By definition, a clipping mask:

“lets you use the content of a layer to mask the layers above it. The masking is determined by the content of the bottom or base layer. The non-transparent content of the base layer clips (reveals), the content of the layers above it in the clipping mask. All other content in the clipped layers is masked out.”

On top of clipping mask, to produce the final effect for this tutorial, I also used a number of other settings such as layer blending, filter effect and adjustment layers.

Here is a preview of the final effect I have for this tutorial: (click to enlarge)

PSD File Download

To complete this tutorial, you will need the following stocks:

Crack Texture

Water Brushsets (choose one from the list)

Step 1

Let’s start by creating a document with black background, use the type tool to type a letter on the document:

Now load the stone texture into Photoshop, use the rectangular marquee tool to select a piece as shown below:

Copy and paste this piece of texture onto our text, resize and rotate it as shown below:

Step 2

Now if you right click on the texture layer, you will see an option called “Create Clipping Mask”, click on it:

And you will texture becomes an overlay for the text, with the rest of the area disappeared:
 

Repeat Step 1 and 2, cover the entire text with stone texture – we can use this to get some practices with clipping mask:

Step 3

Now we want to remove part of the text with a layer mask add to text layer:

Now you will because we have the texture layers as clipping masks, the parts we erased on the text will fade on the texture layers as well:

I would also like to mention that you can add adjustment layer as clipping mask as well – make sure you tick the “Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask” option – this way the effect will only apply to the layer below the adjustment layer:

Try adding a few adjustment layers (curves, levels) as clipping mask to the texture layer, and test the effect.

Step 4

(Attention – the rest of this tutorial involves some advanced techniques, there is no need to proceed if you just want to learn something about clipping masks)

Now we can add some flowing water effect to the image – we can use the water brush to paint some dripping/splashing water:

Use a liquify filter to warp this water pattern as shown below:

Repeat this above step, make several water pattern layers and attach them around the text:

Step 5

For some final retouches, I added some cloud effect with some cloud brushes I downloaded from the web:

Also added some grungy textures around the canvas for some decoration:

Finally, I flattened the image and duplicate the background layer, and applied some “Accented Edges” filter effect on the duplicated layer – use layer mask to hide some parts of this duplicated layer to reveal the background layer:

I then further added some slight colour adjustment and here is the final effect I have: (click to enlarge)

That’s it for this tutorial! Hope you enjoy it and find it useful! Till next time, have a great day!

If you just started learning Photoshop, it’s very important to have a understanding of these basic tools and practice them, and I’m sure they will benefit you greatly in the long run.

In this post, I will showcase 15 Extremely Useful Photoshop Basic Tool and Command Tutorials for Beginners. Hope you enjoy them and find them useful :)

Order glossy booklet printing and matching brochures online.

Here goes the list, enjoy! (You can click on either the title or the image to view the tutorial)

Working with Layer Styles – understanding Drop Shadows

Learn How to Use Photoshop Color Replacement Tool

The Photoshop Gradient and Paint Bucket Tool

How to Use the Quick Selection Tool in Photoshop

Get to Know Photoshop’s Pen Tool

Using and Customizing Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts

Understanding Layers in Photoshop

Editing And Modifying Selection Masks

The Sharpen, Smudge, and Blur Tools

Image Resolution Explained in Photoshop

Using the Measurement Log in Photoshop

How to Create an Action in Photoshop

How to Install a Photoshop Brush

Image Resolution And Print Quality

Clone Perspectives with Vanishing Point Filter

That’s it for this showcase! Hope you enjoy those tutorials and find them useful! If you want to go through some further readings, check out the basics section here on psdvault.com and I have tons of beginner-friendly Photoshop tutorials there :)

Till next time, have a great day!

If you wish to get the latest updates on Video Photoshop Tutorial, you can simply subscribe to the PSD Vault YouTube Channel.

In this 5th volume, we have a video Photoshop tutorial to show you how you can use Warp tool plus to create great looking abstract shapes to decorate your design. This tutorial is a remake of the abstract warp tutorial posted on psdvault.com. Hopefully this will give you a better understanding of the warp tool and how you can use it to produce some cool abstract effect.

Let’s check out the video Photoshop tutorial below:

Hope you enjoy this video Photoshop tutorial and find it useful. Till next time, have a great day!

In this post, I will share 7 Useful Photoshop Secret Short-cuts to Make Your Life Easier when using Photoshop. I’ve learnt these tricks from various sources in the past, hopefully you find them useful :)

It’s time to start thinking about your 2012 calendar printing designs, they’re great for promoting a business year round.

Ok let’s get started!

1. Quickly Turn Off/On Photoshop Palettes

By Default, Photoshop will have a set of palettes and tools open on the left, top and right side of the canvas. Sometimes these can be a little distracting because you just want to see the photo only, nothing else.

You can turn off/on these Palettes and Tool simply by pressing the “Tab” key on your keyboard:

Else, if you just want to turn of the palettes on the right, you can press “Shift + Tab” key:

2. Fast Open Files in Photoshop upon Program Launches

When you initially launch Photoshop, you can simply double-click the grey background to bring up the Open Files window:

3. Quickly Zoom Image to 100%

If you open a large size stock image in Photoshop, Photoshop will open the file is a smaller scale to fit your screen resolution:

If you need to quickly view the image at 100%, you can simply double-click the Zoom Tool in the toolbox:

4. Toggle between Standard and Precise Brush Cursor

In Photoshop, there are two display types for Photoshop brush cursor, one is this standard l circle brush type as shown below:

You can switch to the precise mode by pressing the “Caps Lock” Key on your keyboard, the brush will turn into the following shape:

5. Temporary Enable Access to Hand Tool

Occasionally you need to temporarily enable hand tool to move the image, especially those large ones (or zoomed-in ones). You can simply press the spacebar key on your keyboard to turn the cursor into hand tool:

This trick is quite handy if you use a graphic tablet and need to move between different areas of the image.

6. Quickly Adjust Brush Opacity and Flow Values

You must hate using your mouse to adjust the opacity and flow of the Photoshop brush settings on the option bar. I guess you will be delighted to know that you can simply press the Numbers key on your keyboard to adjust the opacity value, or press Shift + Numbers Key to adjust the Flow value:

7. Draw Perfect Circle and Square

Photoshop marquee tool is the tool when it comes to drawing simple shapes:

One thing you need to know is that you can hold down the Shift Key to draw a perfect circle and square:

That’s it for this post! Hope you enjoy those Photoshop short-cut tips and find them useful! Till next time, happy Photoshopping :)

This is a beginner level tutorial and the steps are very easy to follow. Have a try :)

For tri-fold brochure printing projects, use an experienced online printing company.

OK let’s get started!

Update: I have made a video tutorial about this technique, you can click on the player below to view it right away:

Step 1

Download this image here and load it into Photoshop – firstly we want to duplicate the background layer once (always a good habit when it comes to image editing):

Go to “Channels” (View > Channels) and add a new Alpha Channel:

Then, hit Ctrl + A and select the entire canvas:

Go to the new Alpha Channel, copy and paste the selection onto our Alpha Channel:

Step 2

Go to Filter > Stylize > Find Edge and find the edges of this image on the Alpha Channel:

and here is the effect after the Find Edges Filter applied:

Then go to Image > Adjustments > Levels:

Apply the following Levels adjustment settings: (You can experiment with different values – the ultimate goal is to obtain as much contrast as possible)

Apply the following Gaussian Blur to blur the edges slightly:

You can apply the levels adjustment again to increase the contrast a bit for this Alpha Channel:

And here is the effect on the Alpha Channel:

Step 3

Load the selection on the Alpha 1 channel by holding down the Ctrl key and Left-click here:

Press Ctrl + Shift + I and inverse the selection:

Click on the “Layer 1″ layer and go back to the image, you will see the channel selection is still visible:

Hit Ctrl + J and duplicate this selection into a new layer, turn off the background and “layer 1″ layer, and you will see the following effect:

Step 4

We’re almost done! On this newly duplicated layer, apply the following Unsharp Mask settings: (Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask)

Hit Ctrl + F and apply this unsharp mask filter again, then apply the Fade Unsharp Mask option once:

and you will have the following effect so far:

Turn the original photo layer back on and you will see the image becomes clearer and contains more details. Here is the before and after effect for various parts of the image:

Hair and Decorations

Before

After

Face and Eyes

Before

After

Skirt

Before

After

That’s it for this tutorial! Hope you enjoy it and find it useful :) Till next time, have a great day!

If you wish to get the latest updates on Video Photoshop Tutorial, you can simply subscribe to the PSD Vault YouTube Channel.

In this 4th volume, we have a video Photoshop tutorial to show you how you can Create Fiery Particle Effect with Brush Dynamics. This tutorial is a remake of the original fiery effect tutorial posted on psdvault.com. Hopefully this will give you a better understanding of the brush dynamics and how you can apply those brush options to produce some great abstract effect.

Let’s check out the video Photoshop tutorial below:

Hope you enjoy this video Photoshop tutorial and find it useful. Till next time, have a great day!

In the mean time, I decided to start a new series here called “Let’s Learn Photoshop Basics” here on psdvault.com, and include those tutorials we posted on the psdvault.com YouTube channel and share them with the readers of PSD Vault.

Also, if you wish to get the latest updates on Video Photoshop Tutorial, you can subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

In this 3rd volume, we have a video Photoshop tutorial to show you how you can Create Beautiful Hair-like Abstract Lines via Pen Tool. This tutorial is a remake of the original hair-like abstract line tutorial  posted on psdvault.com. Hopefully this will give you a better understanding of the controls for Pen Tool.

Let’s check out the video Photoshop tutorial below:

Hope you enjoy this video Photoshop tutorial and find it useful. Till next time, have a great day!

In the mean time, I decided to start a new series here called “Let’s Learn Photoshop Basics” here on psdvault.com, and include those tutorials we posted on the psdvault.com YouTube channel and share them with the readers of PSD Vault.

Also, if you wish to get the latest updates on Video Photoshop Tutorial, please subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

In the 2nd volume, we have a video Photoshop tutorial to show you how you can add some depth for your text via layer blending options, light and shadow effect. Plus a trick on how to combine the cloud filter and the warp tool to create special effect.

Check out the video below:

Hope you enjoy this video Photoshop tutorial and find it useful. Till next time, have a great day!

In the mean time, I decided to start a new series here called “Let’s Learn Photoshop Basics” here on psdvault.com, and include those tutorials we posted on the psdvault.com YouTube channel and share them with the readers of PSD Vault.

Also, if you wish to get the latest updates on Video Photoshop Tutorial, please subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

In this first volume, the tutorial will go though some basic function of Photoshop layer masks, topics include:

1. Layer mask basic usage
2. Mask options
3. Erase on layer mask
4. Quick Masks
5. Clipping masks
6. Mask on image adjustment layers

Check out the video below:

Hope you enjoy this tutorial and find it useful. Till next time, have a great day!

In this tutorial, I will show you as a beginner, how to use self-made brush to create some nice abstract effect, plus having fun with the cloud filter and warp tool in Photoshop. I combined all these into making this abstract text effect, hopefully you will find it useful :)

Spicing up business cards with logos and design elements can have a lasting effect.

Here a preview of the final effect for this tutorial: (click to enlarge)

PSD File Download

You can download the PSD File for this tutorial via the VIP Members Area for only $6.95/Month (or less)! You will not only get this PSD File, but also 70+ other PSD Files + Extra Goodies + Exclusive Photoshop tutorials there. Signup now and get exclusive :) Find out more about the VIP Members Areas

OK Let’s get started!

To complete this tutorial, you will need the following stock:

Crack Brushes

Step 1

Create a new document (size doesn’t really matter) with light grey background, create a new layer and use a big soft white brush to paint a spot light from the top:

Load the crack brush into Photoshop, paint some crack pattern around the canvas (with a white colour brush) as shown below:

Step 2

Use the Crack brush downloaded, select one from the pack:

Adjust the brush size to fit our canvas, paint crack pattern as shown below with a black brush:

Perspective it with free transform tool (Ctrl + T and right-click) as shown below:

Use a soft eraser to remove its edges so it blends into the background:

Drop the layer opacity to around 20%, duplicate the crack layer once and link it with the original crack layer, you will have the following effect:

Use a Lasso Tool with 40px feather to draw a selection, and render some cloud in it with the cloud filter:

As you can see, because the feather setting we have on the lasso selection tool, the cloud will have a fade effect around its edge, making it easier to manipulate:

Drop the layer opacity for this cloud layer to around 20%, compress this cloud layer down with free transform tool:

Duplicate this cloud layer a few times and move them around the ground – adjust their shape, layer opacity as you go

and here is the effect you will have so far:

Step 3

Now we can have a play with the text layer. Use the Type Tool to type a letter on to the canvas – I will show you two ways to warp its shape:

Method 1: Right-click on the text layer, and choose “Warp Text … ” option:

You will be prompted with the following window, which you then select the style you want, and adjust the Bend, Horizontal and Vertical Distortion:

This method will maintain the type layer as it is – however, you can not paint on it as it’s not a rasterized layer.

Method 2: You can Rasterize the text layer by right-clicking the layer and choose Rasterize Type:

Then hit Ctrl + T, then right-click on the text to select “Warp”:

Please note that for method 2, once you rasterize the text, you will turn this layer into a flat layer.

Repeat this process on a few more letters, make a combination of those as shown below:

Create a layer under the text and use a soft black brush to paint some shadow under the text, use soft erase tool to remove unnecessary bits as you paint:

Hint: set the layer opacity to around 20% for a subtle effect, don’t over paint the shadow.

Step 4

Now we can make a custom brush and use it as an eraser. Firstly, let’s create a new document sized 80px * 80px with transparent background, create a new layer and grab the polygon tool:

Set sides to “3* for a triangle shape on the tool option bar:

Draw a triangle as shown below:

Then go to “Edit > Define Brush Preset”:

Give this brush a name and click on “OK” – you have finished making a new brush :)

Apply the following brush options to this newly-defined brush:

Shape Dynamics

Scattering

and tick the “Airbrush”, “Smoothing” and “Protect Texture” options.

Use this brush as eraser, erase some parts of the layer as shown below: (adjust the brush size as you see fit)

Step 5

OK we’re almost done! For some final touches, we can duplicate the text layer a few times, reduce their sizes and rotate them with free transform tool, scatter them around the canvas as shown below:

I also drew some lines around the text on a new layer:

and erased some parts of the lines with the triangle brush that was made earlier:

and here is the effect so far:

I added Some further colouring and lighting effect, and here is the final effect I have for this tutorial: (click to enlarge)

Meanwhile, you can check out this tutorial here on psdvault.com if you wish to learn some lighting effect tricks.

That’s it for this mini Photoshop tutorial! Hope you enjoy this tutorial and find it useful :)

Till next time, have a great day!