Reveal part of an image and give it a color treatment while keeping the original content available. This workflow uses a rectangular reveal mask and an adjustment layer, so you can revise the framing and treatment independently.
Prepare the Image
Open a Canvas you can edit and place an image into it if needed. Select its visible, unlocked layer in Layers. Keep any headline above the image; that will let you place a color adjustment between them later.
•Select the area to keep - Choose Marquee and draw a non-inverted rectangle over the part of the image you want to reveal.
•Create the mask - Choose Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal Mask from Selection. The layer gains a mask, and the image outside the revealed rectangle is hidden.
•Inspect the result - Deselect the pixel selection so it does not unintentionally limit the next operation. Check the image and its mask thumbnail.
Use the rectangle for this starting step. Other selection states can create a reveal-all mask instead of copying the selection's exact shape.
Refine Visibility
•Target the mask - Select its raster-mask thumbnail. Use Brush with black to conceal an edge or white to reveal it. Reduce opacity or use a softer brush when the transition should be gradual.
•Compare with the original - Use the mask's context menu to disable it temporarily, then enable it again. Mask-only inspection helps when the coverage is hard to judge against the artwork.
•Return to content - Select the content thumbnail when you want to edit the image itself. Leaving the mask selected means subsequent compatible strokes continue to affect visibility.
The original color pixels remain behind the mask. Avoid flattening while you still expect to revise the reveal.
Add a Reversible Treatment
•Insert an adjustment - With the image layer selected, choose Layer > New > Adjustment Layer and a treatment such as Hue/Saturation or Brightness/Contrast.
•Check its stack position - Keep the adjustment above the image but below the headline if the headline should retain its original color. It affects the composite below it, not only the nearest image.
•Tune and compare - Adjust the recipe controls and compare enabled and disabled appearances. Inspect the complete composition, then check detail at Actual Pixels.
If the treatment changes other artwork unexpectedly, review the layers beneath the adjustment. For a correction to one pixel layer only, the direct Image > Adjustments route is available, but accepting that preview changes the selected pixels.
Save the Editable Result
Choose More > Save, wait for completion, and keep the image, mask, and adjustment as separate editable parts. Download .vscanvas if you need a portable project copy, or export a finished image without flattening the working stack.
For further editing choices, read Layers and masks and Adjustments and effects.
