Invert A Vector Mask??

[Kim Mackenzie]

You need to create a “doughnut”-esque shape that corresponds to the area you want masked–Pathfinder will do it.

Create a shape that reaches to the outer bounds of the area you want to show (the bounds of your document?).

Then create a second shape which corresponds to the section in the middle that you want hidden (I guess that would be the shape you originally made, that you wanted to “inverse”).

Select these two shapes, bring up the Pathfinder palette and hit the button for “Exclude Overlapping Shape Areas” (top right button).

Select your newly pathfinded shape, and the thing(s) you want masked and go to Object>Clipping Mask > Make.

Let me know if you need clarification or it doesn’t work.

[Kim Mackenzie]

You need to create a “doughnut”-esque shape that corresponds to the area you want masked–Pathfinder will do it.

Create a shape that reaches to the outer bounds of the area you want to show (the bounds of your document?).

Then create a second shape which corresponds to the section in the middle that you want hidden (I guess that would be the shape you originally made, that you wanted to “inverse”).

Select these two shapes, bring up the Pathfinder palette and hit the button for “Exclude Overlapping Shape Areas” (top right button).

Select your newly pathfinded shape, and the thing(s) you want masked and go to Object>Clipping Mask > Make.

Let me know if you need clarification or it doesn’t work.

[Jon Herron]

Im sorry guys this is in PSHOP, Thanks for the help Kim. But I believe you’re talking about Illustrator??..right 🙂

[Richard Harrington]

Yeah she was….

you can load mask as a selction…. CMD Click thumbnail…. then delete it
Then choose Inverse Selection…. and Add the mask back

They’re might be a better way… I prefer using layer masks

Richard M. Harrington, PMP

Author: Photoshop CS for Nonlinear Editors, Understanding Adobe Photoshop, and ATS:iWork

[Kim Mackenzie]

Oops, duh 🙂

The way I described will more or less work in Photoshop, too.

Make the layer mask active.

Select the Rectangle Shape tool

In the options bar, be sure the Paths button is pushed in, instead of the Shape Layers button (2nd from the left – looks like a rectangular path and a pen). Otherwise, the next step will create a new layer, instead of adding a path to the existing vector mask.

Also in the options bar, make sure Exclude Overlapping Path Areas button is active (the button all the way on the right)

Draw a path that extends to the edges of your document.

That should invert what is hidden/revealed.

k

[Jon Herron]

Cools, thanks guys I’ll try’em out!

[Jimmy Brunger]

Select the vector mask with the direct select tool, then go to the mask/path/shape options on the top toolbar and select add to shape area/subtract from shape area, etc until it’s behaving the way you want.

I usually keep a copy of the layer at the bottom of my palette with it’s vector mask intact, incase I need to tweak/edit it later on after I’ve rasterized it/applied it. Horses for courses though!

[Clifford Sonnentag]

You can select the path and chose “add to shape area” or “subtract from shape area” buttons on the tool options menu (cs3) if you are dealing only with a path.