Type mask made easy
Filling big bold type with an image can be a useful technique to inject some life into a boring title. Here is how to do it effectively, so that the type and the image both remain editable.
Put the image above the type layer. Select the image layer and press Apple-G (Cmd-G) or select the Layer/ Create Clipping mask menupoint.
Now, you can move and change both the type and the image to fine tune their position relative to each other.
To release the mask, just select the image and press Apple-Shift-G (Cmd-Shift-G).
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Another method
Can also hold down Alt key (Windoze) then move mouse between masker and maskee layers, the mouse icon will change to a double circle like icon, left click to make the bottom layer a mask for the top layer.
Different in CS2
This is a great tip for thoes who don't know about it. The one thing is that Adobe changed the short cut in CS2 cmd+g does not make a group—previously known as a layer set.
The new short cut for creating a clipping mask is cmd+option+g. You can still option click in-between the layers.
Thanks for the update for
Thanks for the update for both Win and CS2 guys!
Also..
this works if you want a solid color or photo filter to affect one individual layer and you'll be able to add more layer filters on top of one layer. before i was making layers on top of layers using the same layer mask - or throwing a compilation of crap in a layer set and masking out the entire layer set. that was just to not affect backrounds, and image behind that current layer. I still layer mask out the layer set, but not as complex - which saves on time and CPU speed. And that windoze alt key works the same with the option key on a MAC
What does this button d.... CRAP!
I use clipping masks a lot in my PSD files.
Ever since Photohsop 7 or CS when they added clipping masks its been one of my favorite features. But they did change they key command in CS2, but thanks to the lovely Keyboard Shortcuts editor I was able to customize it back to CMD + G. Anyway, its a very handy feature and I see a lot of Designers who don't have a clue about it.