For this tutorial we will design a poster using Layer Masks to create text that engages with the image in a captivating way.
What You Will Need
You will also need to download and install the following font file and image:
Fira Sans by Google Fonts
Bridge photo by Matthew Henry via Unsplash
Install the font on your system and you are ready to get started!
1. How to Prepare the Bridge Image
Step 1
Open the bridge image in Photoshop.
We want to remove some of the white background from the bridge image before using it on the poster. In this instance we will only be using only the left side of the bridge. To do this, in the Layers panel, Duplicate the Background layer by pressing Command-J and Hide the visibility of the original Background layer. While selecting the new Background copy layer on the Layers panel, click on the Vector Mask button to add a Layer Mask to Background copy.
Step 2
While selecting the new Layer Mask, use the Magic Wand Tool (W) and click on the grey areas between the suspension cables of the bridge. Do this only to the left side of the image and above the bridge. Hold Shift on the keyboard and click to select more than one area. On the Tools panel, make sure that the foreground colour is set to white. Hit Delete to remove the selected areas.
Press Command-D to deselect the areas we deleted. At the moment, some of the edges look rough, but we can smooth things out later in our final file.
How to Set Up a New Document and Duplicate Layers
Step 1
In Photoshop, go to File > New. Name the document Architecture of Bridges, and set the Width to 1275 px and Height to1650 px, with Background Contents white. Click OK to create the document.
