Affinity Photo: Working With Masks () – replace.me.Affinity Designer Help

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Using layer masks in Affinity Photo is a powerful way to combine parts of several images into a single image or to limit the effect of adjustment layers and filters to only affect a part of your image. Layer masks are nondestructive. This means that you can modify them at any stage of your post-processing workflow.

Layer masks allows you to control which part of an image layer should be visible and what should be hidden. You can add a layer mask to a layer or a group of layers. This also means that it hides anything on a lower layer. A mask with pure black hides the layer the mask is added to. This means that the anything on a lower layer will become visible in the image. If you give the layer mask a grey tone color it will partly show the layer and the layer below, just like the layers opacity slider would, except that you can control the layers opacity by using gray tone values.

However, when you begin to create fine selections or draw with a brush tool on the layer masks you can control exactly which part of a layer should be visible and how it should blend with the below layer. You can go about adding a layer mask in two different ways. You can either add a layer mask that shows or hides the entire layer or add a mask that takes the active selection into account and hides or shows the layer based on the selection.

Make sure that you have no active selections in your image. Next, select the layer you want to apply the mask to. In this case, select the green layer.

To create a mask that shows the entire layer, click on the Add Layer Mask button insert image. You will find it at the bottom of the Layers panel. This will make the green layer invisible or hidden.

The green layer is still there in the layers panel, but the masking layer thumbnail will be black indicating that the layer is hidden. Anyway, let us continue the example by starting with a white masking layer. Again use a white brush to show the layer which has the mask and black to hide it. Since we are working on a completely white mask making the layer visible , you can choose a black brush to reveal some of the red layer below.

Remember to select the mask thumbnail to paint on the mask and not the image layer itself. When you use the black brush and paint on the mask, everywhere you use the brush will be hidden and reveal the red layer below. For a more smooth transition, you can turn the opacity up and down or adjust the hardness of the brush.

A gradient mask in Affinity Photo is simply a layer mask, where you apply the gradient tool. By selecting the gradient tool, you can apply either a linear or radial gradient to your mask. By selecting one end of the gradient to be white, and the other black, and apply the gradient, you can control, which areas the mask shows, and which it hides. It is a simple but powerful way to combine, for instance, an exposure adjustment layer, with the gradient tool, so the exposure adjustment layer only affect.

If you already know which part of the top layer you want to show and which to hide, you can take a shortcut and create a precise selection of the area and base the Affinity Photo layer mask on the selection.

First, create the selection and then based on whether you want to hide the selected area or show this part of the layer, do the following:. Note, that you can also invert a layer mask. This is particular useful, when it is easier for you to select or brush the opposite of what you want to mask.

After adding a layer mask, you might want to check how it has altered your image. This toggles the mask on and off. Alternatively, you could uncheck the checkbox in the right side of the masking layer. When the mask is disabled a red diagonal line is shown on top of the mask thumbnail and you will see the image without the masking effects.

If you regret adding a layer mask you can always delete it by selecting and dragging it to the trashcan button on the Layers panel.

Remember to drag the mask thumbnail to the trashcan and not the image layer. This will display a black and white representation of the mask on top of your image.

This allows you to fine-tune the mask, even more, using the brush tool. To make the mask overlay disappear again, just click anywhere else in the layers panel to return to the normal view. Working with masks in Affinity Photo is very useful for blending several bracketed shots together into a single image. This can be a complex and tedious editing process, which I will save for another article.

In this tutorial, however, we will continue with looking at how you can use layer masks to limit the effect of adjustment layers and live filters to specific parts of an image. Adjustment layers have an inbuilt mask that is set to be completely white per default. This means that when you add an adjustment layer it will be applied to the whole image. You can modify this mask just as you would with a layer mask as explained above by using a brush or any of the selection tools.

Now that you know how to create a mask and how it basically works, let us dig into how you can use a mask together with selections to change the background of an image.

As a case or sample image, we will use the above image of a leaf that I want to add some clarity to, without affecting the background. We can do this by using a Clarity Live filter with a mask. Remember this is just for the sake of improving this sample image. The principle behind refining a mask is the same for all adjustment layers, Live filters, and creating normal layer masks to blend two images together. First, create a selection of the leaf by using the magic wand selection tool or quick mask tool in Affinity Photo.

Because you already have an active selection when creating the clarity live filter Affinity Photo will automatically add a mask based on this selection. This woul d mean that the whole image would be affected by the clarity filter.

Try to take a closer look at what has been masked out. You will see that the mask might need a bit of extra work to become more precise. When working with complex images, like hair and fur, you will get a much better result if you take the time to refine the mask properly. You can come back to refining the mask at any step in your editing process. To refine the mask, right-click on the masking layer and select Refine Edge….

In the Refine Edge dialog change the Preview mode to overlay, by clicking on the downward pointing arrow next to the dropdown where it says Overlay.

This allows you to change how you view both the selection and the mask. You might want to change the preview mode to get a better contrast between the object you are trying to mask and the background. This enables you to create a better and more precise mask if you can see what you are doing.

If you are not working on a photo with a super crisp edge like hair and fur, you might want to increase the feather slider to soften the selection edges. Feathering makes the transition softer. However when you work with crisp edges just keep it at 0px. If you increase the Smooth slider, the edge becomes softer and more smooth instead of jagged and zig-zagged. Besides using the sliders to refine the edge, you can also paint over trouble areas.

This will make Affinity Photo have a look at the area again and refine the selection. Just paint around the edge of the leaf where you want to refine the mask. Affinity Photo does a pretty good job at refining the edge selection. If you find that Affinity Photo selected too much, i.

Work your way around the whole subject until you are happy with the result. Change the tolerance of the selection by pulling the Border width slider a bit to the right.

Experiment with this as it can give you a more precise selection. The Ramp slider controls the offset of the selection. Pulling it to the left will contract the selection while pushing it to the right will expand your selection. When you are happy with the mask, go to the Output section of the dialog and make sure that Output To is set to Mask. Next, click Apply to close the Refine Edge dialog. If you want to take your Affinity Photo layer masks a bit further, you can create a simple luminosity mask.

This is useful when you only want to work with the highlights in your image. Here at Photography-RAW, we have an advanced video course that will show you how to create real Photoshop-like luminosity masks, and use them for blending multiple images together.

Do you want to learn more about Affinity Photo? Check out our popular Affinity Photo Tutorials! When you learn to use masks in Affinity Photo you will find that it opens up a new world of possibilities.

You can use it for combining photos and adjustment layers in a very precise way. Layer masks give you much more control of the photo editing process. What is your experience with using masks in Affinity Photo?

Share your thoughts in the comments below. I make sure that you get the best articles about photography. Personally, I prefer to shoot landscape, nature and macro photography. I am editing photos of people and applying many layers of effects I see no way to paste the mask into other layers so i have to re-worf each layer taking a lot of time.

There my be several different ways to accomplish this. Now you can go ahead and create the next effect or live filter.

Photoshop layer mask is an important work for Photoshop. I think most of the Photoshop work done properly than need mask option. So every body needs first good knowledge about Photoshop layer and mask..

 
 

 

How To Create A Clipping Mask with Affinity Designer – Logos By Nick

 

By using our website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our cookie policy. Affinity Designer contains various options for layering images or vector shapes quickly and efficiently.

Clipping Masks are a non-destructive way of layering while still being able to edit each layer independently. To create a clipping mask, click and drag one layer onto another layer. The process of creating a clipping mask produces a Parent main layer and Child clipping mask relationship. The Parent layer can contain many child layers including Adjustment layers.

In this tutorial you will learn how to create Clipping masks with fonts and images. A welcome page will load automatically, select New Document. Choose your page setup and click Create. A new blank page will open. Step 2 – Type out your text and choose a font Select the Artistic Text Tool that looks like a capital A on the left side panel.

If you see a box frame with the letter T, click on the little white arrow next to it to open the menu. Then select the Artistic Text Tool. Now type out your text. A new pixel layer with the text is automatically created. At the top left of the page is the Font Family selection.

With the text still selected, choose a font. The product used in this example is a cute bold font. A thicker font makes it easier to see any image or design that you add to the text. Step 3 – Copy and paste a background design We will be using a textured watercolor background in this step.

Start by clicking on File, select Open and locate where your file is stored. Once opened, click Edit at the top of the screen and select Copy. Go back to the document containing your text, right click anywhere and select Paste.

The background will be placed above the text. Step 4 – Create a clipping mask Creating a clipping mask of the design onto the font is easy but where you place the design layer is important. We need to click and drag the Background layer onto the Text layer. But when doing so we need to drag the mouse over the name of the layer and not the thumbnail. The watercolor background has been placed beneath the Text layer as a Child or attached layer.

Click on the white arrow next to the Text layer to open and view the Background layer. The layer can still be edited. Step 5 – Resize and reposition Background layer To edit the Background layer, click the layer to select it. With the layer selected click on the text and move your mouse around. On the bottom right of the screen below the Layers panel, click on the Adjustments menu, which looks like a half colored in circle.

Select an Adjustment. Using Clipping Masks with Images Objects can be clipped to images where they are restricted to the boundaries of the shape. This is the same as restricting the background image to the boundaries of the text.

In the steps below we will use a sweet garden gnome by Whimsical Inklings. Step 1 – Open your image in Affinity Designer Click File and select Open, then locate where your image is stored, click to open. The image is locked by default, which means you can\’t reposition or resize on the canvas. To unlock the layer, under the Layers Panel on the right hand side click on the little lock icon. Now you can move the image around and resize.

Step 2 – Draw out a shape On the left side panel select the Ellipse tool then click and drag your mouse out over the gnome. The Ellipse will be created on its own pixel layer so you are able to resize as you wish.

This layer is placed above the gnome image. Add a color by clicking on the Fill color top right of the screen and choose a color from the palette. A light purple was used. Step 3 – Create a clipping mask with the Ellipse Click on the gnome image layer to select and then click and drag it up to the Ellipse layer.

Remember to drag your mouse over the Ellipse word description and not the thumbnail. Once you have released your mouse button the gnome image will be clipped to the Ellipse layer and appear as a Child layer beneath it. You can add a gradient insert tutorial on gradients to the Ellipse for a more colorful background. A gradient with green and pink color stops was added.

Step 4 – Add an Adjustment layer optional Adjustment layers can be added to the Parent main layer as well as the Child clipped layer. This allows the designer to adjust each layer independently without affecting any of the other layers. In this case, a Curves Adjustment layer was added to the Gnome layer where the highlights and shadows were adjusted.

The gradient Ellipse was not affected by this adjustment. Note: if you drag the image layer over to the thumbnail of Ellipse instead of the text description you will create a Masking Layer.

This will mask the Ellipse to the shape of the layer beneath it. Example: Result: Now that you know the basics of using Clipping Masks you can have some fun by combining images. For this example we used the Rounded Rectangle Tool along with free commercial use watercolor butterflies , a Fall gnome , a vibrant background and a fun bold font. The vibrant background was added as a Clipping Mask to the text layer Fontbundles. The watercolor butterflies and fall gnome layers were clipped to the Rectangle layer.

Check out the rest of our Affinity Designer Font Tutorials such as how to type on a path , or how to type within shapes. Have a question? Visit our help center for assistance. You can see a selection of our best selling bundles below! Select License. Number of Licenses 1 user per license : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Unlimited Users Included. Back to Checkout. This Website Uses Cookies By using our website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our cookie policy.

Got it.