22 min read

Layer Masks

Hide and reveal parts of a layer without deleting anything: black hides, white reveals, grey fades.

What Is a Layer Mask?

Eraser vs layer mask

$Eraser$	$Layer mask$
$Destructive — pixels are deleted$	$Non-destructive — pixels are only hidden$
$Mistakes are permanent once the file is saved$	$Paint white to bring any part back at any time$
$Hard, jagged or uneven edges$	$Soft fades with a gradient or soft brush$

1 Select the layer (for example Photo — robot team). 2 Click Add layer mask (the rectangle with a circle) at the bottom of the Layers panel. A white mask thumbnail appears next to the layer. 3 Click the mask thumbnail so you are painting on the mask, not the photo (it gets a white frame). 4 Choose the Brush (B) with a soft edge. Press D for default colours (black and white) and X to swap them. 5 Paint black to hide, white to reveal. Lower the brush opacity to paint grey for partial hiding. If you have a selection when you click Add layer mask, Photoshop makes a mask that shows only the selected area — the quickest way to cut out a subject.

To make the bottom of the photo fade gently into the navy background: select the mask, choose the Gradient tool (G) with a black-to-white gradient, and drag from where you want the photo to disappear up to where it should be fully visible.

Practice

What does grey on a layer mask do?

What Is a Layer Mask?

Eraser

Layer mask

Destructive — pixels are deleted

Non-destructive — pixels are only hidden

Mistakes are permanent once the file is saved

Paint white to bring any part back at any time

Hard, jagged or uneven edges

Soft fades with a gradient or soft brush

Adding and Painting a Mask

1 Select the layer (for example Photo — robot team). 2 Click Add layer mask (the rectangle with a circle) at the bottom of the Layers panel. A white mask thumbnail appears next to the layer. 3 Click the mask thumbnail so you are painting on the mask, not the photo (it gets a white frame). 4 Choose the Brush (B) with a soft edge. Press D for default colours (black and white) and X to swap them. 5 Paint black to hide, white to reveal. Lower the brush opacity to paint grey for partial hiding. If you have a selection when you click Add layer mask, Photoshop makes a mask that shows only the selected area — the quickest way to cut out a subject.

A Smooth Fade with a Gradient

To make the bottom of the photo fade gently into the navy background: select the mask, choose the Gradient tool (G) with a black-to-white gradient, and drag from where you want the photo to disappear up to where it should be fully visible.

Practice

What does grey on a layer mask do?