What's new
Photoshop Gurus Forum

Welcome to Photoshop Gurus forum. Register a free account today to become a member! It's completely free. Once signed in, you'll enjoy an ad-free experience and be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Clipping Mask problem


Messages
5
Likes
0
Hi

I was wondering if it is possible to convert/copy a clipping mask to a layer mask.

The reason is, that I have a textured layer, and a highlight layer. By selecting the highlight layer and creating a clipping mask, I get the effect I want.

But... I want to save the highlight layer on its own (as a PNG), in it's clipping mask state, but without the background textured layer.

If I copy the highlight layer and paste it into a new document, it looses the clipping mask. Same if I hide the texture layer.

Is there a way to do what I'm trying to do?
 

Hoogle

Guru
Messages
8,334
Likes
2,587
select the 2 layers and highlight them so in this case your clipping mask and the layer it is clipped to and press control and E to merge them together you will have the same effect but both in 1 layer
 
Messages
5
Likes
0
Hi Hoogleman

Thanks for your reply. :)

However, I don't want both layers... I just want the clipped layer (highlight) on its own. I want to export just that layer with its clipping intact.
 

Hoogle

Guru
Messages
8,334
Likes
2,587
But you will not be exporting 2 layers only 1 you have applied the clipping mask and merged it so those 2 layers merged to 1 but you still have the same effect
 

Hoogle

Guru
Messages
8,334
Likes
2,587
ok copy that layer erase bits you dont want so just the highlights are still there with the clipping mask then merge it
 

Hoogle

Guru
Messages
8,334
Likes
2,587
I am off to bed now though so if it is not sorted by the time I log back in I will have a look at the psd just highlight your layers in a colour so we can identify them right click the eye and choose a colour if you did not know how.
 
Messages
5
Likes
0
View attachment record.psd

I have attached a PSD to this post (above).

You can see the two layers "record" (red), and "record highlights" (yellow).

The yellow layer is clipped on the red layer. I want to copy and export *just* the yellow layer, while preserving the clipping from the red layer. I do not want the red layer at all.

So I should end up with a file that is just the highlight, but with the Clipping Mask intact, or somehow permanently added to the highlight.

You can see the difference this makes if you remove the Clipping Mask from the yellow layer... it's quite an improvement to keep the Clipping Mask, so I really need to preserve the clipping.

Thanks for helping me out :)
 

Hoogle

Guru
Messages
8,334
Likes
2,587
Ok so if I have this right release your clipping mask control and click the record layer preview panel that will make a selection around your record disc. then select the highlights layer and press the mask button that will have the same effect as the clipping mask as it will mask out everything else in the layer. then you can right click the layer maski and select apply layer mask if you want it pernament. here is your psd back with all layers switched off and your highlights are there still.
View attachment record.psd
 
Messages
5
Likes
0
Hi Hoogleman.

Many thanks for you help, and for doing this before you went to bed :) but unfortunately, it's still not what I'm trying to do.

You can see how the highlight becomes much more dynamic when it has a clipping mask applied (appears darker, and more textured). I want to save that darker, more textured highlight layer.
 

Vafann

Guru
Messages
1,362
Likes
378
I don´t think I understand what you are asking, but I looked at your PSD and it looks to me like the highlight you want to save is a layer effect? Is that what you mean? Can´t you just save it as a layer style so that you can apply it to whatever you want next time? I could very well have misunderstood what you mean though, I just woke up lol :)
 

Hoogle

Guru
Messages
8,334
Likes
2,587
Ok I may be getting confused here that layer is exactly the it is a semi transparant hence the highlight effect hence the fact it will be mnore dynamic against a dark background look at it when you enable the plain black layer i put in you still pretty much get the recor there as the it is masked into that shape. If you have a white background below the layer it will not hardly show up.
 

ibclare

Queen Bee
Messages
11,034
Likes
4,638
If you want to keep just the highlights, then unclip it from the record and copy it by itself. As Hoogle said, it doesn't show up unless it has a dark or colored BG, but you can do wantever you want once it's in a separate doc. If you want to preserve the record with the highlights, why not just merge those two and copy. Sometimes flattening the image preserves the results better. IDK why that is; maybe something I do wrong. In any event after you flatten or whatever and "save as" you can just go back and undo the alteration to the psd and restore it to its former state. And if you want to mess around and experiment some more, make a copy of the psd and keep your original safe.

Hope this helps, but it's hard to understand what you want as you can see with a number of us going, "huh?"
 

ibclare

Queen Bee
Messages
11,034
Likes
4,638
here's the highlight layer with a separate BG layer like you have. Looks different a bit but BG colors and opacities a bit different.
:idea:
 

Attachments

  • highlights.jpg
    highlights.jpg
    56.3 KB · Views: 4

ibclare

Queen Bee
Messages
11,034
Likes
4,638
OK, so I just went back to your original question, and it looks like I still haven't gotten it right, though I still don't know what you want. Why not just clip the layer again to whatever you want just like you do in the record doc? And if you want just the circular effect . . . ctl click the thumbnail of the record, unclip the hlighlight area and apply a mask or invert and delte. Then you can copy it. You'll have to apply the mask (as said above by Hoogle) to make it a png.

Now I give up, lol. May a more guruish guru than I come to your aid.
 

Top