Hello, I have got a question about masking in Photoshop

[OFFICER#88]

Hello, please take a look at the image bellow, i have marked a mask what I mean... I need to simplify my workflow where i would like to be more efficient when I want to replace this mask with new one but keep the color correction I have altready done to it, is there similar way as you can use After Effects composition? I just need to work in the very same way with mask in Photoshop. Is it possible somehow?

[Chuck Uebele]

You can alt/opt drag a new mask to replace it. That will not affect the adjustment layer below it, if that's what you're talking about.

[OFFICER#88]

Thank you for your reply, I do not understand what you mean by alt + drag and drop new mask layer onto the curent mask... It does not work for me.

What I am asking for is to be somehow able to have the mask (I marked out in red) linked or at least editable as smart object. There must be a way... I magine you have a mask and you just want to quickly jump in, make some changes and save it.

[Chuck Uebele]

Having a mask as a smart could have it's benefits, but isn't possible now. So if you want to quickly copy an existing mask, you just click on the layer mask, in the layers pane, use alt/opt drag, to drag it to another layer, in the layers panel.

[OFFICER#88]

Thank you both of you guys! Thank you now I do understand what Chuck Uebele means by option/click drag...

My question is more about some option to work with matte masks more easilly and to be able to replace / relink them at any point with keeping the already applied effects to it... I mean to work more in non destructive workflow... Is there any way?

Look, I just want for example to mask some image with mask... but I need to be able to relink the mask with the new version at any time... but I need to keep the adjustments I already made to it. How? I know that there in Photoshop exist more ways to work with Masks, I know about few ways, but none of them works for me in this case, sadly. This is very eassily done in Adobe After Effects by using Composition.

[jane-e]

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@OFFICER#88 wrote:

I do not understand what you mean by alt + drag and drop new mask layer onto the curent mask.

Dragging a mask from one layer to another will move it. Alt+Drag will copy it. 

Is that your question?

Jane