Title: Use the Easy Palette to Apply & Resize a Mask

Software: Ulead PhotoImpact PI 6-10, though older versions may be missing one or two functions. :) Go Here for version 11
Skill Level: Beginner

Author: Johanna
URL: johanna.pircsites.com/tutorials/applymask/default.htm

This effect can be utilized for many things including cards for all seasons, banners, whatever your imagination dreams up.

Warning: If you switch from Standard to Basic Mode, and you have custom settings, you will lose all your custom settings.

Masks will cover/hide parts of an image and let the rest show through.
Masks are Black & White (and some have shades of grey). When you apply a mask to an image, anything under the white area of the mask will show, anything under the black area is hidden and anything under the grey areas will "peek" through a bit. To sum it up, White shows, Grey peeks, Black hides or to put it another way, White = good, Black = bad, Grey = a bit of both.
Masks are very handy little things. :)

 

Quickie method:
Photo	Mask	Apply Mask	Masked Photo
1. Open a new image.	2 Choose a mask from the Easy Palette that you'd like to apply to your image.	3. Double click on the mask and it will put selection lines on your image. Right-Click / Convert to Object	4. Use mouse to drag image into the PI workspace - it will open in a new window, resulting in above effect.

Let's go beyond the Quick Method and do something more exciting.
To Start, Open a COPYRIGHT FREE Photo of your choice. If you don't have one, you can get one here: http://pirc-bw.com/free-photos.html. Duplicate it (on your keyboard - Ctrl d) and close the original.
(As a side note, be sure Preserve Base Image is NOT check marked. It can be found on the Menu bar under Selection. Here's an example of why→)

1. Easy Palette / Object Libraries
2. Mask Library
3. Right-Click on a Mask of Your Choice to your image.

4. You are given choices of how you want the Mask applied to your graphic (see above). Choose FIT MASK.
5. Double Click on the Mask's Thumbnail to apply the Mask to your image.  You don't even need to re-size the Mask with the Transform Tool (more on that below) because it automatically sizes the Mask to the image for you.
6. Click Undo to get your image back to it's original, first-opened state

For the Fun of it, Right-click on the thumbnail again but this time choose the "Fit Mask and Keep Aspect Ratio" option (if your version of PI doesn't have this option, skip down to B) . Double click the Thumbnail to apply it. Can you see the difference? 
Click Undo to get your image back to it's original, first-opened state so we can try something else.

If you haven't got it open already, open your -

1. Easy Palette / Object Libraries / Mask Library
2. For our purposes, make sure Keep Original Size is selected in the Right-Click Menu options (as shown above).
3. Double click to Apply the Mask of your choice to your image.
4. On the far left of your PI Window, click on the Transform Tool and then on the Selection button.

5. Push or Pull the nodules to custom fit the Mask to the size you want. (You can even move the entire mask around and rotate it when it's in Transform / Selection mode.)

6. After you've positioned and sized the Mask, Click on the Crop Tool  (it's beside the Transform Tool button) then click on the Crop Image Button to finish it up.

Save your image to do with what you will.

I Right-clicked and selected Convert to Object and

Right-clicked again to add a Shadow.

Then I LEFT clicked in the middle of the canvas and dragged it out of it's window to a blank space in the PI window. The Masked image will now be in a new window.

1. On the Menu, click on Selection / INVERT.

2. On the Menu, click on Selection / Convert to Object.

3. Under Gallery / Special Effects Gallery / Fills & Textures, double click on Puzzle.

4. Right click on the Puzzled shape and choose Shadow. Accept the default choices and click OK.

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