Best Image Masking Service For eCommerce And Photographers

Updated on February 23, 2023 in Photo Editing by Alifiya Mustafa

Professional product photo editing services use various techniques to make an image meet the market standards. And, one of them is Photo Masking Service.

It is necessary to make an image look engaging and captivating to catch viewers’ attention and stand out from the rest of the competition. Photoshop Image Masking Service helps you achieve high-quality images without destructing the original image.

It is also the safest and most efficient photo editing technique.

What Is An Image Masking Service?

Image Masking Service is a photo editing technique that is used to separate or edit the subject of images without destroying a single pixel. In a nutshell, a Photoshop Photo Masking helps to make a better and more precise selection of the subject for further editing.

What Are The Types Of Image Masking?

There are two major types of Photoshop Image Masking Services:

1. Layer Mask

Layer Masking is a photo editing technique that is used to separate or edit subjects/parts of images. With this method, you can make an area of the image completely invisible or partially visible without destroying any pixel. A layer mask can carry transparency and refine edges.

When you use the black brush on the mask, that portion of the image is fully transparent. This makes the layer(s) beneath them transparent. The reason to use this method is to adjust the ratio of one or more parts of the image being exposed or blurred. In this, the opacity of the primary subjects can be customized and maintained to suit the background.

To capture the details of every subject and maintain the photo quality, PixelPhant Photo Masking Service handles complex edges with a Layer Mask to get precise and accurate selections for further editing.

2. Channel Mask

In Channel Masking Service, masks are stored in alpha channels. Professional photo masking services approach this method with the idea to combine masking and clipping paths. It is useful when the background of the images is of a single color. In alpha channel masking, the primary subjects get separated by removing the background. It is most common for hair masking. The separated subjects or layers are called the alpha loop. These loops are saved individually so that you can go back and re-edit them for any use at anytime. Channel Masking is generally used by professionals to secure the details like fabric threads, hairs, furs, and to save file space.

What Is The Alternative To Image Masking?

The best alternative to the image masking is the Clipping Path service. Clipping Path is an exact, hand-drawn selection of the subject that can be saved for future use. Here, a particular area that needs to be edited is cut out from the main image using the Selection tool or the Pen tool in Photoshop.

The image can be saved as a JPG which can carry Clipping path information to be used later in Photoshop. One disadvantage, of the Clipping path compared to a Layer mask in terms of quality and efficiency, is that the clipping path cannot carry transparency or refined edges, it’s a simple outline of the subject.

What Is The Difference Between A Clipping Path And A Mask?

A Clipping Path is a precise, hand-drawn selection of a particular area of the image for editing, creating a cutout, or removing it from the main image. On the other hand, a mask is another layer or channel that is used to perform editing without destroying the pixels underneath the layer(s).

A Clipping Path is created to save that selected path that can be used in the future for any kind of editing. It is created using the selection tool or pen tool whereas a mask is created using the ‘Add Mask’ option in Photoshop.

Why Do You Need Photo Masking Service?

Using an Image Masking Service is crucial if you are using your images for professional and commercial purposes like photos of product images, makeup models, etc.

There are multiple benefits and uses of a Photo Masking Service such as:

1. Does not destroy the original image

Layer masks and vector masks are nondestructive. This means you can go back and re‑edit the masks later while still saving the pixels they hide. In the Layers panel in Photoshop, both the vector and layer masks appear as an additional thumbnail to the right of the layer.

For the layer mask, this thumbnail illustrates the grayscale channel that is created when you add the layer mask. The vector mask thumbnail shows a path that clips out the subject of the layer.

2. Reveal or hide

One of the common use of Photo Masking is to reveal or hide the areas of an image. It means that you can hide and show the masked areas of a layer later without losing the details. When you add a layer mask, you can show or hide all of the layers, or place the mask on a selection. Later, you can paint on the mask to precisely hide portions of the layer, revealing the layers underneath.

It helps you to isolate a particular part of the image and not the whole background. You can make transitions to the areas where creating a clipping path could be hard like hairs, fur, clouds, etc.

3. Change/ Remove background of the translucent images

Photo masking comes in very useful especially when you want to remove the background of a glass object, transparent object, or see-through clothing material. No matter how much the background of your images is busy, with the help of a masking service, you can remove the background in the most professional way.

4. Modifies the selected area in the image

When you create a mask over an image, it allows you to modify the particular selected area while leaving the rest of the image completely untouched. Simply create a mask on the area of the image that needs to be modified. Once a layer mask is created, you can start making changes to that part without revealing the rest of the image.

Professional photo masking services usually use this technique in hair masking, to change the color of the garment, manipulative retouching, or to match the color of the garment or hairs to the desired color tone.

For example, if you are looking to change just the lip color of the model, or want to just change the color of the pants, you can do that by creating a layer mask.

5. Combining the contents of two images in one

Have you ever seen images where people would edit their images standing next to John Cena? Well, such interesting mixes and matches can be created using the Image Masking technique. You can create a mask, cut out the subjects and combine those multiple subjects into another masked layer.

6. The professional expertise

When you choose a product photo outsourcing service, you get the assistance of professional experts that are dealing regularly in product photo editing.

These professional Image masking Services have trained professionals for each work and help you get high-quality results. The Photo Masking Service helps you look professional and keep up with the trends to compete in the market equally with visually-appealing product photos and better consistency.

How Do You Make An Image Mask In Photoshop?

Creating an Image Mask is easy in Photoshop. Here’s how you can do it👇

The choice is up to you

The Photoshop Image Masking Service is a necessary service to make the post-production work faster, easier, and more precise. If you are an eCommerce business owner or a professional photographer with thousands of product images, the need for the Clipping Mask, Layers Mask, and Channel Mask service is crucial.

Beautiful product images across your website.

Background Removal, Clipping Path, Color Correction, Cropping & Resize, Retouching, adding Shadows, and more.

Try PixelPhant for free
No Card Details Required