User Guide

Masking images 217
5. Select Edit > Paste Inside.
The objects you pasted appear to be inside or clipped by the mask object.
Using text as a mask
Text masks are a type of vector mask. You apply text masks just as you apply masks using
existing objects: you simply use text as the mask object. The usual way to apply a text mask is
to use its path outline, but you can apply a text mask using its grayscale appearance as well.
A text mask applied using its path outline
For more information, see “Creating a mask from an existing object” on page 213. For more
information about the different ways masks can be applied, see “Changing the way masks are
applied” on page 227.
Masking objects using the Layers panel
The quickest way to add an empty, transparent bitmap mask is through the Layers panel. The
Layers panel adds a white mask to an object, which you can customize by drawing on it with
the bitmap tools.
NOTE
For details on creating empty, opaque (or black) masks, see “Masking objects using the
Reveal and Hide commands” on page 219.