How to use masks in PSP

Masks are usually monochrome jpg files

but you can also use png files with transparent background

You can find lots of masks on my mask blog HERE

First we will deal with how to use a jpg mask that is

already installed in your files

Download your chosen mask and place it in your masks folder

Open blank canvas 700 x 700

floodfill white

copy and paste as new layer a

 scrap paper of your choice

or 

new raster layer

floodfill with a color/gradient of your choice

layers - load/save mask - load mask from disk

click on the thumbnail and scroll through

until you find a mask you like

click on it

the settings I use are as follows

source luminance

fit to canvas

hide all mask

then click load

(Note:  if your mask is negative i.e. white background/black middle, you will 

need to check "Invert transparency")

now in your layer palette, right click on the mask layer

hover over merge, then click on merge group

now you are ready to add other elements/tube to your tag

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You can also use jpg masks as an image in PSP 

so you dont have to install every mask you use in your files.

Open the mask in your psp program

open blank canvas 700 x 700

floodfill white

copy and paste as new layer a

scrap paper of your choice 

or

new raster layer, 

floodfill with color/graident of your choice

layers - new mask layer - from image

choose the mask from the dropdown list

click ok

(Note:  If the mask has is negative i.e. white background and 

black middle, then you will need to check 

"Invert mask data" before clicking OK)

in your layer palette, right click on the mask layer

hover over merge, then click on merge group

Now you are ready to add other elements/tube to your tag

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OK now lets deal with using png images with a transparent background

There are a couple of ways of using these kind of images.

Open the png file in psp

Layers - Merge - Merge all (flatten)

once it is flattened it will look something like this

(now it has a white background)

continue to use the mask as an image as described above

Flattening png images, often gives them a white background so 

you will need to ensure that "Invert mask data" is checked

This is what happens if you dont check "invert mask data"

if this happens just hit undo and redo the mask

but check "invert mask data"

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The 2nd way to use png images is as follows

Open the png file in psp

open blank canvas 700 x 700

floodfill white

copy and paste the png image as a new layer

resize if necessary, to fit nicely in the center of your canvas

select all, float, defloat

copy and paste as new layer a 

scrap paper of your choice

or

new raster layer

floodfill with color/gradient of your choice

deselect

in your layer palette, delete the layer with the png mask on it.

you are now ready to add other elements/tube to your tag

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