Create Masks from Images in Paint Shop Pro 9 or X

Using masks is one of many ways to apply interesting effects to images in Paint Shop Pro by covering parts of an image. These steps will show how to create a mask from an image in Paint Shop Pro 9 or X.

Open Paint Shop Pro, then open any image (that you own, have permission to use, or is in the public domain) that you would like to create a mask from.

You will need to remove the color from the image. Go to Image and click on Grayscale.

Go to Layers and scroll down to New Mask Layer, and then click on From Image. The Auto Actions window might pop up (depending on your settings) stating that the target must be promoted to a full layer before you can continue. Click OK.

In the Add Mask From Image menu, you can either leave the options as the defaults or make changes before clicking OK. Below are brief explanations of the options.

Source luminance - The luminance value of the color determines the degree of masking on the image. Lighter colors produce less masking and darker colors produce more. Transparent areas completely mask the layer.

Any non-zero value - There is no gradation to the masking. Pixels with opacity of 1-255 will become white pixels in the mask and transparent pixels will become black in the mask.

Source opacity - The opacity of the image determines the degree of masking. Partially transparent pixels create masking, fully opaque pixels produce no masking, and transparent pixels produce full masking.

You may want to add various distortion and texture effects or plugins to your image. When you are satisfied with the appearance you're ready to save it as a mask.

Go to Layers and scroll down to Load/Save Mask, and then click on Save Mask To Disk. Choose a name for your mask and click Save.

Test your mask by opening an image to try it on.

Go back to Layers and scroll down to Load/Save Mask and click on Load Mask From Disk. If the Auto Actions window pops up again just click OK. In the Load Mask From Disk menu leave the default options or play with the settings to see the different effects your mask can have on images.

You can create different masks from various images to create different effects. These instructions are compatible with Paint Shop Pro 9 and X, though in some instances the interface may be different. Tools and commands may have changed locations, and some may have to be added back via customization in order to be accessible. Creating masks from images in Paint Shop Pro can be simple and fun!