The Photoshop Productivity Series: The Productive Workflow

Using Clipping Masks

While layer masks hide and show areas based on shades of gray, a clipping mask achieves a similar result based solely on a shape. Unlike a layer mask, which is attached to the layer, a clipping mask is a separate layer positioned directly under the layer you want to clip.

So, if you want to clip a photo inside a shape, the two layers need to be positioned like this: the photo layer on top and the shape layer immediately below. In all likelihood, you will need to unlock the Background layer so that you can reposition it above the shape layer. To unlock a layer, click the lock icon (Photoshop CC) or double-click to unlock and rename the layer (Figure 1.31).

Figure 1.31 After you unlock the background layer, you can position ...