Mask
Show the layer only where a shape says it can be seen.
A mask clips the layer to a shape. Inside the shape the layer draws; outside it does not. Invert the mask and it is the other way round.
Nothing is destroyed. The artwork is intact underneath, so you can move the layer inside its mask, move the mask over the layer, or animate either.
When to reach for it#
- Reveals — animate the mask and the artwork appears.
- Fitting artwork inside a shape, a frame, or a letterform.
- Spotlights and vignettes.
- Knocking a hole in a layer so something behind shows through.
How it works#
The mask shape is a path. It can be a rectangle or ellipse you drew, a vector shape, or type. Feathering blurs the mask edge, which softens the cut without touching the artwork.
Animating the mask is the reveal. Animating the layer inside a stationary mask is a scroll. Both are common, and knowing which one you want first saves a lot of undo.
Parameters#
What does the clipping. Any path works — a drawn shape, an imported vector, or a text layer, which is how you fill letters with video.
Scales the mask independently of the layer, so you can grow the visible area without stretching the artwork.
Softens the mask edge in pixels. 0 is a hard cut. Large values on a small mask can erase it entirely, since the blur eats in from both sides.
Swaps inside for outside. The mask becomes a hole rather than a window.
Grows or shrinks the mask before feathering. Useful for pulling a mask in slightly after feathering has spread it out.
Recipes#
A wipe reveal
- Put the artwork on a layer.
- Add a Mask and choose a rectangle sized to cover the artwork.
- Move the mask fully off one side and set a keyframe.
- Move it to cover the artwork and set a second keyframe a second later.
- Add 20–40 px of feather so the edge is not mechanical.
Video inside letters
- Put the video or image layer on top of the text layer.
- Add a Mask to the video and set the mask shape to the text.
- Hide the original text layer.
Keep the text layer around even though it is hidden — it is still driving the mask, and deleting it empties the mask.
Things that catch people out#
Feather blurs from both sides of the edge. On a 30 px mask, 20 px of feather leaves almost nothing solid. Grow the mask or lower the feather.
A glow added after the mask spreads past the mask edge, because it is operating on the already-clipped result. If you want the glow clipped too, put it before the mask in the stack.
See also#
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