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<ul class="navigation"><li class="prev"><a accesskey="p" class="prev" href="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-76c0a.html" title="Change Quick Mask options"><img src="images/blank.gif" alt="Previous" width="17" height="17" /></a></li><li class="next"><a accesskey="n" class="next" href="WSBB7A7447-383C-40e3-971F-88F5AB2DCB6Aa.html" title="Save and load selections"><img src="images/blank.gif" alt="Next" width="17" height="17" /></a></li></ul><div class="hierarchy" id="hierarchy"><a href="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-7701a.html">Selecting and masking</a> /
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                <h1>
                    Create and edit alpha channel masks
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                <br clear="both" /><div id="minitoc"><div class="t"><div class="b"><div class="l"><div class="r"><div class="bl"><div class="br"><div class="tl"><div class="tr"><div><h3>Contents [<a href="#" onclick="return toggleMiniToc('minitoc-links', this);" class="hideLink">Hide</a>]</h3><ul id="minitoc-links"><li><p><a href="#WSED7384A3-1A8B-45ab-AEEE-A181B7096CF1a"><h1 class="topictitle1">Create an alpha channel mask using current options</h1>
</a></p></li><li><p><a href="#WSEF7AFDE6-795A-4cfb-A5D7-4774A674DE72a"><h1 class="topictitle1">Create an alpha channel mask and set options</h1>
</a></p></li><li><p><a href="#WS4D9165F3-B038-464f-A4E3-D9C28FE91A9Da"><h1 class="topictitle1">Channel options</h1>
</a></p></li><li><p><a href="#WS7AEB7E08-B6A8-4043-BDCE-3CDE21D17063a"><h1 class="topictitle1">Paint on a channel to mask image areas</h1>
</a></p></li></ul></div></div><br clear="both" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br clear="both" /><div><div class="section"><p>You can create a new alpha channel
and then use painting tools, editing tools, and filters to create
a mask from the alpha channel. You can also save an existing selection
in a Photoshop image as an alpha channel that appears in the Channels panel.
See <a href="WSBB7A7447-383C-40e3-971F-88F5AB2DCB6Aa.html">Save and load selections</a>.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="WSED7384A3-1A8B-45ab-AEEE-A181B7096CF1a" class="nochunk"><a name="WSED7384A3-1A8B-45ab-AEEE-A181B7096CF1a"></a><h3 class="topictitle3">Create an alpha channel mask using current options</h3><div><ol><li class="stepexpand"><span>Click the New Channel button&#160;<img src="images/P_New_Wi_N.png" /> at
the bottom of the Channels panel.</span></li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>Paint on the new channel to mask out image areas.</span> <div class="tip"><img src="images/tip_help.png" />Select areas of the image before you create
the channel for the mask. Then paint on the channel to refine the
mask.</div></li>
</ol>
</div></div>
<div id="WSEF7AFDE6-795A-4cfb-A5D7-4774A674DE72a" class="nochunk"><a name="WSEF7AFDE6-795A-4cfb-A5D7-4774A674DE72a"></a><h3 class="topictitle3">Create an alpha channel mask and set options</h3><div><ol><li><span>Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click
(Mac&#160;OS) the New Channel button at the bottom of the&#160;Channels
panel, or choose New Channel from the Channels panel&#160;menu.</span></li>
<li><span>Specify options in the New Channel dialog box.</span></li>
<li><span>Paint on the new channel to mask out image areas.</span></li>
</ol>
</div></div>
<div id="WS4D9165F3-B038-464f-A4E3-D9C28FE91A9Da" class="nochunk"><a name="WS4D9165F3-B038-464f-A4E3-D9C28FE91A9Da"></a><h3 class="topictitle3">Channel options</h3><div><div class="section"><p>To
change options for an existing channel, double-click the channel
thumbnail in the Channels panel or select Channel options from the
Channels panel menu. </p>
<p>Options available in the New Channel
and Channel Options dialog boxes:</p>
<dl><dt class="dlterm">Masked areas</dt>
<dd>Sets
masked areas to black (opaque) and selected areas to white (transparent).
Painting with black increases the masked area; painting with white increases
the selected area. When this option is selected, the Quick Mask
button in the toolbox becomes a white circle on a gray background&#160;<img src="images/P_QuickMaskMode_Lg_N.png" />.</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">Selected Areas</dt>
<dd>Sets masked areas to white (transparent) and selected areas
to black (opaque). Painting with white increases the masked area;
painting with black increases the selected area. When this option
is selected, the Quick Mask button in the toolbox becomes a gray
circle on a white background&#160;<img src="images/P_QuickMaskInvMode_Lg_N.png" />.</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">Spot Color</dt>
<dd>Converts an alpha channel to a spot color channel. Only available
for existing channels.</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">Color</dt>
<dd>Sets
the color and opacity of the mask. Click the color field to change
the color. The color and opacity settings affect only the appearance
of the mask and have no effect on how underlying areas are protected.
Changing these settings may make the mask more easily visible against
the colors in the image.</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p></dl>
</div>
</div></div>
<div id="WS7AEB7E08-B6A8-4043-BDCE-3CDE21D17063a" class="nochunk"><a name="WS7AEB7E08-B6A8-4043-BDCE-3CDE21D17063a"></a><h3 class="topictitle3">Paint on a channel to mask image areas</h3><div><div class="section"><p>When the new channel appears at the bottom
of the Channels panel, it is the only channel visible in the image
window. Click the eye icon&#160;<img src="images/P_Visibility_Sm_N.png" /> for
the composite color channel (RGB, CMYK) to display the image with
a color overlay showing the mask.</p>
</div>
<div class="p"><span><img src="images/dingbat.png" />&#160;Select the brush or an editing tool and do one
of the following to add or subtract from the mask created from the
alpha channel: </span><ul><li><p>To remove areas in the new channel, paint
with white.</p>
</li>
<li><p>To add areas in the new channel, paint with black.</p>
</li>
<li><p>To add or remove areas using opacities less than
100%, set the Opacity in the options bar of the painting or editing
tool and then paint with white or black. You can also paint with
a color to achieve lower opacities.</p>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div></div>

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