Computer Graphics with Photoshop

Author

Why

Alex

2003-11-24, 10:20 am

Hi All,

Once i try to 'layer mask' an area on an image, when i go to the menue it
doesnt give me this option, do u know why its happening?

edjh

2003-11-24, 10:20 am

Alex wrote:

quote:

> Hi All,
>
> Once i try to 'layer mask' an area on an image, when i go to the menue it
> doesnt give me this option, do u know why its happening?
>
>

Is it a Background? Turn it into a layer by double clicking in the
Layers Palette.

--
Comic book sketches and artwork:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/edjh.html

jjs

2003-11-24, 10:20 am

In article <%dOvb.1427$Ob3.1512586@monger.newsread.com>, edjh
<edjhann@hotmail.com> wrote:

quote:

> [...]
> Is it a Background? Turn it into a layer by double clicking in the
> Layers Palette.

Help me out. Why isn't the background considered Layer Zero by default?
What's the rationale in calling it Background and locking it? To encourage
proper layer use?

edjh

2003-11-24, 10:20 am

jjs wrote:

quote:

> In article <%dOvb.1427$Ob3.1512586@monger.newsread.com>, edjh
> <edjhann@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> Help me out. Why isn't the background considered Layer Zero by default?
> What's the rationale in calling it Background and locking it? To encourage
> proper layer use?

Only a guess but in older versions you could move the Background, which
would turn it into a layer. I can see where that might be undesireable
if doen by accident and not noticed right away. Maybe they wanted to
prevent inadvertent moving on user's part.
--
Comic book sketches and artwork:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/edjh.html

Tacit

2003-11-24, 10:20 am

>Help me out. Why isn't the background considered Layer Zero by default?

quote:

>What's the rationale in calling it Background and locking it? To encourage
>proper layer use?

No. Any file format which does not permit layers (basically, almost any file
format except TIFF and Photoshop format) doesn't permit transparency; the
"background" in such a file is exactly that. It's an opaque background, which
does not permit masking because the file format itself does not allow
transparency or masking.

--
Rude T-shirts for a rude age: http://www.villaintees.com
Art, literature, shareware, polyamory, kink, and more:
http://www.xeromag.com/franklin.html

jjs

2003-11-24, 10:20 am

In article <20031122172943.19062.00000838@mb-m18.aol.com>, tacitr@aol.com
(Tacit) wrote:

quote:

>
> No. Any file format which does not permit layers (basically, almost any file
> format except TIFF and Photoshop format) doesn't permit transparency; the
> "background" in such a file is exactly that. It's an opaque background, which
> does not permit masking because the file format itself does not allow
> transparency or masking.

Okay, well when I save a multilayer image as JPEG, PS doesn't bother
hassling me with warnings that the layers will be collapsed in the output.
Same with other formats. So it would seem that locking the backgroud is
silly, regardless.

Tacit

2003-11-24, 10:20 am

>Okay, well when I save a multilayer image as JPEG, PS doesn't bother

quote:

>hassling me with warnings that the layers will be collapsed in the output.
>Same with other formats.

Yes, it does. Look at the Save As dialog. You will see a notification to the
effect of "Some image data can't be saved in the current format."

quote:

>So it would seem that locking the backgroud is
>silly, regardless.

Why? You open a JPEG, that JPEG can have no layers; the JPEG specification does
not permit it. So the image you see when you open the JPEG will have no layers.
If you want to place the image onto a layer, you must explicitly do so.

--
Rude T-shirts for a rude age: http://www.villaintees.com
Art, literature, shareware, polyamory, kink, and more:
http://www.xeromag.com/franklin.html

jjs

2003-11-24, 10:20 am

In article <20031123113028.08405.00000605@mb-m24.aol.com>, tacitr@aol.com
(Tacit) wrote:

quote:

> Why? You open a JPEG, that JPEG can have no layers; the JPEG

specification does

quote:

> not permit it. So the image you see when you open the JPEG will have no

layers.

quote:

> If you want to place the image onto a layer, you must explicitly do so.

Of course. And PS has conventions for handling such in the 'as copy',
warnings, all that. I guess it's there for the amateurs. Wish I could
disable it forever.