Do I need a Quick Mask ?

[augustya]

Hi Guys,

So I was watching one video on YouTube about Quick Mask and this guy was saying after you make a selection and before going into refine you can do a quick Mask to check any areas that have not been masked, left out, first make the initial selection, then make the correction in quick Mask and then go to refine and make refinements by going into refine.

My question is how is this useful ? is this recommended ? What are the advantages of use a quick Mask when anyways I am going to go into refine and I am gonna check there for areas that have been left and not been masked properly and i can correct my selection there, but how is this going extra step of going into quick Mask gonna help ? Before going into refine ? What are your thoughts on this ? 

[firstdefence]

A Quick mask; a red overlay where there is no selection can be useful to see instead of the marching ants selection indicator, especially on busy images.

https://affinity.help/photo/English.lproj/pages/Selections/editSelectionAsLayer.html

There is an example of the quick mask at approx 3:30 on...

https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/tutorials/photo/desktop/video/500355314/

[augustya]

1 hour ago, firstdefence said:

A Quick mask; a red overlay where there is no selection can be useful to see instead of the marching ants selection indicator, especially on busy images.

https://affinity.help/photo/English.lproj/pages/Selections/editSelectionAsLayer.html

There is an example of the quick mask at approx 3:30 on...

https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/tutorials/photo/desktop/video/500355314/

But the question here is, why add another step in between when anyways you are going to correct and refine left over areas and areas that are not masked in your initial selection by going into refine. Anyways that will be taken care when you are in refine. So what is the advantage of this extra step of Quick Mask ? I don't get it ?!

[firstdefence]

It's not another step, it's just another option to have to check, or improve a selection in a more visual way, you don't have to use it it's just another option in the selection toolset.

[augustya]

1 minute ago, firstdefence said:

It's not another step, it's just another option to have to check, or improve a selection in a more visual way, you don't have to use it it's just another option in the selection toolset.

I mean not that I am completely averse to it, if it is gonna help, I am all for it, it is just that it does not make sense to me.

Unless someone explains me with a real example.

[Old Bruce]

7 minutes ago, augustya said:

So what is the advantage of this extra step of Quick Mask ? I don't get it ?!

So don't do it. It was a suggestion from a video tutorial correct? If it doesn't add some value to your workflow don't use it.

[augustya]

Just now, Old Bruce said:

So don't do it. It was a suggestion from a video tutorial correct? If it doesn't add some value to your workflow don't use it.

🙂 If it helps. i do not mind using it.

[firstdefence]

Personally, I favour accuracy over an overtly streamlined workflow, discounting a benefit for the sake of speed or minimal steps is not always a good thing, having to redo a step or steps because a selection was deemed ok when in fact it wasn't actually seems like wasted time.

 

[augustya]

14 hours ago, Old Bruce said:

So don't do it. It was a suggestion from a video tutorial correct? If it doesn't add some value to your workflow don't use it.

 

14 hours ago, firstdefence said:

Personally, I favour accuracy over an overtly streamlined workflow, discounting a benefit for the sake of speed or minimal steps is not always a good thing, having to redo a step or steps because a selection was deemed ok when in fact it wasn't actually seems like wasted time.

 

I am not like Super Pro with my selections, I normally use the Select Brush Tool and it is not accurate all the times (Depending on the Clarity of the image used & My Skill) So do you guys reckon I should start using this ? the quick Mask Tool and make it a part of my selection and Refine Process ? It will help ?

[firstdefence]

59 minutes ago, augustya said:

 

I am not like Super Pro with my selections, I normally use the Select Brush Tool and it is not accurate all the times (Depending on the Clarity of the image used & My Skill) So do you guys reckon I should start using this ? the quick Mask Tool and make it a part of my selection and Refine Process ? It will help ?

Try it, if you think it improves your selection technique or benefits you at all, then use it. If it just gets in the way of normal habits don't use it, if you are struggling to make a good selection use it. Only you can tell whether it is a benefit or a hinderance but you will never know if you never use it.

[augustya]

1 hour ago, firstdefence said:

Try it, if you think it improves your selection technique or benefits you at all, then use it. If it just gets in the way of normal habits don't use it, if you are struggling to make a good selection use it. Only you can tell whether it is a benefit or a hinderance but you will never know if you never use it.

So if I am using Select Brush Tool then do the initial Selection go to Quick Mask check for imperfections, correct it then (By the way How to come out of Quick Mask ?) After coming out of it from there then go to refine ? That's how I do it ? Right ?

[firstdefence]

You come out of quick mask the same way you go in, it's a toggle switch, both on and off, first click: on, second click: off

It's not a big deal, use it, don't, it's an aid to selection clarification, nothing more.

You don't have to come out of quick mask to use the refine option you can stay in quick mask and see the effects the refine sliders have on the quick mask. Just have a play around and see what happens, experimentation is a good way to learn.

[augustya]

19 hours ago, firstdefence said:

you can stay in quick mask and see the effects the refine sliders have on the quick mask.

Hey ! So I tried to play around with this a little bit, But I cannot locate this when in Quick Mask.

I could not locate the refine sliders in Quick Mask ?

What do you mean by Refine Sliders ?

Can you post a screenshot of it ?

Thanks !

[firstdefence]

While in quick mask click on the Refine... button.

[augustya]

2 minutes ago, firstdefence said:

While in quick mask click on the Refine... button.

oh...ok...

[augustya]

47 minutes ago, firstdefence said:

While in quick mask click on the Refine... button.

You Mean this one right ? But it is the same Refine like when I go Select Brush and from there I go to refine.

 

[Ron P.]

Yes it is the same.

[R C-R]

6 hours ago, augustya said:

But it is the same Refine like when I go Select Brush and from there I go to refine.

If you mean the "Refine Edges..." item on the Select menu, then yes, it opens the same "Refine Selection" window. But because it is a menu item, you can use it any time you have a 'marching ants' raster selection, even when you are not in Quick Mask mode, and/or assign a keyboard shortcut to it.