How do I mask a clipping in Photoshop?

To create a clipping mask in Photoshop, you can use two main methods, both of which are simple and effective. Here's how to do it:

Methods to Create Clipping Masks

Here are the two primary techniques you can use:

This is a quick and direct way to create a clipping mask.

Arrange Your Layers: Ensure that the layer you want to use as the mask (the bottom layer) is below the layer you want to clip (the top layer) in the Layers panel.
Position the Cursor: Hold down the Alt key on Windows or the Option key on macOS. Then, move your cursor to the dividing line between the two layers in the Layers panel. You will see the cursor change into two overlapping circles.
Click to Mask: Click once. The top layer is now clipped to the shape of the layer below it.

This method is particularly useful for quick adjustments because it directly manipulates the layers in the panel.

This approach provides a more structured method of creating a clipping mask.

Select the Top Layer: In the Layers panel, choose the layer you intend to clip (the one you want to be masked).
Navigate to Layer Menu: Go to the main menu at the top and select Layer.
Choose Create Clipping Mask: In the dropdown menu, click on "Create Clipping Mask." The selected layer will now be clipped to the layer directly below it in the Layers panel.

A clipping mask uses the content of one layer (the base layer or mask) to determine the visibility of another layer (the clipped layer).
Only the portions of the clipped layer that overlap with the base layer will be visible.
The base layer dictates the shape and area of visibility for the clipped layer.

Here are some points to consider while working with clipping masks:

Multiple Clipping: You can clip multiple layers to the same base layer. Just position all layers you want to clip directly above the base layer.
Layer Management: You can easily organize your design elements by using clipping masks and create neat visual effects.
Editing: You can edit the contents of either the clipping mask or the clipped layers individually without affecting the mask. This makes non-destructive editing simple.

Method	Steps	Keyboard Shortcut
Alt/Option Key	Position cursor between layers, hold Alt/Option, and click the dividing line.	Alt/Option + Click
Layers Menu	Select top layer, go to Layer > Create Clipping Mask.

Both methods achieve the same outcome, so choose the one that fits your workflow best.