Making a 'soft edge' mask?

[terrypin]

Using PSP 8, I'm having trouble making a simple rectangular mask with gradually greyed edges. I want it to look like this but with the small area outside the pure black merging gradually to pure white. What's the easiest way to do that please?



My aim is to use it in my video editor to give the sort of result shown below. But so far the methods I've used in PSP 8 still gave an unsatisfactory result, with a faint black outline around the mask.



I had no problem making a mask suitable for a black background, only for a white one.

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

[Kathy_9]

Terry - looks like you have your colors reversed. You would want white in the middle and gray/black around the edges, similar to the attached, to give the faded effect.

Example Mask

[fs999]

You could use the 3D Effect Drop Shadow to that effect.

[Cassel]

Fill a large image in black as a background.
Draw your rectangle shape with the Selection tool.
Add a feathering (Selection > Modify > Feather) to the amount you want.
Flood fill that area with white
Deselect (Ctrl-D)
And you have it. Remember the mnemonic: Black with Block (the color from showing through).

[MarkZ]

I took a slightly different approach that give me greater precision around the edges:

1. Create a new file of the size you want and since this is a mask it does not have to be exactly the size of the image where it will be used.
2. Promote background layer and fill with black
3. Create new raster layer and fill with white.
4. Selection/Select all
5. Decide the width of the border in pixels up to a max of 200 - say 5% of width. Selection/Modify/Contract and in the box enter the value chosen.
6. Selection/Modify/Inside-outside feather. Click on outside feather and use the same value as in the previous step.
7. Selection/Invert and press delete. Save for future use.

To use this mask:
1. Create a new raster layer under the image on which you want the border. Fill the layer with the colour you want to show through.
2. Open the mask image created in the first part - say FeatherMask.
3. Select the image and select Layer/New Mask Layer/Image and select the FeatherMask image.

[terrypin]

Thanks all, appreciate your help.

It turned out that the reason for my difficulty was my mistake when arranging my target, mask and white background within my video editor. Not helped by Magix MEP's rather unconventional layer structure, which places the 'top' layer at the bottom...


@Kathy_9: MEP allows quick toggling between 'white = transparent' and 'black = transparent'. In this instance I initially chose a black interior because of the required white background.

But I'm a relative novice at PSP 8 mask-making anyway (having relied mainly on those built-in) so this is a very useful learning exercise.

I especially liked MarkZ's method. Although it was plainly not the fastest approach, it gave me the most control. And it was the first time I've used New Mask Layer!

@MarkZ: I guess more experienced users regard it as obvious, but in my notes for future reference I've added this additional step under 'To use this mask:':
1. Open the target image and Promote Background layer.

One puzzling point arose when I used the Modify Selection Expand/Contract commands. At first I contracted by 40, but then decided 20 would be better. So I expanded by 20 to achieve that. I was surprised to find that gave rounded corners instead of sharp ones.

[Kathy_9]

Glad you have it sorted out Terry. With PSP there is usually more than one way to accomplish something.

[terrypin]

Fill a large image in black as a background.
Draw your rectangle shape with the Selection tool.
Add a feathering (Selection > Modify > Feather) to the amount you want.
Flood fill that area with white
Deselect (Ctrl-D)

@Cassel: Thanks, I botched this earlier but in re-trying it looks like it might be just as easy to control as MarkZ's method, and much quicker. One point I'm unsure about: is the feathering meant to be Outside?

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK