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Vector Masks from Type?
Hello all,
As an After Effects user who has a basic knowledge of photoshop, I’ve come to be incredibly frustrated over something that is done very simply in after effects, but I cannot for the life of me figure out how it’s done in photoshop. I’m using photoshop CS6 and I’m trying to cut out some text from a layer below it. In After Effects I could ‘create masks from text’ or just silhouette alpha and be done with it, however the only way I can seem to do it in photoshop is via a layer mask. However I’d really like the crispness and flexibility of a vector mask but I cannot seem to create one from my text. Even though it’s a path, ‘vector mask’ is greyed out, and I can’t select my path and Command+Click on the layer mask icon to create a vector mask.
Does anyone know if this is even possible?
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4 Replies
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Photoshop is a bitmap app, therefore, you may lose some ‘crispy-ness’ eventually. You may want to try Illustrator, as it has the feature you want and then import into Photoshop, or use one of the appropriate selection method to choose the type, apply a stroke, then reselect the selection and remove. Not sure, if the result will be what you are exactly after, as it will also depend on the contrast level of the image. You can also use the layer masks as you suggested and refine them using mask options. Hope this is somehow helpful.
Cheers
Hisham -
Oh no, blonde moment…
You’re absolutely right, Illustrator would be much better to do it in, I was just so focused on working in photoshop that I completely forgot. Though it would be nice if vector masks were applicable to type in photoshop, and I suppose using a layer mask is fine, I just don’t know much about masking in photoshop.
Thanks very much!
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With the text tool selected right click on the text layer. Just below the Rasterize Type option there should be Create Work Path and Convert to Shape options.
Depending on whether you want the layer A) to take the shape of the text or you want B) the text to punch through the layer you could also either:
A) Move the text below the layer, set the layer above to use the text as a Clipping Mask (easiest way is to option/alt click between the two layers).
B) Group the text and the layer, leave the text on top. Right click the text layer and go to Blending Options. In the Advanced Blending section lower the Fill Opacity to 0% and set Knockout to Shallow.
In my opinion these options give you the best of both worlds. Your text is still vector and is still editable.
Darby Edelen
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I know this is an old tread but Darby you are a boss. I do a lot of photoshop work and this helps to keep the text nice a clean without having to rasterize. Thanks for this great tip.
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