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Masking and Compositing - Tips and Techniques
When you want to isolate a portion of an image from the rest of a photo and the edges are not well-defined, you use a technique called masking. When your knocked-out images are combined with one or more other images, this is called a composite. Find tools and techniques for isolating objects in your photos and combining multiple images into realistic composites.
- Masking & Compositing Tools
- Photoshop Montage/Collage
- Photoshop Masks/Selections
- Paint Shop Pro Masks/Sel...
- Photo-Paint Masks/Select...
- Panorama / Stitching Tools
Photo Composites Gallery - Browse Montages, Collages and Composites
This gallery displays collages, montages, and photo composites made up of two or more pictures blended and merged together in creative ways. The composites in this gallery were created by visitors of varying skill levels using a variety of graphics software.
About Grayscale Masks: What is a Mask?
How to use grayscale masks and mask mode in your image editor to make better selections and achieve creative effects. Part one provides an overview of masks.
About Grayscale Masks: Masks and Selections
How to use grayscale masks and mask mode in your image editor to make better selections and achieve creative effects. Part two discusses the differences between masks and selections.
Alpha Channel - Graphics Software Glossary
The definition of alpha channel as it relates to graphics software.
Mask - Graphics Software Glossary
The definition of mask or grayscale mask as it relates to graphics software.
Knock It Out! Removing the Background
Explore a variety of tools and techniques for removing the background from graphic images. Includes overviews of specialized masking software and specific tools in various image editing programs including Photoshop, Photo-Paint, and Paint Shop Pro.
Photoshop Tutorial: Use a Channel Mask to Select Fireworks
An amazingly simple technique for removing the background from an image by creating a mask from an existing color channel in Photoshop.
Paint Shop Pro Tutorial: Channel Mask to Select Fireworks
The selection tools in Paint Shop Pro aren't always the best method when you need to remove the background from an object. Here's a unique method that uses channels and masks to isolating a complex object, while preserving the soft, billowing edges of smoke trails.
Paint Shop Pro Tutorial: Channel Mask to Select Jet Contrails
The selection tools in Paint Shop Pro aren't always the best method when you need to remove the background from an object. Here's a simple method that involves splitting the image into channels and editing a single channel to create a grayscale mask. It also demonstrates the layer matting commands.
Photo-Paint Tutorial: Use a Channel Mask to Select Fireworks
Step by step instructions for removing a background using a duplicate color channel as the basis for a clip mask in Photo-Paint. The matting command is used to brighten the object and make it look more natural in its new background.
Book Review: Photoshop Channel Chops
First published in 1997, a good portion of this classic book for advanced Photoshop techniques is still relevant today. Primarily of interest to those looking to perfect masking and composting skills.
Embedded Paths vs. Alpha Channels (with Tutorials)
From Desktop Publishing: Learn the different uses of paths, masks, and alpha channels as clipping paths. Remove image backgrounds and other elements for photo compositing and page layout.
Cleaning Up a Dirty Hair Mask in Photoshop CS
"In compositing, there's nothing worse than a bad mask. And nowhere is it easier to mess up your mask than on a subject's hair, especially when it's blurred or obscured by a complex background or hazy foreground, making it pretty much impossible to get an accurate mask at all."
Using Masks in Illustrations
An explanation of masks and how to use them within illustration programs.