Publishers of technology books, eBooks, and videos for creative people

Home > Articles > Design > Adobe Photoshop

This chapter is from the book

Making One Layer Fit Into Another

FORCING THE CONTENTS OF ONE LAYER TO FIT INSIDE THE CONTENTS OF ANOTHER LAYER

There’s another masking feature that comes in really handy. It’s called a clipping mask, and it’s another type of mask that we use with layers. Its main purpose is letting you use a shape on one layer to mask layers above it. Clipping masks have a ton of good uses, but one great example is creating some type of card—be it a credit card, membership card, or gift card.

Step 1: Create a New Blank Document

We’ll kick this one off by creating a brand new blank document. Click on the File menu and choose New (or just press Command-N [PC: Ctrl-N]). In the New dialog, type the size of the final image you want to create. In this example, I’ll create a document that is 800x600 pixels at a resolution of 72 ppi. Click OK to create the new document.

Step 2: Create a Rounded Rectangle Selection Filled with Black on a New Layer

Select the Rectangular Marquee tool (M). Create a rectangle in the middle of the canvas. Then click the Select menu and choose Modify>Smooth. Enter 15 pixels for the Sample Radius and click OK. This creates a rounded rectangular selection. Now click on the Create a New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers panel to create a new blank layer. Press D to set your Foreground color to black, and press Option-Delete (PC: Alt-Backspace) to fill the selection with black. Press Command-D (PC: Ctrl-D) to Deselect.

Step 3: Copy-and-Paste the Photo You want to Appear on the Card onto a New Layer

Open the photo that you want to appear on the card. In this example, we’re creating a membership card for an airline, so we’ll use a photo of an airplane. Press Command-A (PC: Ctrl-A) to select the photo. Press Command-C (PC: Ctrl-C), then switch documents, and press Command-V (PC: Ctrl-V) to copy-and-paste the photo into the card image we just created. Make sure it’s on a layer above the card layer in the Layers panel.

Step 4: Create a Clipping Mask to Force the Airplane to fit Inside the Card

Click once on the airplane layer to select it. Click the Layer menu and choose Create Clipping Mask, or just press Command-Option-G (PC: Ctrl-Alt-G). This forces the photo of the airplane to only appear inside the boundaries of the layer below it. Even better, select the Move tool (V) and move the airplane photo around. You’ll see that you can move it around anywhere you want and it still only reveals itself inside that original card shape. In fact, you can resize it, as well. Just choose Edit>Free Transform, or press Command-T (PC: Ctrl-T), and resize at will.

Step 5: Add a Rectangular Selection Filled with Gray on a New Layer. Reduce the Opacity

Create another new layer and use the Rectangular Marquee tool to make another rectangular selection. Don’t worry about how wide the rectangle is at this point. Set your Foreground color to a light gray color (I used R: 205, G: 205, B: 205 here), and use the Paint Bucket tool (nested below the Gradient tool) to fill the selection by clicking on it. Choose Select>Deselect. Drop the opacity of the gray rectangle layer to 70%. You’ll see the rectangle appears outside the boundaries of the card, though. Just click the Layer menu and choose Create Clipping Mask again, and the same thing that happened to the airplane photo will happen to the rectangle.

Step 6: So what is Really Going on Here?

The natural question to follow all this cool stuff is what the heck is really going on here? Think of it this way: the bottom layer (or base layer) of a clipping mask is the shape you want to see in the final image. In this case, it’s taken the form of a membership card, but it doesn’t always have to be that way. It could be any shape—circle, square, logo, clip art, text, etc. That base layer tells Photoshop what shape or object you want to see in the end. Everything else that appears on top of that layer is what you’ll actually see in the image.

Step 7: Add a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer. Clip it so it Affects Only the Card Shape

Let’s change the color of the airplane photo a little. Click on the Create New Adjustment Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers panel and add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer. Turn on the Colorize checkbox, and drag the Hue slider to 207, Saturation to 55, and Lightness to –9. Click OK. See how the Hue/Saturation adjustment not only affects the airplane, but the entire white background? Go ahead and create a clipping mask of this layer, too. This allows you to use an adjustment layer to only affect the layer below it. One more thing: drag the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer below the gray rectangle layer to only apply the adjustment to the airplane photo.

Step 8: Add Some more Rectangle Shapes on their Own Layers and Clip Them

Add a few more blank layers and create some rectangular shapes on them. Then create clipping masks of all of them so they fit into the card. Here, I’ve added a black shape and positioned it at the bottom of the card. I’ve also added some red, white, and blue rectangles and put them over the light gray rectangle.

Step 9: Add Logos, Text, and Graphics to Finish off the Card

Add any logos, text, and graphics to the card. I had each of these in a separate file and just copied them into this document. Make sure you place them on layers above all of the other graphics. In fact, it’s even better to place them in a group on top of everything else. There’s no need to create clipping masks, though, because they don’t extend beyond the boundaries of that original card shape.

Step 10: Duplicate the Black Card Layer to Create a Drop Shadow

If you want to really put the finishing touch on our membership card, then create a drop shadow below everything. Click on the black rounded rectangle layer that has served as the base layer here. Press Command-J (PC: Ctrl-J) to duplicate it.

Step 11: Add a Drop Shadow by Blurring The Layer and Reducing the Opacity

Click the bottom copy of the black rectangle layer in the Layers panel to select it. Then, click the Filter menu and choose Blur>Gaussian Blur. Set the Radius to 5 pixels and click OK. Finally, use the Move tool (V) to move the layer down and to the right a little and drop the layer’s opacity to around 50%. Notice as you move this layer around, it doesn’t affect the clipping masks above. That’s because Photoshop is just looking at the one layer beneath all of the clipping mask layers and we haven’t moved that one.

Idea 1: Here’s Another use for Clipping Masks: Putting a Photo into Text

Another really popular technique that clipping masks are used for is to make a photo appear inside of text. Just create a Type layer (more on that in Chapter 5) and move a photo onto a layer above it using the Move tool. Then click on the photo layer and create a clipping mask with it. Now you’ll only see the photo inside of the shape of the text.

Idea 2: Clipping Masks also Come in Handy for Wedding Album Page Design

Clipping masks can also be used to place a photo into a shape. This works great when creating album page designs for weddings, family photos, or even senior portraits. You can use any of the selection or Shape tools (more about Shape tools in Chapter 5) to create a shape on a layer. Then put a photo on the layer above it. Add a clipping mask to that photo layer, and now it only appears inside of the shape. There are lots of possibilities here, but this wedding album page design is one.

Peachpit Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

I would like to receive exclusive offers and hear about products from Peachpit and its family of brands. I can unsubscribe at any time.

Overview


Pearson Education, Inc., 221 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (Pearson) presents this site to provide information about Peachpit products and services that can be purchased through this site.

This privacy notice provides an overview of our commitment to privacy and describes how we collect, protect, use and share personal information collected through this site. Please note that other Pearson websites and online products and services have their own separate privacy policies.

Collection and Use of Information


To conduct business and deliver products and services, Pearson collects and uses personal information in several ways in connection with this site, including:

Questions and Inquiries

For inquiries and questions, we collect the inquiry or question, together with name, contact details (email address, phone number and mailing address) and any other additional information voluntarily submitted to us through a Contact Us form or an email. We use this information to address the inquiry and respond to the question.

Online Store

For orders and purchases placed through our online store on this site, we collect order details, name, institution name and address (if applicable), email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses, credit/debit card information, shipping options and any instructions. We use this information to complete transactions, fulfill orders, communicate with individuals placing orders or visiting the online store, and for related purposes.

Surveys

Pearson may offer opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys, including surveys evaluating Pearson products, services or sites. Participation is voluntary. Pearson collects information requested in the survey questions and uses the information to evaluate, support, maintain and improve products, services or sites; develop new products and services; conduct educational research; and for other purposes specified in the survey.

Contests and Drawings

Occasionally, we may sponsor a contest or drawing. Participation is optional. Pearson collects name, contact information and other information specified on the entry form for the contest or drawing to conduct the contest or drawing. Pearson may collect additional personal information from the winners of a contest or drawing in order to award the prize and for tax reporting purposes, as required by law.

Newsletters

If you have elected to receive email newsletters or promotional mailings and special offers but want to unsubscribe, simply email ask@peachpit.com.

Service Announcements

On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send users an email. Generally, users may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account information. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

Customer Service

We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regard to issues relating to their account we reply via email or phone in accordance with the users' wishes when a user submits their information through our Contact Us form.

Other Collection and Use of Information


Application and System Logs

Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

Cookies and Related Technologies

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security


Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children


This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing


Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

  • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
  • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
  • Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
  • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information


If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

Choice/Opt-out


Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by Adobe Press. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.peachpit.com/u.aspx.

Sale of Personal Information


Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents


California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure


Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

  • As required by law.
  • With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
  • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
  • To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
  • In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
  • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
  • To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
  • To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
  • To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

Links


This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact


Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice


We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020