ACE Layers & Masks 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which blending mode makes a layer's white pixels transparent and black pixels fully opaque?
- Multiply (Correct answer)
- Screen
- Overlay
- Luminosity
Correct answer: Multiply
Multiply blending mode darkens by multiplying pixel values, making white transparent and preserving dark tones.
Question 2: What happens when you Alt/Option-click a layer mask thumbnail in the Layers panel?
- The mask is deleted
- The mask is applied permanently
- The mask is displayed in the document window (Correct answer)
- The mask is inverted
Correct answer: The mask is displayed in the document window
Alt/Option-clicking a mask thumbnail shows the grayscale mask itself in the canvas so you can inspect or edit it directly.
Question 3: Which layer type allows you to apply adjustments non-destructively to all layers below it in a group?
- Smart Object
- Adjustment Layer (Correct answer)
- Fill Layer
- Shape Layer
Correct answer: Adjustment Layer
Adjustment layers apply color and tonal corrections non-destructively and affect all layers beneath them by default.
Question 4: What does clicking the chain link icon between a layer and its mask do?
- Merges the mask into the layer
- Unlinks the mask so it can move independently (Correct answer)
- Inverts the mask
- Creates a clipping mask
Correct answer: Unlinks the mask so it can move independently
Clicking the chain link icon unlinks the layer and its mask, allowing them to be transformed or repositioned independently.
Question 5: Which command converts a layer mask into a selection?
- Select > Load Selection (Correct answer)
- Filter > Extract
- Layer > Flatten Image
- Edit > Paste Special
Correct answer: Select > Load Selection
Select > Load Selection loads the luminosity values of a mask (or channel) as an active selection.
Question 6: What is the result of using 'Merge Visible' (Shift+Ctrl/Cmd+E)?
- All layers are deleted except the Background
- All visible layers are merged into a single layer (Correct answer)
- Only selected layers are merged
- A new layer is created above all others
Correct answer: All visible layers are merged into a single layer
Merge Visible collapses all currently visible (eye icon on) layers into one layer while leaving hidden layers untouched.
Question 7: Which mask type uses the luminosity values of an image to control transparency, typically available via the Channels panel?
- Layer mask
- Clipping mask
- Vector mask
- Luminosity mask (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Luminosity mask
Luminosity masks are selections based on the brightness values of the image, created manually via channels or dedicated plugins.
ACE Layers & Masks 2
Which blending mode makes a layer's white pixels transparent and black pixels fully opaque?