Adobe 65045315 - Photoshop Elements Use Manual page 87

USING PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 10
Using layers
You can group only successive layers. The name of the base layer in the group is underlined, and the thumbnails for
the overlying layers are indented. Additionally, the overlying layers display the clipping mask icon
You can link the layers in a clipping mask so that they move together.
The shape in the bottom layer of the clipping mask determines what area of the photo layer above shows through.
More Help topics
"Understanding layers" on page 62
"Link and unlink layers" on page 72
Create a clipping mask
1 In the Edit workspace, do one of the following:
• Hold down Alt (Option in Mac OS), position the pointer over the line dividing two layers in the Layers panel (the
pointer changes to two overlapping circles
• In the Layers panel, select the top layer of a pair of layers you want to group, and choose Layer > Create Clipping Mask.
When making a clipping mask from an existing layer and one you are about to create, first select the existing layer
2
in the Layers panel. Then choose New Layer from the Layer menu or the Layers panel More menu. In the New Layer
dialog box, select Use Previous Layer To Create Clipping Mask, and click OK.
The layers in the clipping mask have the opacity and mode attributes of the bottommost base layer in the group.
To change the stacking order of the clipping mask relative to other layers in the image, select all layers in the group.
Then drag the group's base layer up or down in the Layers panel. (Dragging a layer without selecting all the layers in
the group removes that layer from the group.)
More Help topics
"Link and unlink layers" on page 72
Remove a layer from a clipping mask
Ungrouping the base layer from the layer above it ungroups all layers in the clipping mask.
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In the Edit workspace, do one of the following:
• Hold down Alt (Option in Mac OS), position the pointer over the line separating two grouped layers in the Layers
panel (the pointer changes to two overlapping circles
• In the Layers panel, select a layer in the clipping mask, and choose Layer > Release Clipping Mask. This command
removes the selected layer and any layers above it from the clipping mask.
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Last updated 1/2/2012
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