Create a Layer Mask in Photoshop Elements

If you want to do scrap booking, digital artwork, or photo manipulation you have probably come across (more than once) people telling you in their tutorials to use a layer mask. While this article is not about the usefulness of a layer mask, you can quickly find out from using them yourself just how good they can be.

Now, if you have Photoshop, creating a layer mask is not a problem. However, a lot of people don't like the hefty price tag of Photoshop and opt rather for the cheaper, and nearly as effective Photoshop Elements without realizing the important tools Photoshop Elements lacks compared to its much more powerful sibling.

So, for you PSE users out there (like myself), how do you create a layer mask? I have seen many tutorials talking about creating a false one, and all of them are either too complex or don't work nearly as well as a real layer mask. Thankfully, there is an easy way to fool PSE into creating a layer mask for you.

Now, this may seem a little counterproductive, but you need to find a Photoshop document that has a layer mask installed in it. Don't think I'm going to leave you like that though, I'm here to help, not cause headaches.

Here is a similar tutorial, and included a small Photoshop document with a layer mask.

Now that we have that, we can begin installing the layer mask from the Photoshop document to our PSE file, and believe me this is incredibly easy. All you have to do is first open your own file. This can be blank, or it can be one with a picture, doesn't really matter. Next, open the file you downloaded with the layer mask.

Now that both files are open, click on the layer mask one. Click on the layer itself (all the way on the right of the screen), and drag it over to your PSE document. Now you have a layer mask in PSE. Make sure to duplicate the layer as well, so you always have a blank one to work with.

If you have a photo open in PSE, to merge the photo and the layer mask properly, just go to Layer>Merge Down, and it will ask you if you want to preserve the layer mask or not. Click preserve, and you have a photo with a layer mask. It's incredibly easy and incredibly useful.