How to make clipping mask in Photoshop CS4

This Photoshop tutorial is about making clipping mask. With clipping mask, we can put layers inside of other layer. Make a great photo effect will be easier to do with this mask. With clipping mask, we can put layers inside of other layer. The other layer will act as container for the clipped one. Useful to make photo frame. It may use different menu in other Photoshop version before CS4 or CS3.




Step 1

You can start by drawing a shape. This shape has to be in different layer. We can’t make a clipping mask photo effect on a locked background layer.



Step 2

Shape like this one can be found in Custom Shape tool. You can also find other shapes in the Photoshop toolbox, choose one as you like.



Step 3

After you make the shape in this tutorial, now open any image file you want with Photoshop. Place this image in the file which contains shape.


The image file should be placed above the shape layer in layer panel order. To make masking technique great photo effect, now select Layer > Create Clipping Mask or press Ctrl+Alt+G.


Step 4

After you make the shape in this tutorial, now open any image file you want with Photoshop. Place this image in the file which contains shape.



Step 5

Here, in this Photoshop tutorial, you can add some layer style to the container layer (lower layer) if you want to make a more stunning photo effects.

If you want to move or rotate the layer, make sure you select both of them (the clipped layer and the container layer) using Shift+click. It wills easier in further use if you link them.

Step 6

We can put more than one Photoshop clipped layers. And if you need to release the layer from clipped status, you can select it from Layer > Release Clipping Mask or by right click at the clipped layer (in layer panel) and select Release Clipping Mask to make the photo effect disappear.


Finally, this is the layer order and position to make the image sample in top of this Photoshop tutorial.

Credit: pscall.com