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How to crop with layer masks in Adobe Photoshop.
Explore different ways to crop using layer masks. Crop parts of your image to create composite photos, swap backgrounds, or make precise edits.
Photoshop layers are versatile tools, essential for almost any graphic design project. They let you composite multiple images, add text to a graphic, stack vector shapes into one design, and more. Layers also give you ways to edit and crop nondestructively, so you can make reversible edits and maintain image quality as you work.
Head to the Layers panel to see a full list of the layers, layer groups, and layer effects in your Photoshop project. From here you can create new layers, hide layers, and work with layer masks.
Smart Objects are special types of layers that let you transform, skew, and reshape content without editing the pixels. You can edit and crop multiple layers by combining them into one Smart Object.
A simple way to crop parts of a layer is with a layer mask. To get started, open your multilayered project in Photoshop.
Use your favorite selection tool to select an object, then apply a layer mask to “cut” the object out from its background. Try using this method for new compositions or collages.
When you use a layer mask to crop, it doesn’t have to be in a harsh line. Experiment with different brush tools and different opacities of black and white to subtly fade out the edges of your crop.
With the Elliptical Marquee (round) and Rectangular Marquee tool options, select just the shape you want to keep, and then use Add Layer Mask to hide everything outside your marquee selection.
To crop complex areas out of a layer, use the Pen tool. Select the layer you want to crop, use the Pen tool to trace a selection, and create a vector mask by holding the Ctrl key on Windows or the Command key on a Mac and clicking the Layer Mask icon.
Once you’ve learned the art of layer cropping with different selection tools, you can find fresh ways to create all sorts composites. And depending on your project, you may find that combining multiple layer crop approaches will get you the best result.
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