Difference between picture frame and cutting mask

[Michail]

There is obviously a difference whether I place an image in a frame or whether I manually create a cut mask from a frame and an image. See attached file.
In the left frame I placed the image directly. The image layer shows a frame symbol. On the right I cropped the image using the layer panel. The cropping works, but the frame seems to exist separately.

Now comes the amazing thing: When I sapparate the left image and the frame again, I can manually create a cut mask afterwards (also with other image frames). The left image must contain information (even outside the frame) that the right image doesn't have. But I can't see the difference between the two pictures.

I don't know if this is intended. The layers are in the same state in both cases. Nevertheless, it is a difference. This may make the work more difficult if several images belong to such a cut mask group.

picture frame.afpub

[Sean P]

Hi Michail,

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by 'cut mask' group. However the Picture Frame object is special in that it lets you load an image into it (using Replace Image) on the Picture Frame Context Toolbar. Doing this creates a special object inside the picture frame, indicated by the frame symbol as you mentioned in the Layers Panel.

When a picture frame has that corresponding image it gives you access to the scale slider and also the 'Resize Picture Frame to Content' button on the toolbar. The object is still a container so you can add other images that you might want in the frame. In your right hand frame, you've just added the image into the container, however because you've done that the frame doesn't treat that as the frames 'image'.

A good explanation of this is designing a Picture Frame object and then adding some decorative elements such as drawing pins or borders, but you can still use the 'Replace Image' button to easily add or replace the main image you want keeping those decorative elements in place.

Hope that makes sense.

[Michail]

1 hour ago, Sean P said:

When a picture frame has that corresponding image it gives you access to the scale slider and also the 'Resize Picture Frame to Content' button on the toolbar. The object is still a container so you can add other images that you might want in the frame. In your right hand frame, you've just added the image into the container, however because you've done that the frame doesn't treat that as the frames 'image'.

Thanks for explaining, Sean.

I understand: So I can't create a picture frame manually using the layers. That's not so bad, because I can always convert an image into a picture frame.

I was also interested in whether these special frame properties become attributes of the image when an image is placed. Because if I take an image out of the frame using the layer panel and drag it into another frame, it will also work manually without any problems.

An image that used to be in a picture frame seems to have different (additional) properties than an image placed without a picture frame. Is this impression correct?