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Hard masks and soft masks

A binary mask has two values: white for the selected area and black for everything else. It suits training data and any tool that expects a clear in-or-out answer. A soft mask keeps the in-between greys along the edge, so hair, fur and blurred outlines fade instead of stepping.

CutLift makes both from the same selection. In the export, “Masks keep soft edges” decides which you get: leave it off for a black and white mask, turn it on for a greyscale alpha mask.

One mask file per object

Every object you select lives on its own layer, and the mask export writes one PNG per layer into a masks folder, named after the layer. A person, a bag and a dog in the same picture become three separate files, each at the photo’s full size so it lines up with the original. Export several at once and they arrive together in one ZIP.

Making the mask you need

Any selection tool works as an image mask maker: Quick Selection and Magic Wand for clear edges, Colour Range for every pixel of a similar colour, the Pen for smooth product curves, or the Brush to paint a mask by hand. Colour Range is handy for a sky, a lawn or a plain backdrop, where the area is defined by colour rather than by an outline. Select subject makes a mask of the main subject in one step for free. The AI mask generator click, which outlines any object you point at, is a Pro feature.

Before you export, use the Refine panel. Invert selects everything else, which is how you make a background mask from a subject. Feather softens the edge, Shift edge grows or shrinks it, and Fill holes closes small gaps.

Where masks are used

Designers create an image mask online to place a subject on a new scene or to limit an adjustment to one area. Masks also mark the region to fill in inpainting work, and they are the simplest kind of segmentation label for machine learning. Mask downloads are free, with no watermark, and each mask is made from the image on your device, so the picture is never uploaded.