PhotoCraft mask density, feathering and soft edges

Select the mask rather than the source pixels

A layer mask controls where the layer is visible. In the layer panel, identify the mask thumbnail and verify it is the active editing target. Keep the source image and an unchanged project copy.

Try a small reversible change to establish what you are editing. If the photograph itself changes when you intended to change visibility, stop and check the selected thumbnail and active tool before continuing.

Separate coverage from edge softness

Mask density generally describes the strength of the mask’s hiding effect; feathering softens a boundary. Check whether your installed build exposes those controls and how its documentation defines them. Do not assume their location or range is identical across releases.

If those properties are unavailable, refine the mask using the tools your version supports rather than following an invented control path. Inspect a difficult edge while changing only one setting or region at a time.

Softening an edge cannot restore detail missing from the selection. Too much softness can hide a fringe in one preview while creating a visible halo elsewhere. The selection guide helps diagnose the original boundary.

Inspect against different backgrounds

1. Compare the masked subject on a light and a dark temporary background.
2. Inspect fine detail, holes and semitransparent regions at a close view.
3. Check the whole composition at its final output size.
4. Save a new layered file and reopen it, verifying the mask is still editable.
5. Export a PNG if transparency is required and inspect that actual file.

Keep a reference image for PSD handoffs. An attractive canvas preview does not establish that an exported or reopened mask has the same boundary.

Official sources: PhotoCraft product page (opens a new tab) · File-format assessment (opens a new tab) · PhotoCraft README (opens a new tab).