              wanted to see an overlay of the layer mask with the image visable.

              So i suggested after making the layer mask visible by option+click

              then use the tilda key to see the red mask overlay and image at the same time.

               

               

              MTSTUNER

              • 4. Re: Viewing image and layer mask?
                Gyno-jiz Community Member

                The tilde view still fully clips the image; I took entire image to mean the parts that were clipped by the mask viewable, so the OP can decide what needs to be put back. And re-reading the post, it looks like the OP can probably disregard my last paragraph. I didn't mean any offense; I think it was just the term soft hair that got me going...

                • 5. Re: Viewing image and layer mask?
                  PurplePlumUK Community Member

                  Hi MTSTUNER & J Maloney

                   

                  I really appreciate the interest you've both taken in the question.

                   

                  Yes, J Maloney you would be correct. I was wanting to see the whole of the image, the masked bits and the not masked bits... as well as the mask too all simultaneously.

                   

                  I'm currently kicking myself that I've not explored the Masks panel. Don't know when it was introduced, I have kind of skipped a version of PhotoShop or two on my own machine - lame excuse, I know gov. The density idea is far more elegant than my solution. However, I did find that by creating the duplicate I've been able to colourise it so as to make the results of what I was doing really obvious visually. I like the invert idea too, so simple - and it might prove the best of the options... but I'll try it on another image as I've pretty much done this one - lots of hats, not much hair.

                   

                  No offence on the "last paragraph". My reaction was "it's not unasked" though I wasn't clear: "How do sensible people approach this exercise?"

                   

                  Thank you too MSTUNER, I appreciate the time spent.

                   

                  --

                   

                  "Quick Mask?" occurred randomly to me. Something I've never bothered with, tending to go straight to Layer Mask work. I'll own up that Quick Mask has never managed to make itself part of my workflow, I've no idea why because I'm sure it should if I gave it time. However, a quick experiment hasn't produced a Eureka moment. I was hoping I could easily subtract or add a Quick Mask from/to an existing Layer Mask... nope, doesn't seem to want to - though it was a 'quick' experiment.

                   

                  Thank you again for taking the time and enjoy the rest of your day. Regards.