Affinity Tutorial: Using png Photo Masks

I scrapbook with the Affinity Suite, and have put a little tutorial together on how use a png Photo Mask or Blending Mask in Affinity Photo, Designer and Publisher. The steps are the same in all 3 programs. I am going to be using Affinity Publisher in this example.

For this tutorial I have used the Catching Waves Photo Masks by A Whimsical Adventure, part of the Catching Waves Collection that is 50% off today (17th May 2023) for the SOSN sale.

1. Place your photo onto the page.
2. Duplicate your photo layer by right clicking on the layer icon in the layers panel and choosing duplicate. Turn of the visibility of the duplicate photo layer. We will use this later.
3. Place your photomask onto the page above the photo. (I'm using mask 2)
4. Adjust the opacity of the mask so you can see the photo through it - this is a temporary thing we will undo this later. It makes getting the positioning of the photo mask easier.

5. Resize, rotate and position the mask as needed to cover the part of the photo you want to see.
6. Return the opacity of the photo mask to 100%.
7. Right click on the photo mask layer's icon in the layers panel and chose mask to below.

8. If you are not totally happy with the positioning, then right click on the photo mask layer's icon in the layers panel and chose release. Then repeat steps 5 & 7.

9. Now I want the face part of my photo to be clearer. For this we will use that 2nd copy of the photo.
10. Place a photo mask (can be the same one of a different one for the same set) on the page and resize and position it to cover only the face area. (I've chosen to use mask 4)

11. Turn the duplicate photo layer visibility back on, and move the layer under the new mask, but above the previously masked photo.

12. Right click on the photo mask layer's icon in the layers panel and chose mask to below.
13. Adjust the opacity of this layer if you need to.

14. Group the two masked photos so if you move them later they stay together. Select them both in the layers panel, rightclick, group.

My finished layout uses
Catching Waves Photo Masks by A Whimsical Adventure
Catching Waves Gradient Papers by A Whimsical Adventure
Catching Waves Embelishments by A Whimsical Adventure

 

hello @AnneofAlamo and @gonewiththewind , please add this to the tutorials listing thank you.

 

I'm not sure as I don't have ipad. I'll check with the Affinity community and see if someone there can help.

In the meantime, in-case you need this for an MOC page. This tutorial shows masking with abr files. Some designers have their masks in both abr and png format.
https://the-lilypad.com/forum/threa...stalling-and-stamping-with-abr-brushes.90350/

 

@Ladybug57
The response I've had from an Affinity Expert is:
"I can confirm that Affinity on iPad doesn't have a direct menu option for 'Mask to Below' - however this can be achieved by manually moving the required layer.
For step 7 in your instructions, you would instead tap and drag the Mask layer over the thumbnail of the Image layer below."

Make sure you drag it directly over the thumbnail icon (not to the right of the icon)

 

well done. Beautiful page.