How to Create and Edit Masks in Affinity Designer

Posted on 20th June 2023

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How to Create and Edit Masks in Affinity Designer

Masks are a great way to isolate and edit parts of an image in Affinity Designer. You can use them to create selections, edit images non-destructively, and add special effects to your designs.

In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to create and edit masks in Affinity Designer. We’ll cover the following topics:

Creating a mask from scratch

Editing an existing mask

Adding a mask to an image

Creating a mask from scratch

To create a mask from scratch, first select the object you want to mask. Then, click the “Mask” button in the “Layer” panel.

A new mask will be created on top of your object. You can then use the pen tool or any other selection tool to draw a mask around the object.

Editing an existing mask

To edit an existing mask, first select the mask in the “Layer” panel. Then, use the pen tool or any other selection tool to edit the mask.

Adding a mask to an image

To add a mask to an image, first select the image in the “Layer” panel. Then, click the “Mask” button in the “Layer” panel.

A new mask will be created on top of your image. You can then use the pen tool or any other selection tool to draw a mask around the object.

Masks are one of the most versatile tools in Affinity Designer, allowing you to create complex shapes and designs with ease. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to create and edit masks in Affinity Designer.

Masks can be used to create clipping masks, which allow you to clip images or other objects to a specific shape. Clipping masks are often used to create photo collages or to create unique shapes from images.

To create a clipping mask, first select the object or image that you want to mask. Then, click on the “Mask” icon in the toolbar.

A new layer will be created with a white masking shape. You can then use the pen tool or the shape tool to draw a masking shape on this layer. Anything inside the masking shape will be visible, and anything outside the masking shape will be clipped.

You can also invert a mask, which will hide everything inside the masking shape and show everything outside the masking shape. To invert a mask, click on the “Mask” icon in the toolbar and then click on the “Invert Mask” option.

Masks can also be used to create vignettes. Vignettes are often used to darken the edges of an image or to focus attention on a specific area of an image.

To create a vignette, first select the object or image that you want to vignette. Then, click on the “Vignette” icon in the toolbar.

A new layer will be created with a white vignetting shape. You can then use the pen tool or the shape tool to draw a vignetting shape on this layer. Anything inside the vignetting shape will be darkened, and anything outside the vignetting shape will remain unchanged.

You can also invert a vignette, which will lighten the edges of an image or to focus attention on a specific area of an image. To invert a vignette, click on the “Vignette” icon in the toolbar and then click on the “Invert Vignette” option.

Masks can also be used to create shadows. Shadows can be used to add depth to an image or to make an object appear to be floating.

To create a shadow, first select the object or image that you want to shadow. Then, click on the “Shadow” icon in the toolbar.

A new layer will be created with a black shadowing shape. You can then use the pen tool or the shape tool to draw a shadowing shape on this layer. Anything inside the shadowing shape will be darkened, and anything outside the shadowing shape will remain unchanged.

You can also invert a shadow, which will lighten the edges of an image or to make an object appear to be floating. To invert a shadow, click on the “Shadow” icon in the toolbar and then click on the “Invert Shadow” option.

Masks can also be used to create highlights. Highlights can be used to add depth to an image or to make an object appear to be shining.

To create a highlight, first select the object or image that you want to highlight. Then, click on the “Highlight” icon in the toolbar.

A new layer will be created with a white highlighting shape. You can then use the pen tool or the shape tool to draw a highlighting shape on this layer. Anything inside the highlighting shape will be lightened, and anything outside the highlighting shape will remain unchanged.

You can also invert a highlight, which will darken the edges of an image or to make an object appear to be shining. To invert a highlight, click on the “Highlight” icon in the toolbar and then click on the “Invert Highlight” option.

Masks can also be used to create textures. Textures can be used to add interest to an image or to make an object appear to be textured.

To create a texture, first select the object or image that you want to texture. Then, click on the “Texture” icon in the toolbar.

A new layer will be created with a white texturing shape. You can then use the pen tool or the shape tool to draw a texturing shape on this layer. Anything inside the texturing shape will be textured, and anything outside the texturing shape will remain unchanged.

You can also invert a texture, which will remove the texture from the edges of an image or to make an object appear to be textured. To invert a texture, click on the “Texture” icon in the toolbar and then click on the “Invert Texture” option.

Masks can also be used to create selections. Selections can be used to isolate an object or to make a specific area of an image visible.

To create a selection, first select the object or image that you want to select. Then, click on the “Select” icon in the toolbar.

A new layer will be created with a white selection shape. You can then use the pen tool or the shape tool to draw a selection shape on this layer. Anything inside the selection shape will be selected, and anything outside the selection shape will be deselected.

You can also invert a selection, which will deselect the object or to make a specific area of an image visible. To invert a selection, click on the “Select” icon in the toolbar and then click on the “Invert Selection” option.