Using Masks in PS CS4

This can create dramatic effects with very little effort and also bring some outstanding effects to your photos..check out my photo below


Open up your photo that you want to use in PS and then change the image size before you start your work on it....I went for 400 x 400. You can always fiddle about with the size when you have got your mask on.

Open up the mask that you want to use...I have used a mask called "in the garden" which I got from here http://digiscrapdepot.com/freebies/actions/1022.aspx. Now resize your mask to about the same size as the photo. Copy & paste the mask onto the photo - use free transform to resize the mask if it is too small or too big on the photo EDIT - FREE TRANSFORM. You should now see that you have two layers.

We now need the photo above the mask layer. Highlight the photo layer and drag it above the mask layer. The mask should dissapear underneath the photo layer.

Still on the photo layer..we now need to press CTRL -G together & with your photo layer highlighted press your mouse button & it should bring up a list of what you can do...scroll down to CREATE NEW CLIPPING MASK and it should transform your picture within the mask. You can easily move the two layers around until you come to a happy medium with the both of them.

When you are happy with your mask layer & your Photo layer....merge the both of them together into one layer... LAYER - MERGE LAYERS. You can now add text or anything else you wish to add on new layers.