Intensity Masking: White Reveals while Black Conceals

Intensity masking (also called grayscale masking) is based on the grayscale intensity of the masking layer. The basic rule is, “white reveals while black conceals.” Choose the Invert option, and white will conceal while black will reveal. Portions of a mask that are not pure black or white will pass through the mask’s layer stack based on density. A 50 percent gray will be 50 percent transparent. We can use images, gradient fills, and even video clips as masks. Of course, we have to choose the mask carefully to match the desired effect.

Slide 1: A Simple Stencil

Launch Producer and open the Mask3.psh show file. This show has three slides, and all make use of intensity masks. The first slide isn’t designed to be a show-stopper. I created it to demonstrate the basic principles of grayscale masking using a gradient layer. The other two slides are designed to show what you can accomplish with this style of masking and a little imagination.