Illustration of the function and effect of Photoshop mask

Today we use the legend of the way to say Photoshop mask, mainly for beginners, I do not use the standard language to narrate a lot, only with pictures and simple words to explain the next. Let the novice be interested in the picture, understand the purpose of the application mask and the effect of the mask applied to the picture.

Put up a picture first

Copy the background layer to "background copy", then hide the background layer, use the Magic Wand tool to click on the white bottom of the background copy layer, select White, and then press the DELETE key to remove the white bottom.

When you remove the white background, create a new layer 1 and fill it with blue as a blue background.

Everyone looks at the picture, we know the alcohol lamp itself is not transparent, so do not care about it.

But the glass itself should be transparent, through the glass can faint see blue background is normal. But now you can't see the blue background through the glass.

What should be the way to achieve through the glass can faint see the blue background? As long as you are willing to use their brains, there is always! We can do it with a mask! Keep looking down. Click the background copy layer with the mouse, and then click the icon button in the red Oval to add a mask for the background copy layer, as shown in the picture:

The initial state of the background copy layer after the mask has been added is shown in the figure: everybody look at the red Oval.

The foreground color remains the same as the default black, setting the brush tool's opacity to about 10%, applying black to the glass, and noticing the changes in the white squares in the background copy layer.

With the black smear, the glass becomes transparent, as pictured:

Everybody looks at the picture, the glass is transparent, the cup foot is still opaque, must apply the cup foot, lets the cup foot also transparent.

Now change the opacity of the brush tool from 10% in the above figure to 5%, and then continue to smear the range in the Red Line circle. Let the cup belly also show some sense of transparency

I just do the demo, scribble, daub after the general effect as shown: People look, now through the glass to see the blue background! With the mask to achieve the purpose!

The following two graphs, A is in the mask state, in the mask state can be applied, B is not in the mask state, in this state is not to smear.

We are interested in the words do more hands, smear smear, experience the mask.