Mask on B/W layer appears redundant How and why was it created?

[Chris26]

In this short clip I  have removed all text and unnecessary images and left just the man and his mask.  Since yesterday evening and this evening I have attempted to re-create this by copying the man and doing this mask myself.  I have studied it and have watched many videos over the weeks in A.Photo.  

Shoot me with a pineapple pistol, but for the life of me I see no logic whatsoever behind the creation of a mask over this B/W adjustment layer.  I have demonstrated in this video that the mask has no purpose to this layer whatsoever that I can see, and believe me I have tried to find the logic, the man and that very subtle blue  background (which I clearly see has been masked as showing when you click the mask layer on and off and see the icon change white to black) but the B/W adjustment layer does it all anyway, without the use of a mask.  Where on earth is the logic please?

Lastly I can not re-create the mask as per that page 5 in the video, even after following for a second time various videos   I refuse to believe that I am the only one who is finding Publisher's masking a nightmare, a confusing complicated process to simply hide a part of an object and reveal the rest. I would be so grateful if someone could, at the least, do a demonstration on how this mask was created in this picture, and above all WHY? PLEASE.....

I have to date not found one single tutorial, either video or written, that describes  the masking process in Publsiher. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

At 2 min 50 seconds in this video you hear him say the words, (AFTER he has selected evrything) , ....you click on the bottom here and it generates a mask.." There is no selection tool  in Publsher unless you enter the refine mask dialogue, but to do this Mmm, yes, you have to generate a mask FIRST.  Fine but what exactly is happening when you generate that mask, you can then refine it, by selecting as per A.photo. But nothing happens except a mysterious new empty selction box appearing?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7AG8tulGf0

 

 

[prophet]

31 minutes ago, Chris26 said:

I see no logic whatsoever behind the creation of a mask

Well, the mask allows for the man to be placed on top of another element. While the adjustment layer "fixes" the blue, it doesn't create the same ability a mask does.

33 minutes ago, Chris26 said:

 I refuse to believe that I am the only one who is finding Publisher's masking a nightmare

In the video you link to, the dude's using Photo not Publisher. so he has Photo's full tool set for masking. It seems Publisher is not really made for masking in that way. Vector masks…cool, raster masks…you can get there in a hacky way, but not the right tool for the job.

[lepr]

56 minutes ago, Chris26 said:

I see no logic whatsoever behind the creation of a mask

The Mask is providing the text wrap boundary for the man Image. Surprisingly, simply disabling the Mask does not prevent its influence on the text wrap. Move the Mask out of the Image, or delete the Mask, to stop it affecting the text wrap.

[Chris26]

2 hours ago, prophet said:

Well, the mask allows for the man to be placed on top of another element. While the adjustment layer "fixes" the blue, it doesn't create the same ability a mask does.

In the video you link to, the dude's using Photo not Publisher. so he has Photo's full tool set for masking. It seems Publisher is not really made for masking in that way. Vector masks…cool, raster masks…you can get there in a hacky way, but not the right tool for the job.

I would have just stuck the image on top of another image, that seems more logical.  But the adjustment layer affects both the blue and the man.   Yes I know the gentleman is talking about A.Photo, but it is good to read what you said about raster masks, problem I am having is that there far too many options with masks in Publsher: Namely:

Ratserise to mask...Edit mask (goodness knows what this is supposed to do having searched for meaning on this many times, no one appears to talk about this)......Refine mask (which has eactly the same meaning contextually as " Edt " althugh not in applicability no doubt, PLUS when accessed turn out to be 'Selection mask")......Make mask......

2 hours ago, anon2 said:

The Mask is providing the text wrap boundary for the man Image. Surprisingly, simply disabling the Mask does not prevent its influence on the text wrap. Move the Mask out of the Image, or delete the Mask, to stop it affecting the text wrap.

Really?  A text wrap boundry? Ok -  yes I moved it and you are right, I see it I get that now, but rather a complicated way to text wrap surely?  I am doing the same thing with the pen tool and achieving the same effect - it took me 7 seconds to do this........

 

But my question remains:  How did he create this mask,  very tired of trying to work things out withot a single piece of instruction from anywhere, no video, no tutorial, nothing in help..PLEASE

[prophet]

Maybe I'm confused, but if you're asking how to make a raster mask in Publisher, I wouldn't.

If you're asking how to make a mask in Photo…

• Use Selection Brush Tool [W] to get a rough selection of the subject (or select the background and then invert it)
• Layer > New Mask Layer
• Right Click the new (Mask) and select Refine Mask
• Use the settings and handy Foreground/Background brush to clean it all up.

[Move Along People]

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[prophet]

Well @haakoo that does work doesn't it. Just underscores that all 3 apps have the same underpinnings, but have different tool sets depending on the perceived purpose/needs of any singular app, and thus the purpose and beauty of the personas in Publisher.