![]() This means that all pixels in the layer below the layer mask are still visible, or fully opaque. One thing you may be asking yourself right now, though, is why hasn’t anything changed after adding the layer mask? The reason is that white represents full opacity. You CAN paint another color on the layer mask, but only the black, white, and/or gray elements from that color will be kept. ![]() This thumbnail preview will always contain one or any of the three colors mentioned above (black, white, or gray) – it will never contain any other colors (like green, blue, etc.). Go to “Preview Size” and choose whatever size works best for you (mine is set to medium, which is the default thumbnail size).īecause, when we created our layer mask, we selected “White (full opacity)” as our layer mask option, our layer mask shows up as white in the thumbnail preview. Tip: if you want to change the size of your image thumbnail preview in the Layers panel, click on the triangle menu in the top right corner of the Layers panel. When your layer mask is active, the border around your layer will change from a yellow dotted line to a green dotted line (blue arrow). You can click on this white thumbnail in order to make the layer mask active. This second thumbnail represents your layer mask. The second thumbnail is a solid white thumbnail (denoted by the red arrow in the photo above). The first thumbnail, of course, is the original image thumbnail. Now, over in our Layers panel, you should see two thumbnails for your Model in Red Chair layer. Click the “Add” button to add the layer mask (green arrow). ![]() For now, under “Initiatlize Layer Mask to,” I’ll choose the first option “White (full opacity)” (red arrow in the photo above). I will get into these options a bit more later on in this article. The “Add Layer Mask” dialogue box will appear, which allows you to choose from a variety of layer mask options. To add a layer mask, I simply right click on the layer in the layers panel that I want to add the mask to and click “Add Layer Mask” (denoted by the red arrow in the photo above). To do this, I can use a layer mask on the top photo layer. In other words, I want to hide the top portion of the Model in Red Chair photo (without hiding the model), and have the bottom photo layer showing instead. I want to replace the backdrop of the Model in Red Chair photo with the Zion photo. The bottom layer features a rock landscape found in Zion National Park. In GIMP, I have a composition open with two image layers – the top layer is the “Model in Red Chair” image I have been working with throughout the Layers series, and below that layer is an image layer titled “Zion” (outlined in green in the image above). To further clarify this concept, let me show you an example. So, a layer mask has one of 3 jobs – be totally transparent, be totally opaque, or be partially transparent. If I paint white on the layer mask, those pixels will be fully opaque – so it will appear as if nothing has happened to that part of the layer. If I paint gray on the layer mask, the pixels from that layer will be partially transparent. So, when I paint black on my layer mask, any pixels below that area where I painted black will now be hidden on the layer that contains the layer mask. These colors, when on a layer mask, represent full transparency, full opacity, or partial transparency, respectively. Once placed on top of your layer, the layer mask can be one of three colors – black, white, or gray. To break this down into even simpler terms, you need to understand some simple concepts about layer masks.įor starters, layer masks are placed on top of your original layer as a sort of layer add-on. This differs from the use of the layer Opacity slider as a mask has the ability to selectively modify the opacity of different areas across a single layer.” What is a Layer Mask?īy the GIMP team’s definition, layer masks “allow you to selectively modify the opacity (transparency) of the layer belong to. The simple answer to this is that you use a layer mask. However, what do you do when you want to erase or hide part of a layer in a non-destructive way? The article covered the concept by erasing pixels directly on a layer, which I mentioned was a more destructive form of editing. In my last GIMP Help article, I covered the topic of layer transparency in GIMP – explaining that parts of a layer can be erased to reveal either a color (when no alpha channel is applied to a layer) or a transparent background.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |