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How Do I Create a Clipping Mask in Corel Painter?

Published in Corel Painter 3 mins read

To create a clipping mask in Corel Painter, follow these steps:

  1. Select the object (or group of objects) that you want to use as the mask. This object's shape will determine the visible area of the layer(s) beneath it.

  2. Create the Clip Mask: Go to Object > Clip Mask > Create. This action will turn the selected object into a clipping mask.

  3. Paint (Optional) to Adjust Transparency: This step seems to apply to specific techniques that involve using the clipping mask with transparency and isn't directly part of the clipping mask creation itself. If you want to introduce transparency into the masked area through painting:

    • Select the Paint tool from the toolbox.
    • Choose a color from the color palette. Lighter colors, like light gray, will apply less transparency. Darker colors will add more transparency. Painting black will make the underlying pixels fully transparent.
    • Paint on the clipping mask layer itself to adjust the transparency of the revealed areas from the clipped layers.

Explanation and Details:

A clipping mask uses the shape of one layer (the mask layer) to determine the visibility of another layer or group of layers. The content of the masked layers is only visible within the boundaries of the mask layer. Everything outside of the mask layer's shape is hidden.

Example Scenario:

Imagine you have a photograph (layer 1) and a star shape (layer 2). You want to see the photograph only within the star shape. You would:

  1. Place the photograph (layer 1) below the star shape (layer 2) in the Layers panel.
  2. Select the star shape (layer 2).
  3. Go to Object > Clip Mask > Create. Now the photograph will only be visible within the bounds of the star shape.

Important Notes:

  • The clipping mask layer must be above the layer(s) you want to mask in the Layers panel.
  • You can adjust the position of the masked layer(s) independently of the clipping mask. This allows you to control which part of the masked layer(s) is visible through the mask.
  • You can release a clipping mask by selecting the clipping mask object and going to Object > Clip Mask > Release.

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