User Guide

Chapter 5: Painting And Image Editing
To add a visibility mask:
1. Select a paint object that does not have a visibility mask.
2. Choose Image | Add Visibility Mask. This command is not available if a Duotone, Indexed, or
Multichannel image is selected.
Adding a visibility mask does not change the appearance of a paint object; e.g., white pixels do not
become transparent. When a paint object has a visibility mask, you can select Preserve Visibility in
the Channels palette. When this option is selected, Canvas protects clear areas from the effects of
painting and image editing.
To create a transparent background:
1. Select the image object.
2. Click the fill ink icon in the Toolbox.
3. Select null ink. A visibility mask is applied to the object, and the white pixels become
transparent.
Paint object backgrounds
You can create a paint object in which the image “background” is transparent or opaque.
An opaque paint object contains opaque pixels. If the pixels are white and the paint object is on a
white background, you won’t notice that the image is opaque. Still, the rectangular paint object will
block objects behind it.
A transparent paint object can have a clear background that does not block other objects.
Painting in an opaque image is like painting on a wall. Painting in a transparent image is like painting
on a window.
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