Layer mask question

C
Posted By
copymask
Dec 10, 2005
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448
Replies
5
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Closed
On one image, after adding an Selective Colors adjustment layer, I changed the layer mask to Hide All and painted over it. Now I want to copy this adjustment layer and the layer mask to a duplicated image. Dragging on the adjustment layer copies the Selective Colors settings, and the layer mask to the duplicated image. But the layer mask is not at the same position, and I have to use the Move tool to position it. Is there a way to copy and position the layer mask precisely without having to use the Move tool? Thanks.
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BH
Bill Hilton
Dec 10, 2005
I want to
copy this adjustment layer and the layer mask to a duplicated image. Dragging on the adjustment layer copies the Selective Colors settings, and the layer mask to the duplicated image. But the layer mask is not at the same position, and I have to use the Move tool to position it. Is there a way to copy and position the layer mask precisely without having to use the Move tool?

Hold down the shift key when you drag to center it …
C
copymask
Dec 11, 2005
Bill Hilton wrote:
I want to
copy this adjustment layer and the layer mask to a duplicated image. Dragging on the adjustment layer copies the Selective Colors settings, and the layer mask to the duplicated image. But the layer mask is not at the same position, and I have to use the Move tool to position it. Is there a way to copy and position the layer mask precisely without having to use the Move tool?

Hold down the shift key when you drag to center it …

That works, thanks! Now I wonder why Adobe didn’t make centering the default, i.e. without the shift key when dragging.
BV
Bart van der Wolf
Dec 11, 2005
wrote in message SNIP
Now I wonder why Adobe didn’t make centering the
default, i.e. without the shift key when dragging.

Presumably because it won’t make sense with unequal pixel-sized images. To maintain consistency in operation, they chose to program it as they did, and made "centering" an option.

Bart
C
copymask
Dec 12, 2005
Bart van der Wolf wrote:
wrote in message SNIP
Now I wonder why Adobe didn’t make centering the
default, i.e. without the shift key when dragging.

Presumably because it won’t make sense with unequal pixel-sized images. To maintain consistency in operation, they chose to program it as they did, and made "centering" an option.

Default centering the layer mask can potentially help, but definitely will not hurt in all the following cases.

1. Regardless whether the source and destination images are of the same size or not, and the layer mask needs to be centered (as in my case). No Shift drag or Move tool required.

2. Regardless whether the source and destination images are of the same size or not, and the layer mask has to be positioned away from the center. Move tool is necessary no matter how PS positions the mask.

3. The layer mask has to be deleted. How PS positions the mask is a don’t care.
BH
Bill Hilton
Dec 13, 2005
Hold down the shift key when you drag to center it

wrote …

That works, thanks! Now I wonder why Adobe didn’t make centering the default, i.e. without the shift key when dragging

It’s basically just the Move tool and you aren’t necessarily centering when using Move for most cases, like shuffling things around on a layer for example, so making you use the shift key to non-center things would just be wrong 🙂

I can see why you would say that it should default to centering for moving a layer mask, but that’s not the typical case.

Bill

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