Using A Mask In PSP

This tutorial references links to a site that I contributed tutorials too.

This is another beginner tutorial.  Anybody should be able to follow it.

Bunny has told you that you can use overlays (textures – is what she taught you, but you can use all of your overlays for these)  for all sorts of things in PSP:  As an overlay, obviously, as a texture, as a mask, and as a pattern.

And Kim has taught us how to use overlays as overlays – using PSE, but it looks to be very similar to PSP, if you can’t figure it out, let me know and I’ll do an overlay tutorial for PSP.  You can find her tutorials here:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Today I am going to teach how to use the masks that you have put into your folder. 

First, I made this handy dandy little Halloween overlay for you to use. 

Download it, then put it in your masks folder (later, you can follow Bunny’s instructions on where else to put it.)  Where is your mask folder you might ask?  Mine is in My Documents – My PSP Files – Masks, yours should be similar as I think it puts them there for you when you get the program.  If not, check in your My Programs – either JASC or Corel folder depending on what version you are working with (X and above will be Corel) – PSP – Masks.

Ok, Let’s get going!

Open a new document – 12 X 12 inches, 300 DPI.  Fill it with the color of your choice. 

Now, you want to make a new raster layer

(Pictures are clickable to see full size)  A little box will pop up with the settings for your new raster.  You should be able to leave it as it is and click ok.

Pick a new color, the color you want your picture/pattern/whatever mask you will use to be, and flood fill this new layer.  I filled mine with orange since this is a Halloween overlay.  Let’s be festive!  )

Make sure your new raster layer is still selected in the layers palette.  Go up to your tool bar, click layers, Load/Save Mask, Load Mask From Disc.

These are the settings I used this time.  I’ll show you on down farther what different setttings will look like.

If you used the same settings that I did, this is what you will have.

(Here when I use a mask, I get a little fancy.  I will duplicate the mask (the black layer showing), it can make the pattern show up more or less depending on the mask you used.

Now, on your layers palette, right click on any of the mask layers and merge group.  That will merge the mask layers together to one layer, and you can continue playing with your paper, or merge visable and use it as it is.  Sometimes after I have merged the group, I will duplicate the top layer so that it shows up darker, if that’s the look I am going for. 

Here are some more examples of other settings you can use with the mask.

Invert your transparency, tick source opacity, and you will come up with this:

A completely different look.

Another Example:

Untick Invert transparency and tick any source luminance.

Gives you a flatter look without texture, but that might be the look you are wanting.

After you get done with this part, you could go deeper, add more texture overlays and change your blend settings.  (See Kim’s tutorials up above.)  When I am making stuff, I have been known to use 10-12 overlays to get the texture, depth, the look I want. 

Who knew masks could be so much fun?

Have a great day!