A mask is basically a black-and-white stencil. The black in a mask is the portion that is open for editing, and the white is the part of the mask that covers the portions you don't want to affect.

Let's start out by making a simple mask. Click on the File menu and choose New. In the resulting dialog box, enter 400 for the Image Dimensions Width and 400 for the Height (in pixels). The Background color should be White. Click OK. Now that you have a blank white canvas, it's time to make a black shape. Set the Foreground color in the Color Palette to Black. Click on the Shapes tool in the Tool Palette. In the Tool Options Palette, choose Shape Type: Ellipse, Style Filled, and checkmark Antialias. Place your mouse in the center of the white canvas, then click and drag outward to make the ellipse shape.

Now to finish your new mask, you'll need to save it to disk. Click on the Masks menu and then choose New, From Image. In the resulting dialog box, choose Source Image, This Window and choose Source Luminance and Invert Mask Data. Click OK. Now your black ellipse appears on a transparent background. Click on the Masks menu again and choose Save To Disk. Create a new Masks folder within your PSP folder so your saved masks are easier to find later. To create a new folder, click on the Create New Folder icon. A folder will appear with the name New Folder highlighted. Simply type "Masks" in its place. Now double-click on the Masks folder to open it. Type "Ellipse" in the File Name box and click OK.

We have created a simple mask from a basic shape and saved it to disk. Now we'll apply it to an image. Choose File, Open and then open an image. Click on the Edit menu and choose Copy. Return to the Edit menu and choose Paste As A New Image. (You can do this all in one step by using <Shift> + D). This step ensures that you don't inadvertently ruin the original image. Click on the X in the upper-left corner of the original image to close it. Next, click on the Masks menu and choose Load From Disk. Browse for the Masks folder that you created. Click on the Ellipse mask and then click OK. What happened? The image now has a portion of the background removed, with the remaining portion in an ellipse! Now you can copy the shape and paste it onto any background you like.

When you're making a new mask, it's best to make it rather large for generic purposes. The mask, when applied to an image, will adjust to the proportions of the image. Keep in mind that if you have an image that is much wider than it is long, or vice versa, the mask will stretch and appear out of proportion.

To remedy this, try making a custom mask for the image on which you plan to use it. To do this, open the image you plan on masking by clicking on the File menu and choosing Open. Browse to the image to which you want to apply the mask. Make a copy of the image by going to the Edit menu and choosing Copy. Return to the Edit menu and choose Paste As A New Image. (You can do this all in one step by using <Shift> + D). This step ensures that you don't inadvertently ruin the original image. Click on the X in the upper-left corner of the original image to close it.

Next, click on the View menu and choose Image Information. The resulting dialog box will give you the exact dimensions of the image. Now open a new image by clicking on the File menu and choosing New. In the Image Dimensions section of the resulting dialog box, enter the dimensions of the original image and click OK. Draw the black shape onto the white canvas. Click on the Masks menu and choose New, From Image. In the resulting dialog box, you'll see a drop-down menu in the Source Image section. Choose the new image that you made. If you have just the mask image and the copy of your image open in the workspace, then the mask you made will be Image 2. Click OK. Now the mask appears on the image in the correct proportions. The background becomes transparent. Oops, the mask is on backwards. No problem. Just click on the Masks menu and choose Invert Mask.

Now we will make an edge on an image using the Mask function. Let's start out by making an edge mask.

Open a new image. Enter 400 for the Width and 400 for the Height. Choose White for the Background color. Set the Foreground color in the Color Palette to Black. Now choose one of the Paint tools from the Tool Palette. The idea here is to outline the edges of the white canvas on the new image in an abstract fashion. You can paint on a random zigzag edge or a straight edge; the type is a matter of choice. The end result will be a frame of sorts. Remember that the black portion of a mask is the portion you will work with, while the white portion of a mask is the area that is protected. Save the mask by clicking on the Masks menu and choosing New, From Image. In the resulting dialog box, choose This Window for the Image Source, and click OK. Next, click on the Masks menu and choose Save To Disk. Enter the filename Edge and save the file to the Paint Shop Pro Masks folder. The file extension should read *.msk.

Now that you have an edge, you're ready to apply it as a mask to your image. Open the image you plan on masking. Make a copy of the image by choosing Edit, Copy. Return to the Edit menu and choose Paste As A New Image. This step ensures that you don't inadvertently ruin the original image. Click on the X in the upper-left corner of the original image to close it. Now add a new raster layer to your image by clicking on the New Layer icon in the Layer Palette. Choose a color for the final edge. (To best complement a photo or an image, try using the Dropper tool in the Tool Palette and clicking it on one of the dominant colors in the photo or image.) Next, click on the Flood Fill tool in the Tool Palette and click on the image to fill the layer. The image is now one solid color. To apply the mask, click on the Masks menu and choose Load From Disk. In the resulting dialog box, choose the file named Edge and click OK.

Now that you have the mask on the image, it's time to create some special effects. Click on the Masks menu and choose Save To Alpha Channel. Click on the Masks menu again and choose Delete. A warning box will pop up asking if you want to merge the mask into the current layer; click OK. Next, add another new layer to your image by clicking on the New Layer icon in the Layer Palette. Click on the Selections menu and choose Load From Alpha Channel. You should now see a selection marquee around your edge. Select Image, Effects, Drop Shadow. Make the Shadow Color black, the Opacity 100%, and the Blur 0. Using the Vertical slider in the Offset section, click and drag to the number 1. Repeat this process with the Horizontal slider. Click OK. Now the edge begins to have some dimension. Finally, repeat this process, but instead of having the Vertical and Horizontal sliders set at 1, set them at -1. The final image should have a three-dimensional edge that looks like a fancy frame!