PS Elements 10 Layers and Layer Masks - novice

I'm new to layers and layer masks. Can anyone give me a quick tutorial, or a link, on how to do the following:-
I wish to put the cobweb in to the witch's cave. Obviously, making it smaller and rotating it in the process. I hope the attached photos (from my own album) will help explain.

You'll probably get more complete answers in the photoshop elements forum, but it's looks like your in the Qiuck Edit mode.
Press the Full button to get to the full edit mode.
http://forums.adobe.com/community/photoshop_elements?view=discussions
Added: i see they already moved your question from the full photoshop forum to the elements forum.
Message was edited by: R_Kelly

Similar Messages

Viewing image and layer mask?

Hi, thanks for stopping by and reading.
I've a layer with a group of people on it over a layer with a background on it.
The layer with the people has a layer mask which I've worked on to cut the people out...
Now I want to work round the cut out edge (layer mask) subtly refining it.
The image is going to be printed large so I need to pay attention to the detail... like strands of hair.
Intuitively (to me) I cut more hair off as opposed to left more hair on - if you follow. Perhaps unconciously thinking it was the way to minimse work because if it looks ok then job done.
Now of course I'm effectively working blind as I seek to refine the mask by adding-in soft blurred hair. (Hope you follow) So...
Q: Is there a way to view the entire original image with the mask overlaid?
I've come up with a working fix... I'm duplicating the layer with the mask, deleting the mask and adjusting the opacity so I can work through this new layer onto the layer mask below.... should I have approached this differently... more elegantly? Hind sight is a marvelous thing.
How do sensible people approach this exercise..?
Hope you'll share, thank you and keep well.

Hi MTSTUNER & J Maloney
I really appreciate the interest you've both taken in the question.
Yes, J Maloney you would be correct. I was wanting to see the whole of the image, the masked bits and the not masked bits... as well as the mask too all simultaneously.
I'm currently kicking myself that I've not explored the Masks panel. Don't know when it was introduced, I have kind of skipped a version of PhotoShop or two on my own machine - lame excuse, I know gov. The density idea is far more elegant than my solution. However, I did find that by creating the duplicate I've been able to colourise it so as to make the results of what I was doing really obvious visually. I like the invert idea too, so simple - and it might prove the best of the options... but I'll try it on another image as I've pretty much done this one - lots of hats, not much hair.
No offence on the "last paragraph". My reaction was "it's not unasked" though I wasn't clear: "How do sensible people approach this exercise?"
Thank you too MSTUNER, I appreciate the time spent.
"Quick Mask?" occurred randomly to me. Something I've never bothered with, tending to go straight to Layer Mask work. I'll own up that Quick Mask has never managed to make itself part of my workflow, I've no idea why because I'm sure it should if I gave it time. However, a quick experiment hasn't produced a Eureka moment. I was hoping I could easily subtract or add a Quick Mask from/to an existing Layer Mask... nope, doesn't seem to want to - though it was a 'quick' experiment.
Thank you again for taking the time and enjoy the rest of your day. Regards.

Saving adjustment layers with layer mask

Hello -
I need to be able to save a curves adjustment layer WITH its layer mask.
I have written a longish automatic applescript to process image files that are all identical in pixel dimension. Part of the script relies on Photoshop, where a number of actions take place. In one of the Photoshop actions, I need to load an adjustment layer with a precise layer mask. I realize that if a layer mask file is open I could write an action to load a selection from that file, but I very much want to avoid keeping a second file open, or forcing PS to open and close that file.
Is there a simple way to "load" a layer mask into an adjustment layer?
Thanks,
- M

Maybe you could do something like this...
if(documents.length){
CurveLayer();
colourMask();
function colourMask(){
selectMask(true);
var black = new SolidColor();
black.rgb.hexValue = '000000';
var Width = activeDocument.width.as('px');
var Height = activeDocument.height.as ('px');
var stripWidth = Width/12;
var Left = 0;
var Top = 0;
var Right =stripWidth;
var Bottom = Height/2;
for (var a =0;a<12;a++){
    activeDocument.selection.select([[Left,Top],[Right,Top],[Right,Bottom],[Left,Bottom]], SelectionType.REPLACE, 0, false);
   if( a % 2) activeDocument.selection.fill(black);
    Left +=stripWidth;
    Right +=stripWidth;
var Left = 0;
var Top = Height/2;
var Right =stripWidth;
var Bottom = Height;
for (var a =0;a<12;a++){
    activeDocument.selection.select([[Left,Top],[Right,Top],[Right,Bottom],[Left,Bottom]], SelectionType.REPLACE, 0, false);
   if(a % 2){}else{ activeDocument.selection.fill(black);}
    Left +=stripWidth;
    Right +=stripWidth;
activeDocument.selection.deselect();
selectMask(false);
function CurveLayer() {
    var desc3 = new ActionDescriptor();
        var ref1 = new ActionReference();
        ref1.putClass( charIDToTypeID('AdjL') );
    desc3.putReference( charIDToTypeID('null'), ref1 );
        var desc4 = new ActionDescriptor();
            var desc5 = new ActionDescriptor();
            desc5.putEnumerated( stringIDToTypeID('presetKind'), stringIDToTypeID('presetKindType'), stringIDToTypeID('presetKindDefault') );
        desc4.putObject( charIDToTypeID('Type'), charIDToTypeID('Crvs'), desc5 );
    desc3.putObject( charIDToTypeID('Usng'), charIDToTypeID('AdjL'), desc4 );
    executeAction( charIDToTypeID('Mk '), desc3, DialogModes.NO );
function selectMask(BOOL) {
    var desc184 = new ActionDescriptor();
        var ref84 = new ActionReference();
        ref84.putEnumerated( charIDToTypeID('Chnl'), charIDToTypeID('Chnl'), charIDToTypeID('Msk ') );
    desc184.putReference( charIDToTypeID('null'), ref84 );
    desc184.putBoolean( charIDToTypeID('MkVs'), BOOL );
    executeAction( charIDToTypeID('slct'), desc184, DialogModes.NO );

Nested layers and Layer comps

A couple of things I would like to see is better layer control.
At the moment, I use nested layers the same as I use layer groups in Photoshop. ie I put all the element for the front of a label in a layer called 'Front label'. And this works great, however when I reopen the document, the layer palette looks like a mess because Illustrator has expanded all the layers!!
I would be really useful if the Illustrator could remember the layer state of the layer view.
Since we work in the packaging design industry for a brand which operates in a number of countries. We have the same pack but with different language clusters. It would be great to have a layer comp feature which works like layer comps in Photoshop. And to be able to export the different layer comps as separate files.

A couple of things I would like to see is better layer control.
At the moment, I use nested layers the same as I use layer groups in Photoshop. ie I put all the element for the front of a label in a layer called 'Front label'. And this works great, however when I reopen the document, the layer palette looks like a mess because Illustrator has expanded all the layers!!
I would be really useful if the Illustrator could remember the layer state of the layer view.
Since we work in the packaging design industry for a brand which operates in a number of countries. We have the same pack but with different language clusters. It would be great to have a layer comp feature which works like layer comps in Photoshop. And to be able to export the different layer comps as separate files.

Paint brush not working on layer mask

This is a totally novice question, but...
When working with a layer mask, my paintbrush isn't showing up on the image. I can see the brush strokes on the layer mark in the layers sidebar, but no brush strokes on the image itself.
I know it's just me doing something wrong...can anyone tell me what it is?

I think you are not understanding how layers and layer masks work.
Look at the following illustration. The layers panel shows that the left of the image (The right is simply to make room for the layers panel and should be ignored) has solid blocks of red, green and blue. The layer mask in the top layer (red) has a black rectangle which conceals that area of the layer, revealing the underlying layer.
The mnomic we use is 'Black conceals and White Reveals' So where the layer mask is white, the corresponding area in the layer can be seen, and where black, it is like a window looking through to the layers below.
The Green layer also has a (smaller) black rectangle, so we can see the blue layer below that.
The blue layer has an even smaller rectangle so we can see the checker board background which indicates transparency.
Understanding Layer Masks In Photoshop

Blurring layer mask question

I have been trying to figure out for a long time what is going on here, and am stumped.
I have a dark and light layer from the same RAW image. The dark layer is on top.
I create a luminosity mask (Cmd-Opt-click RGB channel) from the light image.
I apply the selection as a layer mask to the top, dark layer.
The detail is bad, looking, maybe, posterized. The image does have lots of fine detail.
When I blur the layer mask, about 40, the image looks great.
****What does the blurring of the layer mask do, to bring out the detail of the image?**** I use layer masks often, and don't usually have to blur to see detail.
I tried to attach/insert a small crop with the 2 layers and mask for you to see, under 2 mb, but the content is not allowed. Hopefully my description will make it easy for you experts.
Thanks for any possble help,
Sonny

Hopefully this will work. Here is the link to the file, including the 2 layers, and layer mask, cropped.
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1660216/maskBlur.psd
To summarize, why is it necessary to blur the layer mask ( ~40) in order to see detail?
The mask is a luminosity mask (Cmd-Opt-click RGB channel) created from the light layer, and then applied to the dark layer.
As I mentioned originally, I use layer masks often, and don't have to blur the mask, unless I want a special effect. It seems that whenever I blend this way, with a luminosity mask, the mask has to be blurred.
Correction from original post: each layer is a separate camera exposure, then processed in Lightroom.
Thanks,
Sonny

Why does PS Elements 9 Layer Mask and Adjustment Layers not function

Is there a compibility issue when using PS Elements Layers and Window

What happens when you try to use layers?

Flattening or merging layers with layer effects and maintaining them.

How do you maintain multiple layer effects when merging or flattening the layers within a group or on their own ensuring they end up eventually to normal and 100 % opacity? (Using PSCC)
Thank you.

You want to flattern an image with multiple layers and layer effects? It should just happen for you, but there some occassions where flatterning does not show the expected results. When that happens, select the upper-most layer (so long as it is turned on) and add a copy merged layer to the top of the stack (Shift Alt Ctrl e). Then flattern, and it should be fine.

Continuous rasterization with contained comps, 3D layers and track mattes

I have an project comprised only of AI objects contained in comps, used with 3D and I have a problem similar to many I have seen on this forum, though I have tried every solution supplied to no avail.
At the lowest level comp are some AI layers that are animated in the comp. Call it comp A.
Two copies of comp A are in comp B, each track matted by another AI layer.
Five copies of comp B are in comp C.
Comp C is placed several times into 3D space in the main comp where a camera moves past.
All the vector layers are 3D and set to CR
All the comp layers are 3D and NOT set to CT
Without the proper settings for CR/CT, the track mattes slip all over the place (but things rasterize well).
WITH the above settings, nothing rasterizes properly (but the mattes work). The comps appear rendered at the original size of comp A, which is heavily pixelated (or blurred with quality turned up) as the camera moves past.
I have tried precomposing the track-mattes and their objects contained in comp B into their own comp (also following above settings) and got no change.
Of course, in retrospect, I could have scaled up the objects in comps A, B and C but at this point the project is in final stages and I'm wary of all the adjustments it would take to go this route (it also seems like a very wrong way to go about working with vector graphics).
Can anyone help, or is this just the way AE is? (I am fairly experienced, but < 1 year.)
Thank you for this forum.

Here's what you are probably missing. Let's set up something very simple. You have a Main Comp and a PreComp. The Main comp contains the PreComp and a Camera. The PreComp only contains single layer - TestShape that is a 20 X 20 pixel red solid and it has a circular mask applied so it looks like a dot. When you add a mask to a solid you have essentially turned that layer into a vector layer.
Let's go through a couple of things in the PreComp. Fist, scale TestShape 600% and look at the edges. They are a mess. Turn on Continuously Rasterize and they are perfect.
Look at the Main comp and scale up the PreComp layer 600% and the edges look terrible. Turn on Collapse Transformations and the edge is sharp.
Notice that I used two different terms here for the same button. Collapse Transformations only applies to layers that are compositions. It means that the items inside that composition are treated as if they were in the main comp. In other words when Collapse Transformations is applied we are scaling the TestShape layer 600% and then scaling that again 600% effectively making the layer 3600% bigger. Did you follow that? It's important.
Now let's go back to the PreComp and add a second 20 X 20 blue solid with a circular mask. Call the Blue Solid TestShape 2 and make it 3D and turn on CR. Add a camera to the comp. Now adjust the z value of the TestShape 2 layer so that the layer is about the same size as the 2D TestLayer. If the TestShape layer is scaled to 600% then the Z position of TestLayer 2 will be about 80% of the Zoom value of the camera. Now move the camera's X position just a little to the right so you have a Blue circle overlapping a Red circle in your comp. Turn CR on and off for the TestShape 2 layer to see how that works. Moving the TestShape 2 layer closer to the camera is exactly like scaling the layer.
Now return to your Main Comp. With CT turned on you should see only the blue circle. This is because CT is ignoring the camera in the nested comp and using only the Active Camera in the MainComp. Turn off CT and you'll see what you see in the Pre-comp but the edges will be soft. The only way to get the same view in both comps is to copy the camera in the PreComp and paste it in the Nested Comp.
Here's one more interesting thing that happens. If you make the PreComp a 3D layer it will multiply the position value of any 3D layers in the PreComp making camera moves an interesting but not impossible thing to deal with. In this example if you were to make the PreComp 3D it would look like the blue layer disappeared, but just move the camera back and it will show up again.
Now let's add a track matte by creating a new rectangular solid that is 1000 pixels wide and 200 pixels tall and add an elliptical mask. Scale this up 600% use it as a track matte and turn on and off CR. The results should be predictable. If you make a track matte layer 3D moving the Z position around will not effect what is matted out in the nested comp. If you had 2 3D layers in the nested comp you could not move the track matte between the two 3D layers and only mask one of them.
I hope this helps. It's a good exercise to help you understand how CT and CR work. Start throwing in effects and you'll learn more.

Adjustment layers not opening mask anymore

On my laptop I choose an adjustment option and it creates a new layer and layer mask. On the imac it only creates the layer with the adjustment. I have to manually add the mask.
I can't find a preference or setting or anything to get the two to behave the same way.
Regards,
Kelly

Inconsistent from Photoshop UI as well as from Actions. And becase I know what will cause them to fail. I can create actions and scripts that I know will work no matter how they are set. The step will work the same way no matter which way the options are set.
For example disable add layer mask you wrote you have no problem doing that. Do a Ctrl+A (select all) then add an levels adjustment layer to the current layer. You will find that the levels adjustment layer is added with a layer mask. Photoshop will work that way in actions and from its UI. So I can record and add adjustment layer and know for sure a layer mask will be added no matter how a user set the fly-out option. I can also use Photoshop menu Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Type. And in its dialog I can Check use previous layer to create clipping mask. The Adjustment layer will be clipped no matter which way the fly-out option is set.
These options breakes Photoshop original design they are bad options and their implementation is poor. Actions and scripts can not set these options. Scripts can not find out how they are set either. You write Plug-ins do you add adjustment layers in any of them?
Without using these bugs automating adjustment layers is hit and miss. You would not know the state of the adjustment layer you would not know if you had to add a layer mask or modify or replace the existing mask. You would not know if the adjustment layer applied to all lower layer or just the previous layer.
Its a good thing you don't use such action for they could have problems....

Photoshop CC layer mask on 3d model!

Hello Adobe. I have tryed photoshop cc and found one bug. I can't paint on layer mask on 3d model. I am always use photoshop for texturing 3d characters, and i use a lot of layer masks. Now you made awesome feature when i can paint on 3d model with normal map. But i can't do anathing because of the masks.
Hope you will fix it. Thanks.

Ok, thank you very much mr. Chris Cox.
As i understand i can use different layers and masks, in document with model, and then merge it and it will project on mapping texture. But i think that it a bit uncomfortably. Because, for example i have model of gun. I want to paint rust in some places of it. How i usually do it. I make new layer filling it all by texture of rust, creating mask, filling it black (hide) and then painting on mask by white color in places where i want rust. And i want do exactly same but on 3d model, because it more simple and comfortably.
But as i understand i need to create new layer and layer mask in document with model, and paint all there, and then merge.
In this case i have 3 problems.
1. I can't rotate model before i will merge.
2. My texture of rust for example will projected on texture not correctly with distortion (as compared if i will paste it on mapping texture)
3. When i will marge this layer with layer mask i will lose my mask.

Cannot find Layer Mask Button!!!

I have had photoshop elements for a long time, been busy raising kids ,,they're grown and moved away so now I am dabbling in watercolor art and my photoshop . I know how to use a few things however , I am having trouble finding layer masks button in Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 2006 version, I did this yesterday , I think I've hid my tools somehow on the right side of my screen,, Please Help!!!!

Haven't used PSE5 in a very long time. I don't remember what version of Elements we added Layer Masks to, but I do remember that older versions didn't have this feature, and it is possible that 5 falls under this category. There is a bit of a hack though, as seen in this link: Faking A Photoshop Layer Mask In Photoshop Elements

Layer mask brush not working

Brush won't work in Photoshop Elements 12 on layer mask. Have it set to normal, white and black brush and at 100%. It was working fine then nothing.

Best thing is to reset it and it will start working again. To reset it, click on the small down-arrow as shown in this picture:
Hope this helps.

Garbage Matte Layer Mask?

Somebody just helped me in doing a chroma key on lab mode playing with a and b values (I got all that) and at the end he added "if necessary add a garbage matte layer mask" I have no idea what he meant, tried to find out thru all the icons but nothing has that name .... can somebody help me out how to do that?
I am not an expert on photoshop but can follow steps and figure things out quick. Thanks for your help

O E,
That person was stretching the term Garbage Matte a bit. As Mike says, borrowed from film/video. The purpose is the same - to mask out unwanted image area from the subject.
Again, as Mike points out, a Layer Mask is attached to its Layer and does the same thing, though with much more accuracy that a normal "Garbage Matte" in any NLE application. I doubt that you'll find Garbage Matte in any PS Help file, the manual, or probably any book on PS, unless maybe it'd be in PS CS3 Extended, as it does more video work.
After Layers, and just a little ahead of Adjustment Layers (IMO), Layer Masks are the most powerful tool in PS. How did I ever live without them back in the Dark Ages?
Hunt

Export Layers as Files: Top Level Layers and Layers Sets

Is there a script that can do the following that ImageReady was capable of?
File/Export Layers as Files/
I know there is a script that can just export the layer as files, but what I want to do is export the "Top Level Layers and Layer Sets" so that I can send several layers grouped under a folder as one image.
Thanks! - j

Something like this should work:
// enable double clicking from the
// Macintosh Finder or the Windows Explorer
#target photoshop
// Make Photoshop the frontmost application
app.bringToFront();
// Start at the top of the layers stack and select each
// layer in turn
for (var i = 0; i < activeDocument.layers.length; i++) {
activeDocument.activeLayer = activeDocument.layers[i];
// Put all your processing functions... //
duplicateSelectedLayers(activeDocument.activeLayer.name);
var psdSaveOptions = new PhotoshopSaveOptions();
app.activeDocument.saveAs( File( "~/Desktop/" + activeDocument.name + ".psd" ), psdSaveOptions);
app.activeDocument.close(SaveOptions.DONOTSAVECHANGES);
// ...in the area between these two comments. //
function duplicateSelectedLayers(soParent){
var id2277 = charIDToTypeID( "Mk " );
var desc304 = new ActionDescriptor();
var id2278 = charIDToTypeID( "null" );
var ref144 = new ActionReference();
var id2279 = charIDToTypeID( "Dcmn" );
ref144.putClass( id2279 );
desc304.putReference( id2278, ref144 );
var id2280 = charIDToTypeID( "Nm " );
desc304.putString( id2280, soParent );
var id2281 = charIDToTypeID( "Usng" );
var ref145 = new ActionReference();
var id2282 = charIDToTypeID( "Lyr " );
var id2283 = charIDToTypeID( "Ordn" );
var id2284 = charIDToTypeID( "Trgt" );
ref145.putEnumerated( id2282, id2283, id2284 );
desc304.putReference( id2281, ref145 );
executeAction( id2277, desc304, DialogModes.NO );

PS Elements 10 Layers and Layer Masks - novice

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