The Fundamentals
Part 3, Working With Templates, Clipping Masks

Here's what you'll find in Part 3:
What Is a Clipping Mask?
How To Clip To a Clipping Mask
How To Treat Background Layers

NOTE: The manual can be found in Part 1. The video is not downloadable.

Watch the Video:

What Is a Clipping Mask?

• A clipping mask is any pixel-based or vector-based layer that's meant to have something clipped to it, like a paper or photo.
• The most common forms of clipping masks found on a template are photo clipping masks and paper clipping masks.
• Designers sometimes label these layers for you and sometimes they don't.
  

How To Clip To a Clipping Mask 

To clip a photo or paper to a clipping mask:

• In the Layers panel, click on a clipping mask layer to activate it.
• Open a photo or paper (File > Open).
• Cause the file to float in a window.
  • EL: In the Menu Bar, choose Window > Images > Float in Window.
  • PS: In the Menu Bar, choose Window > Arrange > Float in Window.
• Holding down the Shift key, click and drag the photo or paper onto the template. The Shift key will cause it to land right in the center.
• In the Menu Bar, choose Layer > Create Clipping Mask.

If needed:

• Press Ctrl T (Mac: Cmd T) to get the Transform options.
• On the document, click inside the bounding box to reposition the photo/paper so that it fills the clipping mask. To resize the photo/paper, click and drag on the corner handles of the bounding box. To rotate the photo/paper, hover your cursor near a corner handle of the bounding box until you see a curved, double-headed arrow, then click and drag. Make sure the boundaries of the photo/paper remain outside the boundaries of the clipping mask.
• Click the checkmark to commit the change.

How To Treat Background Layers

Some templates have a locked Background layer and some do not.

• You do not clip papers to a Background layer. Instead, if needed, cover them up with a full-sized paper.
• In the Layers panel, click on the Background layer to activate it.
• Open a paper (File > Open).
• Cause the file to float in a window.
  • EL: In the Menu Bar, choose Window > Images > Float in Window.
  • PS: In the Menu Bar, choose Window > Arrange > Float in Window.
• Holding down the Shift key, click and drag the photo or paper onto the template. The Shift key will cause it to land right in the center.