PhotoshopElements

About layer clipping groups

A clipping group is a group of layers to which a mask is applied. The bottommost layer, or base layer, defines the visible boundaries of the entire group. For example, you might have a shape in the base layer, a photograph in the layer above it, and text in the topmost layer. If you group them, the photograph and text appear only through the shape outline in the base layer; they also take on the opacity of the base layer.

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 group icon .

You can link the layers in a clipping group so that they move together.
The shape in the bottom layer of the clipping group determines what area of the photo layer above shows through.