Mask Question
Does anyone know a quick and easy way to get a grayscale image to be a layer mask?
I usually go through this ridiculous round about way of doing it. I add a grayscale image as a layer, then right click on that layer to Add a Layer Mask and select the option to use a grayscale version of the layer as a mask. Then I go to Layer Mask to Selection. Then I go to the actual layer that I want masked and Add a Layer Mask from the selection.
There has got to be an easier way to do it than that though. But most other ways that I've found (like selecting on white in the grayscale image and using that to create the mask) don't preserve the fine gradations in the edges of the original grayscale image.
What am I missing?
EDIT
After reading lachatdelarue's reply, I figured it out. Her method works as well, but if you don't want to create a brush first, you can use 'Anchor Layer' to do it. If anyone else wants to know, here are the steps:
Make the layer you want masked the topmost layer, then right click, select Add Layer Mask and check the option 'White' (I think black would work too, but I went with White). Make sure the Mask part of the layer is what's highlighted (just click on the mask thumbnail instead of the layer image thumbnail). Then copy/paste the grayscale image you want to use for your mask. Once you've pasted, you get a Floating Selection. Right click and select Anchor Layer instead of New Layer. It will get copied into the layer mask.
I usually go through this ridiculous round about way of doing it. I add a grayscale image as a layer, then right click on that layer to Add a Layer Mask and select the option to use a grayscale version of the layer as a mask. Then I go to Layer Mask to Selection. Then I go to the actual layer that I want masked and Add a Layer Mask from the selection.
There has got to be an easier way to do it than that though. But most other ways that I've found (like selecting on white in the grayscale image and using that to create the mask) don't preserve the fine gradations in the edges of the original grayscale image.
What am I missing?
EDIT
After reading lachatdelarue's reply, I figured it out. Her method works as well, but if you don't want to create a brush first, you can use 'Anchor Layer' to do it. If anyone else wants to know, here are the steps:
Make the layer you want masked the topmost layer, then right click, select Add Layer Mask and check the option 'White' (I think black would work too, but I went with White). Make sure the Mask part of the layer is what's highlighted (just click on the mask thumbnail instead of the layer image thumbnail). Then copy/paste the grayscale image you want to use for your mask. Once you've pasted, you get a Floating Selection. Right click and select Anchor Layer instead of New Layer. It will get copied into the layer mask.