Luminar NEO: How to use the Masking Tool

The Masking Tool is essential in Luminar NEO, allowing you to hide or reveal an effect/layer in parts of an image. The Masking Tool can be applied directly to layers and most tools. Read this article to master this powerful tool.

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In this article:

• What is the Masking Tool?
• Introducing the Mask Toolbar
• Getting started with the Masking Tool
• Video tutorial
• Luminar NEO

What is the Masking Tool?

The Masking Tool is essential in Luminar NEO, allowing you to hide or reveal an effect/layer in parts of an image. To fine-tune an effect in a selected area, you can brush it in or out.
The Masking Tool has two main purposes: it is used for tools and effects, and layers.

Introducing the Mask Toolbar

Paint Brush

The paintbrush will allow you to add the mask to the desired area.

Eraser

When a mask is applied, the eraser will allow you to remove the mask in the desired area.

Size

The size slider allows you to adjust the size or radius of the brush. 

Softness

The softness slider allows you to adjust the softness of the brush (from hard to soft). A harder brush will have clear and defined edges, and a softer brush will have blurry and less defined edges.

Strength

The Strength slider controls how much brush effect you see with every mouse stroke. The more brush over an area, the more of an effect you will see. The strength has a cumulative effect; as you keep brushing, more of the effect is applied.

By clicking on the three-dot icon next to Paint Mask, you will see more tools:

Show Mask

This option controls the visibility of the mask. Clicking Show displays the mask as a red overlay. You may continue drawing your mask for greater precision while this overlay is shown. Click Show again to remove the red overlay.

Clear

This option removes your mask entirely. 

Invert

This option inverts any mask you’ve created to reverse its opacity and transparency values.

Fill

This option covers your entire image with a mask. After using Fill, you can select Paint and use the Erase mode to subtract from the mask.

Getting started with the Masking Tool

The Masking Tool has two main purposes: it is used for tools and effects, and layers. For a better understanding of the Masking Tool, we recommend watching the video tutorial below.

Masking Tool video tutorial

Watch the full video tutorial covering all sliders in this tool.

Luminar NEO

Luminar Neo is the latest editing software from Skylum. It was announced back in September 2021, and it's been highly anticipated since.

Luminar Neo is an AI-powered photo editing software. Skylum has said that Neo isn’t replacing their previous release—Luminar AI. But Neo sets out to fix some of the issues users faced with Luminar AI.

We were impressed with the AI tools in Luminar AI. But like many others, we encountered performance issues. Luminar Neo uses the same AI tools, but the new high-speed core engine improves speed and performance.

Luminar Neo isn’t just more of the same. We’re happy to see Skylum has taken Neo in a different direction, adding layer and mask AI tools to the program. This broadens Neo’s appeal, taking it in an Adobe Photoshop direction.

Learn more about Luminar NEO here.

Use one of our discount codes: CPNEO10 will give you a 10% discount - CP10 will give you a $10 discount.