Quick Mask function in PSE?

[Jetset95]

Hi all, first post here, I was looking at some tutorials on the "Photoshop for Digital Photographers" website

http://www.thedigitalphotographyconnection.com/PFDP.php?pageNum_rsPFDP=1&totalRows_rsPFDP=72

where the marquee tool was used to make a selection, and from that using "Quick mask mode" a mask was made which you were able manipulate - in the tutorial he was able to apply a Gaussian Blur effect to the mask, then apply this to an adjustment layer, hope that makes sense!

Anyway, I wanted to do something similar in PSE5 but can't figure out how to do it. If anyone has any suggestions I'd really appreciate it, or do I have to upgrade to PSE6, or even worse CS3?

Thanks, and keep up the good work in this great forum, I'm learning so much just checking out the threads in here.

[Diana]

Hi Jetset and welcome to Elements Village. Photoshop Elements doesn't include a Layers Mask or Quick Mask. There are add-ons to add Layer Mask capability, such as Grants Tools, but since version PSE3, Grant's tools doesn't include the Quick Mask. There may be a workaround for that tutorial, but I don't have time to look at it right now. Perhaps someone else will. If not, I can take a look later and let you know.

You definitely want to download and install Grants Tools. Make sure you download the correct version for your Elements version. Here's the link:
http://www.cavesofice.org/~grant/Challenge/Tools/Files.html

Diana

[Jetset95]

Hi Diana thanks very much for the quick reply. I guess Adobe doesn't want folks to pass up on CS3 if PSE has all the tools they need right? I'll certainly take a look at Grants tools, thanks very much.

[TonyW]

I didn't look at the tutorial but anything I've run across using Quick Mask can be done in Elements (the selection brush tool in mask mode is essentially a quick mask). As far as applying a gaussian blur to a selection used as an adjustment layer mask that can definitely be done in Elements.

Tony

[Diana]

Which tutorial is it on that site, there are several of them there.

Diana

[Jetset95]

Tony - thank you for the reply, can you please clarify when you say the selection brush tool in "mask mode" - is this something which comes in the tools Diane mentioned or am I missing something in PSE5? Thanks also for the tip about applying effects in adjustment layer mask mode, this works great for those layer effect Elements has, but I wanted the quick mask functionality to get round those which PSE5 is lacking.

Diane, my apologies, the tutorial is found here
http://www.thedigitalphotographyconnection.com/pfdp_player.php?ID=75

On looking back the website it is the third one down, "How to create killer vignettes" which gave me some ideas how to tweak some of my 2 year old sons older photo's when daddy wasn't so good with his new EOS!

Thanks again.

[Jetset95]

Tony - ignore the comment about the selection brush - I just Googled it and found the answer to my own question - I think I need to invest in "the missing manual" book for myself!

[elwoodsusanm]

I have PSE5. How can this be done please?:)

[Diana]

To use the Selection Brush in mask mode:

Select the Selection Brush
[/URL]
http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1jiJPTi8q3wN1vOPDnTSEAX0wbYjN_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1R4n0CMAGlqXX8HXMdyuvseUxPqJ260)
When you "paint" with the Selection Brush, you are selecting the area of the image that you "paint" with the brush. The default Mode (on the option bar) is Selection. The other Mode is Mask. When you have the Selection Brush in Mask Mode, the unselected part of the image appears in a transparent red to help refine your selection.

Here's a good explanation of the Selection Brush tool:
[URL]http://akvis.com/en/photoshop-tips/selection-tools-elements.php

I'm not sure how this would replace the Quick Mask in the tutorial you mention. That video tutorial doesn't seem to load for me so I can't view it. I have a slow dialup connection. So I'm not much help there.

Diana

[ljameso1]

I think I've got a work around for you. Draw the rectangular marque, now go to select inverse. Keep the selection active through all the following steps. Click the new layer button and edit>fill selection and choose black. Apply the gaussian blur and change the blend mode to overlay and decrease opacity to 10%. Can stop here or with selection still active add a level adjustment layer. Your gaussian blur layer now becomes a mask in this layer. Bring the midtone slider to the right to darken. Can now trash or leave blur layer. May need darken levels layer more if do so.

[elwoodsusanm]

Is this done on a blank page?:confused: Takes a while for things to sink in I'm afraid:o

[Daviskw]

Hi Sue

I use quick mask all the time in CS3 and I also used it in PE3.0. It is just a way to make a selection...mask is a little misleading in that it is not making a mask as one attached to an adjustment layer. It is just showing the extent of your selection.

Say you are using your selection brush with the default settings. As you move you see your selection in the marching ants lines. The problem with this is you are not seeing the exact extent of the selection. If you are using a hard brush then the line is correct but if you are using a soft brush then the line does NOT represent the selection feathered edges.

In mask mode however you can instantly see the selection including the feather. This is great and useful. You can see the actual boundaries of your selection.

In CS3 you can blur the red selection which is the same as adding feather...and you can see real-time the result. It is the same as adding feather in refine edge.

Butch

[Jetset95]

Hi Butch, thanks for the feedback, I just have one question when you do this in CS3 (which is where I saw the tutorial that started this thread) the guy seemed to be able to blur his quick mask using Gaussian Blut just at the edges, make a nice gradiated blur on the remainder of his selection.

When I do this using the selection brush mask tool, it blurs the whole of the masked selection, not just the edge. This might be something fundamentally different between PSE and CS3 I don't know, but so far I've only been able to replicate what they tutorial accomplishes with the quick mask by making a selection on an adjustment layer (say levels), then applying the Gaus Blur and it makes a nice feathered edge to the change in the levels around the selection.

[ljameso1]

Is this done on a blank page?:confused: Takes a while for things to sink in I'm afraid:o
The way I described is not done on a blank page, but on added blank layer above the background layer. I'm not at home, so can't give you a screen shot-let me know if you want one and will do when back home.