Hi ,
Do you generally think outside the box?
If you need a photo mask, where do you turn to first?
Where do you turn to second? Do you have a third, fourth, and fifth resource?
It’s easy to get stuck inside a tiny little thinking box -- which ultimately limits your ability to utilize the resources available to you.
Here’s my go-to list for photo masks. Maybe it will help you
broaden your masking reach. Or, maybe you’ll be able to add to my list...I’d LOVE that!
 - ONE. Photo masks in kits. These were
designed to make your photos sing and rarely require adjustments.
- TWO. Paint and watercolors in kits--often called overlays. These elements were designed to add soft color to a scrapbook page. But, consider clipping a photo to them.
- THREE. Brushes in PS/PSE. Brushes are always grayscale and can have varying degrees of transparency. Try clicking just once to see how a brush looks as a stamp, or click
and drag to give a brushed look. It’s often hard to tell how brushes will react with your photo until you actually do the clipping. Also try searching for free brushes on the web.
- FOUR. Shapes in PS/PSE. Photoshop Elements has many great shapes for photo masks. Adobe Photoshop has as few, too. Just as with brushes, you can find many more shapes on the web.
- FIVE. Elements in kits. Look for ones that have interesting edges. Not all elements
will make good photo masks, you’ll just have to give it a try.
For a little bit of fun playing with masks and photos, check out my newest tutorial below.
Have a great week! See you in the galleries.
Jen White | DigitalScrapper.com
P.S. Here are the credits for the elements used above: Natali Designs, Melissa Renfro, Brandy Murry, Calista’s Stuff, Laitha Designs, Sheila Reid, Anna Aspnes, D’s Designs, Ponytails Designs, Amber Shaw, Adobe Shapes
P.P.S. That sweet baby below is my first-ever grandson. He was born on Valentine’s
Day of this year and his Gramma J (that’s me!) is over the moon with him.
There are times when one photo mask just isn’t enough to get the job done. Utilize one of the amazing benefits of groups by using them to combine photo masks for stunning results.
NOTE: Groups have been available in PS for years but were only recently introduced to PSE in version
15. This tutorial will not work for versions earlier than PSE 15.

Linda's new class, Photo Rescue Blueprint, starts tomorrow! Will you be joining us?
If you haven't dealt with your boxes of photos yet, there's no better time
than right NOW! Set your photos free to become something beautiful that you can enjoy and pass down to your kids and grandkids!
NOTE: This class will not be offered again at Digital Scrapper. On Friday, April 20, 2018 at midnight it won't be available at any price, so grab it while you can.
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