UEN Web Academy

Masking with Text

Masking is basically seeing one object through another. Sort of like a window. Effects can then be added to the mask or "window" which then change how the underlying image appears. In this example we will create a text mask. The window or mask will be string a of text that has been resized and then converted to a path object. When the text is masked to the image we only see the image through the text and outside of the text we just see the canvas where the image used to be.	Click to enlarge

Open the image and select the Text tool. the text is going to be the window so use the properties bar to select a font that is as big and wide as possible.	Click to enlarge

After the text is typed you can edit it's properties by selecting it with the text tool and the using the Properties bar. Get the text as large as possible using the font controls.	Click to enlarge

There is a limit to sizing using the text tools so use the Scale tool to stretch the text box even more.	Click to enlarge

The transform tool puts handle on the text box that can be stretched independently.	Click to enlarge

With a little work you can get the text to fill a large portion of the image. The more area the text covers the better the final effect will be.	Click to enlarge

Text is a special type of vector object so before it can be used as a mask it needs to be converted to a path object.	Click to enlarge

Select Text >> Convert to Path. Now the two can be masked.	Click to enlarge

Select both objects and the go to Modify >> Mask >> Group as Mask.	Click to enlarge

Preview in a browser by pressing F12 to see how it will actually appear.	Click to enlarge

Other effects like a Inner Bevel an be added to the mask. Select just the mask in the layer panel and the select the "plus" button in under Effects in the properties bar.	Click to enlarge

Once a effect has been added you can edit it by clicking on the corresponding small blue circle in the Effects region of the Properties panel	Click to enlarge

Preview it in a browser to check out the effect. Save and Export and the image is ready to be used on a page.	Click to enlarge


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