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How to make an "inverse" layer?


XmisterIS

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I am sorry if I don't use the correct jargon throughout this post, I am a very occasional user of Photoshop!

I have Photoshop CS4 Extended.

I want to create an "inverse" layer.

Here's what I mean:

1) create a new canvas.

2) Choose a large, bold font and write on the canvas (E.g. "Hello World").

3) Select all the letters (using the magic wand tool, click on each letter while holding down the shift key)

4) Invert the selection.

5) Get stuck, no idea what to do next. Try various things and get nowhere!

I want to make a new layer that contains the inverted selection as a shape that I can do things to like any other shape (e.g. in the shape library).

So, for example, I could fill the surrounding area with red and the letters will be transparent.

I've tried converting the inverted selection to a clipping mask, but after that I get in a bugger's muddle.

Perhaps I am going about this in completely the wrong way? Perhaps there's a better way?

Once again, I apologise if I sound like a three-year-old trying to explain something to an adult, but that's the extent of my knowledge of Photoshop!!
 
Last edited:

Paul

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Could you post an image representation of what you are referring to please.
 

XmisterIS

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Certainly, please see below:

Untitled.png

Of course, the letters shown in the image above are actually white, but I need them to be transparent (which I can't show you because I don't know how to do it!)
 
Last edited:

Paul

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png.png

All i did was make a copy then turn off bottom layer, isolate all the letters i used magic wand for speed a quick erase then save as a PNG file.
 

XmisterIS

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That's great! Is there a way to make the edges of the letters smoother?
 

IamSam

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Here I use the same technique as Paul did only I use a layer mask.

Fill your BG layer with whatever color you desire.

Screen Shot 2014-08-06 at 8.34.17 AM.png

Create a new layer, use the Type Tool to enter you text.

Screen Shot 2014-08-06 at 8.34.32 AM.png

Now turn off the text layer.

Select the text by hitting Command/Control + mouse click the text layers thumbnail.

Screen Shot 2014-08-06 at 8.35.43 AM.png

Select the (blue) background layer and hit the Layer Mask Icon, located at the bottom left of the layers panel, to add a layer mask.
It should look like this now......

Screen Shot 2014-08-06 at 8.40.07 AM.png

However, if it looks like this.....

Screen Shot 2014-08-06 at 8.41.12 AM.png

Select the layer mask by clicking with your mouse, then hit Command/Control + I to invert the mask.

Screen Shot 2014-08-06 at 8.41.43 AM copy.png

This is the non-destructive way of accomplishing this effect.

Good luck.
 

XmisterIS

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That's perfect!

Thanks for taking the time to illustrate the solution, step-by-step.

I'll have a play with that, see what I can achieve.
 

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