Page 1 of 1

save brush as mask?

PostPosted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 10:32 pm
by Karma
Is this possible? Say I have a large square brush - sponge shaped and I use black to stamp a new blank transparent layer. Can that file then be saved in such a way as to be opened and used as a mask over a photo to shape the photo like the brush stamp? I hope that makes sense. :help: :shock:

Re: save brush as mask?

PostPosted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 1:28 am
by MichelB
Karma wrote: Is this possible? Say I have a large square brush - sponge shaped and I use black to stamp a new blank transparent layer. Can that file then be saved in such a way as to be opened and used as a mask over a photo to shape the photo like the brush stamp? I hope that makes sense. :help: :shock:


The answer is to use your stamped blank layer as a 'clipping layer mask'. It's a very easy two-step process:
- Say you have the background to be shaped : create a duplicate of the layer you want to be shaped and move it above the stamped blank layer. Mask the visibility of the background by clicking on the eye of the background in the layer palette.
- Then 'group' the layer above to the stamped blank layer, either by the menu layer/group with previous or by the shortcut Ctrl G. The upper layer is moved towards the right in the layer panel and only the parts defined by your brush stamp are shownn, the rest stays transparent. Note that depending on the version of Elements this 'grouping' of layers may be called differently, but the shortcut is still valid.

Re: save brush as mask?

PostPosted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 8:29 am
by Karma
Thanks! It worked great. There are so many great brushes out here that would make great clipping masks for photos..... :woohoo: