Okuzeka
Graphic Design vocabulary · Design Software & Tools

Clipping mask

Meaning in graphic design, with examples

/ˈklɪpɪŋ ˌmæsk/nounCommon term

In graphic design, clipping mask means: A software feature that uses one shape or layer to show only part of another image or object, hiding everything outside the shape without deleting it.

In Turkish: kırpma maskesi, maske

How it is used

Used in Photoshop, Illustrator and similar tools. You create, make, apply or release a clipping mask, for example to put a photo inside a circle or inside letters.

Example sentences

  1. Put the team photos in circles with a clipping mask so you can still move them inside the frame.

  2. Release the clipping mask; part of the image is hidden outside the shape.

Common collocations

  • create a clipping mask
  • make a clipping mask
  • release the clipping mask
  • layer mask
  • layerOne level in a design file that holds its own elements, stacked on top of others like transparent sheets, so each part can be edited, hidden or moved separately.
  • pen toolA drawing tool in design software that creates precise straight lines and smooth curves by placing anchor points and dragging handles to shape them.
  • opacityHow solid or see-through an element is, usually set as a percentage: 100% is completely solid and 0% is invisible.
  • raster imageA digital image made of a grid of tiny coloured squares called pixels, such as a photo. It has a fixed resolution, so it loses quality when enlarged too much.

More terms: Design Software & Tools

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: