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how to invert a mask in affinity photo

HeyBraza points at the mask thumbnail (not the image) so ctrl+i actually inverts the mask instead of doing nothing.

inverting a mask flips what's hidden and what's shown - useful when you want to start with everything hidden and paint detail back in. the catch is you have to select the mask thumbnail itself, not the layer's image, or the shortcut seems to do nothing. here's exactly where to click.

or do it yourself

  1. 1in the layers panel, click the mask thumbnail so it has the highlight ring - not the image thumbnail next to it.
  2. 2press ctrl+i (cmd+i on mac) to invert the mask.
  3. 3or use the menu: layer > invert, which does the same thing.
  4. 4a white mask becomes black (hides everything) or black becomes white (reveals everything) - paint with the opposite colour to add detail back.

let HeyBraza do this with you

HeyBraza is a tiny on-screen guide that points at the right buttons and talks you through it, on windows and mac.

download

common questions

why isn't ctrl+i inverting my mask?

you have the image thumbnail selected, not the mask - click the mask thumbnail first so it's ringed, then ctrl+i works.

what's the point of inverting a mask?

it lets you hide the whole adjustment, then brush it back only where you want it, instead of erasing it everywhere else.

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