duplicate mask

[CarolE2B@adobeforums.com]

can you duplicate a mask in Photoshop? Mac OSX/Photoshop CS

thanks!!

[Chris_Cox@adobeforums.com]

Do you mean a layer mask, an alpha channel, or a selection?

[CarolE2B@adobeforums.com]

a layer mask. i have a layer that has a mask on it and I want the same mask but with a different image.

thanks

[Chris_Cox@adobeforums.com]

Drag that layer to the other document, or target the layer mask and copy then paste into another layer mask.

[CarolE2B@adobeforums.com]

thank you for you speedy response. It does not work so I must be doing something wrong. any ideas?

[Chris_Cox@adobeforums.com]

Well, which method are you trying? And what does it do when it "does not work"?

Dragging the layer across has to work - as long as the target document is in a mode that supports layers (never forget to check the obvious).

And targetting the layer mask for copy and paste has to work - unless you didn't correctly target the mask.

[CarolE2B@adobeforums.com]

I clicked on the mask thumnail, then draged it with the apple key down. sometimes it worked mostly not, I am not sure why. once I make the mask, can I move the photo behind it without moving the mask? when I move or enlarge the photo, the same happens with the mask.

thanks for your speedy help!

[Doug_Katz@adobeforums.com]

Why are you holding the command key?

Are the two images in separate documents? Are the two documents the same size? Are you dragging the layer with the layer mask FROM the source image's Layers palette and dropping it ONTO the target image's canvas? This kind of stuff makes a difference.

[Chris_Cox@adobeforums.com]

Try just dragging the whole layer to the other document. No modifiers, just select the layer in the layers palette and drag (then replace the contents).

Dragging just the mask won't do anything.

Or you can target (option-click) the mask, then select all, copy, target the other layer mask, paste.

[Todie@adobeforums.com]

Let me make it more complicated, maybe that would work : )
Click on the mask you want to copy (in the layer window)
Select all
Copy
Click on the new image
Double click on the layer's name (background?)
OK
Press "q" (on the keyboard)
Paste
Press "q"
Press the "layer mask" icon in the layer window (circle in a square).

[Ramón_G_Castañeda@adobeforums.com]

Todie,

Would that work for copying the mask from one layer to another one in the same document? (For example if you really want to delete the layer you're copying the mask from but don't want to go through the trouble of recreating the mask from scratch?)

[Todie@adobeforums.com]

yes

[Ramón_G_Castañeda@adobeforums.com]

Just tried that, but it doesn't work for me. I option clicked on the mask I want to copy, then went to the new layer and clicked the mask button, It just added a blank "vector mask". I'm missing something obviously. I'm on 7.0.1 in 9.2.2.

[Todie@adobeforums.com]

Sorry, Ramón, I meant "command" (I edited my post; my fingers know this "stuff" better than my brain : )

Vector,.. huh?
Make sure that you're not pasting a copied path from the clipboard.

There's no need to copy or paste if you command-click on the mask.

[Ramón_G_Castañeda@adobeforums.com]

That worked! Thanks a lot.

[Todie@adobeforums.com]

My pleasure!

[John_Slate@adobeforums.com]

Similar to Todie's solution but bypasses entering quickmask mode...

Select the layer that has the mask and Select>load selection>Channel:<layer name>mask.

Or you can do the exact same thing by Cmd-clicking on the layer mask channel in the channels palette when you have the source layer active.

Then select the layer you want the mask to go to, and press the "layer mask" icon in the layer window (circle in a square).

[Ramón_G_Castañeda@adobeforums.com]

John,

Unless I'm not following you, that is the solution Todie gave me, except with a command key combo instead of going to the Select menu. Even the History state showed "Load Selection". There was no "quick mask mode" involved. Anyway, it worked very well.

[John_Slate@adobeforums.com]

....doesn't the key "q" bring you into and out of quickmask?

I was talking about his #9 post.

I didn't read enough of the follow up... the methods are the same except for the cmd-click on the layer mask to make the selection... always 3 ways

[Ramón_G_Castañeda@adobeforums.com]

I didn't focus on post# 9, so I had missed the q altogether.