Short Guide | How to Make Clipping Masks in Photoshop?

This tutorial will discuss using clipping masks in Photoshop, hiding different layers, and fitting images in shape. You will learn the basics of creating a clipping mask today. Explore the concept of a clipping mask in more detail. Get a strong understanding of how clipping masks work at the end of this lesson. I will use Photoshop CC, but Photoshop CS6 and earlier. Everything is entirely consistent. Let’s get started!

What is a clipping mask?

Photoshop clipping masks are a powerful way to control any level of visibility. So in that sense, you will find similarities between cities clipping masks are like layer masks. However, the result may look similar. But Clipping masks and layer masks are totally different. A layer mask is using black and white colour to show and hide other parts of the layer. However, a clipping mask uses one level of content and transparency to control another level of visibility. 

For creating a good clipping mask, you need two layers. The bottom layer will control the visibility of the layer. Therefore, the bottom layer is the mask, and the layer above it is the layer that cuts the mask. The bottom layer contains the actual content (pixels, size, or type); the top layer includes the visible range. 

However, if any part of the bottom layer is transparent, the same area you can hide above it. And it may seem more confusing than how layer masks work, but clipping masks are just as easy to use. Let’s create our clipping masks to understand better how they work. 

How does a clipping mask work?

To understand accurate clipping masks, you must first understand the difference between a layer of content and clarity. To understand, follow me. You can open any image. I will use this photo of my little friend here who is trying to figure out what the clipping stuff is in his way (Adobe Stock photo): 

How will you create a clipping mask in Photoshop?

Clipping masks use the top of the bottom layer to control the top layer of content and transparency. Let’s create a clipping mask using two layers and see what happens. 

Step 1: Select the layer to delete

When creating a clipping mask, you first need to select the layer which you need to clip. In this case, the top layer (“Level 0”) you need to cut to the bottom layer (“Level 1”), so make sure the top layer is on your selection. You are selecting the top level. 

Step 2: Select “Create Clipping Mask”

To make a clipping mask, go to the Layers menu in the menu bar and choose to make a clipping mask: Go to Level> Create Clipping Mask. And that’s it. As the layer mask is created, the Layers panel shows a small arrow pointing to the “Layer 1” at the bottom, indenting the top layer (“Layer 0”) to the right. Thus Photoshop tells us that the top layer is now clipping to the bottom layer. 

The top layer looks cutting to the bottom layer of the layer panel. The problem, however, is that what we’ve done so far with creating the clipping mask hidden the image from the scene. And that’s because you will have no content in the mask layer (“layer 1”). 

It is entirely transparent. Any upper-layer area is hiding by sitting directly on top of the transparent part at the lower layer’s top with a clipping mask. Since the bottom layer is nothing but transparency, no part of the image above is visible. There is no content in the mask layer. The clipped layer image will be in hiding mode. 

How to reveal a clipping mask

It wasn’t exciting, so go to the Layers menu and choose the release clipping mask and leave the clipping mask. Go to level> Release Clipping Mask. The top layer you will find on the Layers panel is no longer intended to the right, meaning it is no longer clipping to the bottom layer. Layer mask revealed. 

Adding content to the clipping mask

• Let’s add some content to the layer below. Click the top-level visible icon to hide the image to see what we’re doing: I am clicking the visible icon at the top level. Then click on the level below to activate it. You are selecting the group down.
• To add content, you will have to draw a familiar shape. You need to select the elliptical marquee tool from the toolbar with right-click (Win) / Control-click (Mac) on the rectangular marquee tool. And now select the elliptical marquee tool from the fly-out menu. You can select elliptical marquee tools also. 
• Click and drag the outline of an elliptical selection in the centre of the document. Draw a selection with elliptical marquee tools. Go to the Edit menu in the menu bar and select Fill. Editing> Filling. Set the content option to black in the Fill dialogue box and then click OK. Fill in the dialogue box. Photoshop fills the selection with black. To move the piece’s outline from around the size, go to the Select menu and select Select.
• You can Select> Select. Instead of the completely transparent layer, you have the centre in some parts. Note, however, that the area around the content remains transparent. The bottom layer now has both range and transparency. Back to the Layers panel, the preview thumbnail at the bottom level now shows the black shape. 

The important thing you need to note down here is that if you compare the thumbnails for both layers, you will see that some of the top layers’ images are sitting on top of the contents (shapes) of the lower layers. And a few photos, you can select the transparent area of ​​the lower level. The preview thumbnail shows range and clarity at the bottom level.

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