Edit a mask in red overlay mode on iPad

[Milohosi]

Working with Photoshop on iPadOS. I have an adjustment layer with a mask. I'd like to edit this mask by painting in a red overlay mode, so I can see the mask in context from the underlying layers. How do I do that?

[JohanElzenga]

This sounds like a kind of QuickMask mode for an adjustment layer mask. I don't think you can do that.

[Milohosi]

It's the equivalent of QuickMask on the desktop, indeed. 

[PECourtejoie]

Hi, if you have a keyboard, try the Q key...

[Milohosi]

Unfortunately, I don't have a keyboard for my iPad. But would there be features that are only accessible through the keyboard, with no touch equivalent?

[PECourtejoie]

I don't know, I never used the iPad version, but I remembered that there was a function that would be activated by a press on a keyboard, and it is q on Photoshop desktop, hence me giving a wild guess, maybe someone can deny or confirm it...

[Conrad_C]

Photoshop on iPad does have a QuickMask mode, and it’s the same Q shortcut as on the desktop version. But this doesn’t answer the question, because QuickMask edits only a selection on the image, not on its layer mask. 

In desktop Photoshop, the keyboard shortcut for red overlay mode on a layer mask is \ (backslash). But that shortcut doesn’t work on iPad and I don’t know of any other way to get a red layer mask overlay on the iPad on the canvas itself. So it looks like PECourtejoie’s suggestion to enter Refine Edge mode might be the best solution. I just tried it, it seems to work, and here are the steps for iPad:

1. In the Layers panel, tap the layer mask to select it.
2. In the tools on the right, tap the ellipsis menu (…) at the bottom, and tap Refine Edge.
3. After Refine Edge opens, in the View Mode menu, choose Overlay or any other mode you want.
4. Edit the mask.
5. When done, in the Output As menu further down in the panel, choose Layer Mask, then tap Done to exit Refine Edge.

That should replace the current layer mask with the Refine Edge results. 

Just a reminder, for those who do have a keyboard for their iPad, you can always view available shortcuts for any iPad app by holding down the Command key until the iPad OS shortcut cheat sheet pops up. If it’s long enough you can scroll it horizontally. It goes away when you release the Command key. It shows the QuickMask keyboard shortcut, but nothing for a layer mask red overlay.

[Milohosi]

Thank you Conrad C for your help and your comprehensive explanation. The Refine Edge mode is close to what I want to do. However, what is missing in this mode as far as I can see, is a regular brush tool. On the desktop version, using the Select and Mask mode offers several tools, including the Refine Edge Brush tool, but also a regular Brush tool. What I really want to do is manually brush my mask. I do this quite often on the desktop, and I wanted to move that over to the iPad because painting is so much easier with an Apple pencil than with a mouse. But the brush tool is missing. The Refine Edge brush is a great tool but it serves other purposes.

I thought I was looking for a fairly basic operation, so I am somewhat surprised that it doesn't seem to be avilable on the iPad. 

[Conrad_C]

…But the brush tool is missing. The Refine Edge brush is a great tool but it serves other purposes.

I thought I was looking for a fairly basic operation, so I am somewhat surprised that it doesn't seem to be avilable on the iPad. 

By @Milohosi

Yeah, looks like there is no Brush tool in Refine Edge. I didn’t realize that before, I wasn’t looking at the tools in Refine Edge. Well, that is unfortunate.

It isn’t the only basic operation missing from Photoshop on iPad…there are many. Although the iPad app is a fun way to use Photoshop, too often I have to go back to desktop Photoshop to get something done with enough precision.

[Milohosi]

Accidentally, I found a way to edit an existing mask on the iPad, in overlay mode. I must admit that it looks more like an undocumented feature and I don't understand the behavior, but it works.

These are te steps:

1. Make sure that you have more than 1 layer mask in your project. If not, just create a dummy layer with mask at the bottom of your layers so that it doesn't interfere with your work. You can delete it later on.

2. On the layer panel, double click any mask icon (not the mask you want to edit). The mask shows up in black and white.

3. Now single click the icon of the mask you want to edit. It shows up in overlay mode, and you can use any brush or edit tool to edit the mask. 

[PECourtejoie]

You can get the red overlay on select and mask, and I found a page that claims one can click on the three dots at the bottom of the toolbar, but there is no mention of it on this page: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/select-mask-on-ipad.html