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How to Use A Texture as a Layer Mask in Photoshop

How to Use A Texture as a Layer Mask in Photoshop

If you've ever wondered how to use a texture as a layer mask in Photoshop instead of always using brushes, then this simple tutorial will show you how to do just that.

Step 1

First let's set up our document, launch Photoshop and create a new blank document (size is optional but I'm using 900 x 600 pixels here). Then add a new fill color layer (Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color...) click OK and enter #acc777 when prompted. how to apply a texture layer mask in photoshop how to apply a texture layer mask in photoshop

Step 2

Next we need an object to apply the mask to, I decided to grab this cool skull from the Free Vector Zombie Icons set on Medialoot. When you have the graphic or text that you want to use, drop it into your Photoshop document as either a Vector Smart Object or Shape Layer and resize to fit. how to apply a texture layer mask in photoshop

Step 3

Double click the skull layer in the Layers panel to bring up the Layer Styles window and apply a Color Overlay. Set the Opacity to 100% and Color to #2d371a. Then click OK. how to apply a texture layer mask in photoshop

Step 4

A handy tip when working with masks in Photoshop is to use a containing group layer instead of applying the mask directly to the object layer. This gives you more freedom to change the contents of the group without needing to reapply the mask. So hit CMD+G (Mac) or CTRL+G (Win) to group the skull layer. how to apply a texture layer mask in photoshop

Step 5

With the skull group layer selected add a layer mask (Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All). how to apply a texture layer mask in photoshop

Step 6

Now we need to find a texture to use for the mask. I'm using a texture from the Organic Specs And Noise set on Medialoot, you can download it for free to follow along with the tutorial. Place the texture into the Photoshop document above the other layers, resize and rotate 90° to fill the canvas. how to apply a texture layer mask in photoshop

Step 7

If you are new to using layer masks in Photoshop, the most important thing to know is that any pixels that are black will be hidden and any pixels that are white will be shown. Shades of grey will be partially hidden depending on how light or dark they are. Because this texture is currently very dark, it would hide almost all of the skull if we used it as a mask. A simple solution is to invert the colors by hitting CMD+I or CTRL+I. Note: if you are using a different texture that isn't already black and white, use Hue/Saturation to convert it to grayscale first. We can also tweak the levels of black and white by using Levels (CMD+L or CTRL+L). Increase the black input level to 80. The texture should now be mostly white with some detail in black which is ideal. how to apply a texture layer mask in photoshop

Step 8

Select All (CMD+A or CTRL+A) and copy the texture to the clipboard (CMD+C or CTRL+C) then turn off visibility for the texture layer and select the Layer mask thumbnail on the group layer instead. how to apply a texture layer mask in photoshop

Step 9

Open the Channels panel (Window > Channels) and if the layer mask was selected in the last step, there should be a channel available for it that you can select and turn on the visibility of. how to apply a texture layer mask in photoshop

Step 10

With the mask channel still selected, paste the texture (CMD+V or CTRL+V). If successful you should see a red overlay indicating areas which will be hidden. how to apply a texture layer mask in photoshop

Step 11

Before going back to the layers panel, remember to turn off the visibility of the mask channel. how to apply a texture layer mask in photoshop

Step 12

You can now resize, rearrange or even completely replace the contents of the group layer freely. how to apply a texture layer mask in photoshop

Step 13 (Optional)

For some finishing touches I applied a subtle texture overlay using 'noise-grit-2' from the Free Noise & grit Seamless Textures pack on Medialoot. how to apply a texture layer mask in photoshop

Conclusion

This technique can come in very handy, I have used it myself in many of the resources on available on Medialoot. Although it may seem like a bit of a long-winded process, it does become like second nature after a bit of practise. how to apply a texture layer mask in photoshop

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