Needing Layer Mask help

Hello all!! I would like to go ahead and thank you for any support and help you may be able to offer....
I am having troubles understanding proper layer mask techniques.....
What I am trying to accompolish is turning
into this
I want to know how to make the floral brush take on the whites of the background images and then how to get the background image take on the white background with floral design overlayed into background iamge.....
I cant seem to figure it out, been 3 hours or so now THANKS FOR ANY HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

Draw the floral elment on a new empty layer. Then do one of the two possible things:
- paint the flower on a new empty layer
- use Ctrl+click on the layer thumbnail to load your flower as a selection
- select the photo layer (if it is still labeled Background, double click to turn it into a floating layer)
- use the layer mask symbol in the layers palette to apply your active selection as a new layer mask (the little dashed circle)
- repeat the above steps with a white solid, but invert the selection before converting it to a mask
- cleanup and refine the mask by painting directly on the mask and using all the otehr tools
or you could
- paint the flower on a new empty layer
- move it above the layer you want to mask
- hold down Alt while hovering over the little separator between layers to use the layer as a group mask for the photo
- duplicate and invert the flower
- connect it to a white solid in the same manenr as described above
Mylenium

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Layer Mask Help???

Alright so ive been using quick mask, and a brush on a layer mask to make selections while doing some color splashing over the past few days and everything was going fine until now, everything goes good making a new layer, adjusting saturation, and making a layer mask, but when I select the quick mask to start making my selection it deselects the layer mask and wont let me reselect it. any advice is appreciated.
.

You have to provide system info and other details. We don't even know your version of PS.
Mylenium

Need help using layer masks

I have tried to use the quick selection tool to select areas of a photo in an adjustment layer but it does not seem to make them available to the adjustment. The selection occurs on the photo but not in the adjustment layer box, as the selection brush does. I find that the selection brush is rather hard to use as you can not see exactly what you are selecting as it indicates only on the layer box not on the photo itself.
I am sure there is a better way to do this but I can't find it.
Can someone give me a hint or clue, please?
It sure would be handy to be able to use the quick selection tool, or one of the other selection tools to isolate parts of images for either extra work, or to keep separate from work on the rest of the image.
I know I am misunderstanding something in Barbara's instructions in Elements 8 page 129+.

You could use "select >"save selection", then reload it when you have the layer you want to work on active.
Keep in mind all you need to do is double click on a layer mask to activate for painting.
Creating an adjustment layer automatically gives you an attendant layer mask, you locally diminish its effectiveness locally by painting (Brush Tool) with black, and varying the brush opacity as needed.

Need help translating PS Bloom Tutorial to Elements 8 ~ layer mask

http://photoshoptutorials.ws/photoshop-tutorials/photo-effects/bloom.html
I'm having difficulting translating this PS tutorial into Elements. Could someone familar with elements please take a look at the tutorial and offer guidance?
Thanks in advance!
Credo

Yes, see if the following gives the results your looking for:
1. Steps 1 and 2 are the same.
2. The part where it says add layer mask, click on the background layer and
    add an levels adjustment layer. (Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Levels) Click on layer 1 and select group with previous.
    (Layer>Group with Previous or Add Clipping Mask)
3. Steps 3 and 4, instead of apply image, click the eye icon on the levels layer to make
   the levels layer and layer 1 not visible.
Click on the background layer and then do a select all, copy. (Select>All) then (Edit>Copy)
   Alt-click the levels mask and paste (Edit>Paste) (a grayscale image will be pasted into the mask).
   Deselect (Select>Deselect).
4. Step 5 is the same.
5. Steps 6 and 7, click on layer 1 to make it visible and then click the levels layer mask
    to make the mask active, Then run the gaussian blur filter on the mask.
6. Step 8 is the same.
Hope this helps.
MTSTUNER

Layer Mask Issue, please help.

Hi,
My layer mask is not working, not sure what's happening. I'm using CS 4 . i want to use blending effect so i place the photos on a white background. I click layer mask on each photo, select brush tool brush on the photo but is not working, is either appear black or white color when i use the brush paint on it. If not wrong, the foreground color should be grey & white in layer mask function but it appear black & white instead. Please see the screenshot below. Please help, thank you

Hi, I will try explain your problem.
In your posted example we can see see that you have three layers in the layers panel.
On each one of layers, we can see, on the left side, that there is the Layer Thumbnail, that is a showing the actual image of your layer and then a Layer Mask Thumbnail (the white rectangle, on the right side).
A layer mask works as follows: you tell Photoshop to display or hide actual parts (pixels) of the layer with greyscale values. A white pixel on the layer masks tells Photoshop to show the image area at full opacity (non-transparent), while a black pixel on the layer mask tells Photoshop to hide the layer totally (0% of opacity.) Gray values will therefore show the image data partially.
But you are painting on the document, and you need to indicate Photoshop whether you want to paint on the image (what you did in your example, and you do not desire) or if you want to paint on the layer mask (what you want to do). This indication is called Targeting. It is done simply by clicking either on the Layer thumbnail, or on the Layer mask thumbnail of your layer. (Clicking different areas of a layer in the layer palette are different orders you give to the program). For instance, if you want to switch the layer you are hiding to another one, in order to paint on its mask, make sure to click on the layer mask thumbnail of the other layer in the Layers Panel.
In Photoshop CS5.5 and earlier, you will see that a layer or its mask is targeted because there will be three outlines around it: a black, a white and a black one again, like the actual layer data in the highlighted layer 0928 of your image. You should see those three outlines around the layer mask in order to paint on it.
In CS6, the target indicator is different, look in my image, we can see that the layer mask is targeted thanks to the white corners: I was then able to mask part of the black layer by targeting the Layer Mask in the layer panel, and then painting on the image where I want to hide the layer.
If you want to modify the actual layer (the photos, in your case), simply click on its thumbnail, and you are good to go!
Hope this helps.
See these help documents: Layes Basics: http://help.adobe.com/en_US/photoshop/cs/using/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-78e3a.h tml
Layer masks: http://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/masking-layers.html
Some search results for "Layer Masks Basics" in Photoshop help: http://community.adobe.com/help/search.html?q=layer+mask+basics&x=0&y=0&lbl=photoshop_prod uct_adobelr&hl=en_US&lr=en_US&self=0&area=0
(It is one of the best ways to search for tutorials or help files)
Pierre

Please help with Layer Mask

I have been painting in Photoshop using layer masks. Using the pen tool I would outline my image, control>R-click>select create layer mask, then I would paint as desired. When doing so it would create a grey layer mask background in the layers window and everything would work100%. But now all of a sudden when I do this process the layer mask square turns white and it seems as the mask I have created is inverted. I paint everything but the mask I want. I have no clue how to turn it back to the original grey colour I was using. Please help.

Using the pen tool I would outline my image, control>R-click>select create layer mask,
So are you using a Vector Mask or a Layer Mask?
Could you post a screenshot?
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Has anyone else come across a problem where Photoshop files grow in size much faster than expected, especially when adding layer masks?
Normally when you add a layer mask the file size grow a small amount if the layer mask is mostly all white or mostly all black. In this case it's like the file size is growing exponentially, almost as if the layer mask isn't being compressed at all.
The file in question although large, is similar dimensions, resolution, and number of layers as other projects that have been worked on and all the usual thing have been checked like resolution, colour mode, bit depth and the image has also been cropped so there's nothing outside of the page.
The file has been checked on 2 different macs and exhibits the same behaviour and Photoshop preferences have been deleted and re-created and we've tried copying the file by dragging layers to a new document of the same dimensions with no success.
The only things we're certain of is that file size grows dramatically when adding layer masks in particular and layers in general.
The file was created by someone else, if that might be a factor, though the file has been "saved as.." with no improvement.
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TIA
Tom
The only

Maybe it has something to do with "Maximize Compatibility". If that's checked when you save, it might add a lot of weight to your file, even with just a simple layer mask. Don't know, haven't done any testing, just a thought.
Edit: Just did a quick test:
1. flat image saved as PSD = 5.2 MB
2. same image converted to a layer with simple layer mask, saved as PSD = 5.8 MB
3. same layer mask image saved WITH "maximize compatibility" = 10.7 MB
So adding "maximize compatibility" nearly doubled this test file. Could be it?

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When I use the brush tool on the layer mask after using the quick selection tool and refining the mask, the black doesn't do anything and the white erases the image.

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C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS4\Adobe Photoshop CS4 Settings
This is where I finally found the prefs.psp file. At least this is the way my Vista machinie is set up. Your "User" config may be diferrent from mine.
But, Thanks for the right answer!. My transparent layer is now only showing the faint gray checkboard instead of black.
Rob_L

Problem with layer masks ... help

Ok. I have my original image. I've added a layer to make it black and white. Then added a layer mask to that because I want to make a section of it color. I'm using the brush tool to do so but having no luck. Yes I am on the correct layer and correct mask. I've done this several times before, but for some reason, today its not working. help

Good day!
Could you please post a screenshot with the pertinent Panels visible?
What are Foreground- and Background Color?
What are the Tool’s Blend Mode, Opacity and Flow?
Is a Selection active?
Regards,
Pfaffenbichler

Can't paint at full opacity in layer mask in CS6 64 bit windows 7

A problem has developed in my photoshop CS 6 64 bit on windows 7. I can't paint at full opacity in a layer mask. It is like an 75 % opacity brush. I have gone back to the default brushes soit is not the particular bursh. My brush settings are all at 100%, mask density is 100% , the blend mode is normal,-can't think of where else to look for the solution.The brush works just fine when I am not in a layer mask.
I updated the graphic card driver and also the wacom intuos driver. It has to be somewhere in photoshop CS6 as when I go into my older version photoshop, cs5, the mask opacity works works at 100 % opacity
Any ideas of what to do next.

I am having a similar problem that I need help with. I just loaded CS6 for the first time ever last week and have been tinkering around with photo editing. I am trying to use an action I downloaded to whiten the whites of the eyes and teeth. When I run the action I cannot paint with the soft white brush. I hit backslash and it shows no work completed, just a red background. I have everything selected at 100% opacity (brush and action layer).
A couple days ago I was able to use the brush tool to darken the background by loading an action and paiting on. Now I can't do that anymore.
I can use my brush for other tasks. I am so confused. I would greatly appreciate any insight.

Why is my Layer Mask filling with Grey

I'm working in a multi layered CS5.1 Photoshop project (I did not create it). One of the adjustment layers in the project needs a layer masks, and when I create one it is not working properly. I make my selection that I want to mask off and create the layer mask it creates it with White and a 50% gray insted of black. Likewise when I alt click to create a layer mask it fills it in with black and 50% gray. The layer did have a 87% opacity to it so I thought this was causing the gray to happen, but when I turned the Opacity to 100% the mask was still being created with gray.
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P.S. I'm doing this for work and so I cant take any screen shots to show what is going on.

Gsmith98 wrote:
JJMack: I control click the layer mask to select everything in it. The original layer does have some fethering to the file but i cant see why it would fill everythign the same shade of gray, and then not let me paint over it with black. This normally works for me and this issue is quite new.
Ctl+Clicking on the layer's layer mask icon in the layers palette should work and load the layer mask as a selection. Have you tried resetting your Photoshop preferences. Also ALT+Clicking on the layer's layer mask icon in the layers palette should display the grayscale of the selection in the image window.

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Using Layer Mask Position I can only move the mask around, but not transform it. Please help!

Hi there
Are you trying to have the frame AND the mask resize together? If you can, please post a screenshot of your layers panel. Also, what version of Photoshop are you using?
To resize the mask and the image together, make sure that the layer and the mask are locked, as shown below.
By locking the layer and the mask, you will be able to resize the two simultaneously. Go to Edit > Transform > Scale, or hit control/command T on your keyboard.
If you unlock the layer and the mask, you will be able to move and resize the mask independently of your image. So this might be helpful if you're trying to make the mask zoom out, while the image inside remains the same.
If this is not what you're trying to do, please don't hesitate to reply! And again, a screenshot of your layers panel, or an example of what you're trying to accomplish would help

Needing Layer Mask help

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