I've been asked several times lately how to use the Layer Mask Mode in PhotoFrame that I figured it was time for me to do a post about it here.
Layer Masks are a great way to selectively edit, show or hide part of a layer in Photoshop in a non-destructive manner. I love layer masks and PhotoFrame (both the Professional Edition and the Standard Edition) have a feature called Layer Mask Mode that allow you to apply a PhotoFrame frame/edge to the layer mask as opposed to a new layer of its own. If you're wondering why you would want to do this, one reason is if you want an edge to a photo that you're going to post to the web. Maybe you'll put the photo on your site which has a black background and you also want to post the finished photo to your flickr account which has a white background. Adding a layer mask with a frame in it allows you to save the file as a transparent PNG file so that one image can be placed on multiple site and no matter what the background color of the site's page, the edge will look the same as if it blends seamlessly into the page background.
Now that you know what a layer mask is and why you might want do to it, here's how you actually do it.
Step 1: Open your file in Photoshop (I'm using CS3, but this also works in CS2). If your layer is flat like most files are the first time you open it, you'll need to convert the layer from a locked background layer into a non-background layer. You can't add a layer mask to a background layer — there's nothing behind that layer to let through, plus it is locked.
So double click on your background layer, give it a new name if you want and then hit the return key on your keyboard.
Your new layer will look like this.
Step 2: Now that you have converted your layer, add a layer mask to it by clicking on the layer mask icon at the bottom of the Layers palette. It's the third icon in from the left.
By default, adding a layer mask will place the selection onto the layer mask thumbnail. This is so you can quickly start editing the layer mask and not the layer itself. But for this technique in PhotoFrame, you'll need to click onto the thumbnail of the layer so it is selected. Click on the layer thumbnail so it looks like this:
Step 3: Now let's go into PhotoFrame. I'm using the Professional Edition, but the Standard Edition works just fine as well.
Once inside the PhotoFrame plug-in for Photoshop, make sure the checkbox at the bottom center of the PhotoFrame window labeled "Layer Mask Mode" IS NOT CHECKED. You don't want it checked yet so that you can see the changes you're making to the frame.
Browse through the frames and find the one you like or the combination of frames you like. I'm using one of the frames by Dave Cross that is in Professional Edition of PhotoFrame 3. I set the color of the frame to be black. A quick note about layer masks — in a layer mask, black conceals the layer allowing the layer(s) under it show through. White in a layer mask reveals the layer allowing the layer you're working on to show. Just remember, when working with layer masks, black conceals and white reveals.
This is what my photo looks like with one of the Dave Cross frames on it.
Step 4: When you've got the frame on your image to your liking in terms of shape, combination, size, etc., go back to that layer mask mode checkbox and now click the empty box to activate the layer mask mode. Don't worry when you see your frame disappear, it's really still there as you'll see in a moment.
Now click the Apply button. PhotoFrame will send your frame to the layer mask that you added earlier. When you get back into Photoshop after leaving the PhotoFrame plug-in, your image will have a layer mask on it and look something like this.
Here's the before image.
So that's it. If you're new to Layer Masks, just try this a few times and before you know it you'll have it down like a pro. One more thing...once you have your PhotoFrame on a layer mask, you can manipulate it all you want using any Photoshop tools and techniques. For example, you can grab the Brush tool, set the color to black, white or some level of gray and then paint out or paint back any part of your photo that the mask might be covering or that you want to cover. Have fun and experiment!
