Using clipping masks are easy, making them is easy too once  you know how!

I’m going to show you how to make and use a clipping mask with text and shapes in eight easy steps.

It is super simple.  Soon you will be clip masking everything.

This tutorial is made for folks using Photoshop CS6 on a PC, although I think most versions of PS use basically the same techniques.

—-Step One

Open a new blank canvas by following these steps:

Click FILE, NEW (or you can use the shortcut CTRL + N)

Set the parameters of your canvas, I made mine 5 x 5 inches, 300 DPI

—-Step Two

Create a second blank layer ON TOP of your background layer.

Click LAYER, NEW, LAYER (or you can use the shortcut SHIFT + CTRL + N)

A box pops up, you can change the layer name, color, mode and opacity.  I did not make any changes

Click OKAY.

You should now see two layers in your layers palette on the right.

**One other way you could do this is by pressing CTRL + J   —->this is actually copying the layer you have selected/highlighted (this cn be handy in a TON of situations!).  Because the layer is blank it is a really quick way to make a new layer.  You are still able to change the layer name if you want.

—-Step Three

Open the image you would like to SHOW THROUGH your clipping

Click FILE, OPEN (or you can use the shortcut CTRL + O)

Choose the image you want from your files and folders.

—-Step Four

Using the arrow tool, Click on the image you are using and simply drag the image to the TAB of your newly created document.  It will open the tab automatically and the image will appear centered on your blank canvas.

—-Step Five

For text:

Open a text layer by clicking the big T on your toolbar

Type the text you would like to present.

For a shape:

Open a new blank layer ABOVE the image you chose. (SHIFT + CTRL + N)

Click the CUSTOM SHAPE TOOL (looks like a blob of paint) on your toolbar.

Choose the shape you want, drag your shape out to the size you want.

—-Step Six

Move your text or shape layer BELOW the image layer.  You should not be able to see the text you wrote, or the shape you are using at this point.  IT’S OKAY!!  you will soon see!

To move your layer, highlight the text or shape layer and simply drag it with your mouse within the layers palette.

—-Step Seven

This is the exciting part!  You are about to see the fruits of your labor.

Highlight the image layer.

Click LAYER, Click CREATE CLIPPING MASK (or you can use the shortcut CTRL + ALT + G  this makes it crazy easy.)

—-Step Eight

Fill the layer BELOW the text or shape layer.

You can fill it with a solid color by picking the color you want from the  foreground color swatch on the tool bar and then the paint bucket tool from the tool bar.

This layer could also be another image, a pattern, or even more text.

This is what a shape would look like using the same steps

 I’d love for you to link-back so I can see how you used your new technique!