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<ul class="navigation"><li class="prev"><a accesskey="p" class="prev" href="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-7854a.html" title="Load a layer or layer mask’s boundaries as a selection"><img src="images/blank.gif" alt="Previous" width="17" height="17" /></a></li><li class="next"><a accesskey="n" class="next" href="WS4D8330AC-2361-47f6-9C54-EB5F3BA0FA2Ca.html" title="Combine multiple images into a group portrait"><img src="images/blank.gif" alt="Next" width="17" height="17" /></a></li></ul><div class="hierarchy" id="hierarchy"><a href="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-78e4a.html">Layers</a> /
     <a href="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-7867a.html"><b>Masking layers</b></a> 
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                <h1>
                    Mask layers with clipping 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="#WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-7852a"><h1 class="topictitle1">Create a clipping mask</h1>
</a></p></li><li><p><a href="#WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-7850a"><h1 class="topictitle1">Remove a layer from a clipping mask</h1>
</a></p></li><li><p><a href="#WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-784fa"><h1 class="topictitle1">Release all layers in a clipping mask</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>A <dfn class="term">clipping
mask </dfn>lets you use the content of a layer to mask the layers
above it. The masking is determined by the content of the bottom
or <dfn class="term">base layer</dfn>. The non-transparent content of the base
layer clips (reveals), the content of the layers above it in the
clipping mask. All other content in the clipped layers is masked
out.</p>
<div class="fignone"><img alt="" id="la_18" src="images/la_18.png" /><div class="figdesc">Clipping mask: content of the clipped layer (Potatoes) is
only visible within the content of the base layer (Logo)</div><br /></div><p>You
can use multiple layers in a clipping mask, but they must be successive
layers. The name of the base layer in the mask is underlined, and
the thumbnails for the overlying layers are indented. The&#160;overlying
layers display a clipping mask icon&#160;<img src="images/P_GroupLayer_Sm_N.png" />.</p>
<p>The&#160;Blend
Clipped Layers As Group option in the Layer Style dialog box determines
whether the blending mode of the base affects the whole group or
just the base. (See&#160;<a href="WS575E1E7B-E062-4e08-9103-0C88E0CA7DF4a.html">Group blend effects</a>.)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-7852a" class="nochunk"><a name="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-7852a"></a><h3 class="topictitle3">Create a clipping mask</h3><div><ol><li class="stepexpand"><span>Arrange the layers in the Layers panel
so that the base layer with the mask is below the layers that you
want to mask.</span></li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>Do one of the following:</span><ul><li><p>Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac&#160;OS),
position the pointer over the line in the Layers panel dividing
the base layer and the first layer above it that you want to include
in the clipping mask (the pointer changes to two overlapping circles&#160;<img src="images/clipgrp.png" />), and
click.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Select the first layer above the base layer in the
Layers panel, and choose Layer&#160;&gt; Create Clipping Mask.</p>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>To add additional layers to the clipping mask, use either
method in step&#160;2, and work your way upward one level at
a time in the Layers panel.</span> <div class="para"><div class="note"><span class="notetitle">Note:  </span>If you create a new layer between layers in a clipping
mask, or drag an unclipped layer between layers in a clipping mask,
the layer becomes part of the clipping mask.</div>
</div>
 <p>Layers in the clipping mask are assigned the opacity
and mode attributes of the base layer.</p>
</li>
</ol>
</div></div>
<div id="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-7850a" class="nochunk"><a name="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-7850a"></a><h3 class="topictitle3">Remove a layer from a clipping mask</h3><div><div class="p"><span><img src="images/dingbat.png" />&#160;Do one of the following:</span><ul><li><p>Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac&#160;OS),
position the pointer over the line separating two grouped layers
in the Layers panel (the pointer changes to two overlapping circles&#160;<img src="images/clipgrp2.png" />), and
click.</p>
</li>
<li><p>In the Layers panel, select a layer in the clipping
mask, and choose Layer&#160;&gt; Release Clipping Mask. This
command removes the selected layer and any layers above it from
the clipping mask.</p>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div></div>
<div id="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-784fa" class="nochunk"><a name="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-784fa"></a><h3 class="topictitle3">Release all layers in a clipping mask</h3><div><ol><li><span>In the Layers panel, select the clipping
mask layer just above the base layer.</span></li>
<li><span>Choose
Layer&#160;&gt; Release Clipping Mask.</span></li>
</ol>
</div></div>

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