
#Perfect layers copy mask software
For instance, instead of duplicating the bottom layer and applying levels, the software will simply remember “move the white point 20 steps to the left and the black slider 15 points to the left”. They work by simply storing what transformation should be applied on the layers below. There is however another type, called adjustment layer (note that this is one of the big lacks of Gimp compared to Photoshop).
#Perfect layers copy mask full size
So far, the layers we have used have been bitmap layers: each layer is a full size image. If you use a hard brush, there will be sharp transitions, while soft brushes will tend to produce more natural looking results.Ĭreating a mask can be a very time consuming task, but attention to details will be crucial if you want your editing to not be obvious. You can then paint over the mask with a grey or black brush, revealing more and more of the bottom layers. Whenever you create a new mask for a layer, you always start with pure white. 50% grey would show half of the top layer and half of the bottom one, etc. So a layer with a pure white mask shows entirely, while a pure black mask acts as if the layer didn’t exist at all. White represents showing all of the layer, while black shows none. The way it works is that a mask is a greyscale image. Layer masks, on the other hand, can have soft ( feathered) transitions and semi-transparency, showing part of each layer. Scissors are a pretty limited tool, they only create two states, cut out or left in, and there is a sharp delimitation between the two. Things are actually even better than that. Of course, it would be extremely cumbersome to do this with physical prints, but this is exactly what is going on when you use layers in photoshop: you have duplicated the bottom layer (made a print copy), modified the top layer with the levels tool then applied a mask (cut out with scissors) and finally merged the two layers (glued them together). Finally, paste the top print (minus sky) on top of the bottom one: your new image now has correct exposure everywhere. Then you take a pair of scissors and cut out the sky in the new image, uncovering the bottom image. Now comes the trick: you position the new print above the old one. You make another print of this new version. You then use the levels tool and increase brightness so that the mountains are just right, burning the sky in the process.

Now imagine that you print your original image. What you need is a way to modify only part of the image. If you increase brightness even a little bit, it will go into pure white. However, your hands are tied, as the bright sky is just perfect. Imagine the following situation: you have adjusted the histogram so that it touches the edges perfectly, but you still aren’t satisfied: the mountain in the background looks too dark. Layers and masks are a fairly simple idea. Giulia Monego climbing out of a moulin crevasse in Mer de Glace, Chamonix.
