Step 7: Add A Layer Mask To The Type Layer

To turn our Photoshop document full of text into our text portrait effect, we'll need to add a layer mask to the text layer. If we look in the Layers panel, we see that we now have three layers, with our text layer sitting above the other two layers. We know that it's a text layer because the layer's preview thumbnail shows a capital letter T in the center of it. To add a layer mask to the layer, click on the Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers panel:

Nothing will happen yet in the document window, but a layer mask thumbnail will appear to the right of the layer's preview thumbnail:

Step 8: Copy The Original Photo On The Background Layer

We're now going to create our effect by copying and pasting the portrait photo directly into the layer mask we just added. Click on the Background layer in the Layers panel to select it. You'll see it become highlighted in blue, telling us that it's now the currently selected layer:

Press Ctrl+A (Win) / Command+A (Mac) to quickly select the entire layer. You'll see a selection outline appear around the edges of the document, indicating that the entire layer is now selected. Even though we can still see our white text against the solid black fill color in the document window, we're actually selecting the contents of the Background layer because that's the layer we currently have selected in the Layers panel. Then, press Ctrl+C (Win) / Command+C (Mac) to copy the contents of the layer (the portrait photo) temporarily into your computer's memory.

Step 9: Paste The Photo Directly Into The Layer Mask

Hold down your Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) key and click on the layer mask thumbnail on the text layer in the Layers panel:

By holding down Alt / Option as we click on the layer mask thumbnail, not only do we select the layer mask, we make it visible inside the document window, allowing us to paste our image directly into it. Since the mask is currently filled with white, your document window will appear filled with white. Press Ctrl+V (Win) / Command+V (Mac) to paste the portrait photo directly into the layer mask. Since layer masks deal only with black, white and shades of gray, the image will appear as a black and white image in the document window:

To exit out of the layer mask and switch our view back to normal in the document window, simply hold down Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) once again and click on the layer mask thumbnail, just as we did a moment ago. Notice that the portrait photo is now visible inside the layer mask thumbnail:

Press Ctrl+D (Win) / Command+D (Mac) to remove the selection outline from around the edges of the document window. We're now back to our normal view mode inside the document, and the text is now being masked by the photo that we pasted directly into the layer mask, creating our "text portrait" effect:

We'll see how to quickly fine tune the text portrait effect next!

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