When you create masks in the Layers panel, they’re linked to their layers. If you drag the layer, or the mask, they move together. There are times when you might want to adjust the image size or position of the image without changing the mask, or maybe you want to change the shape of the mask, without distorting the image. All you need to do is click the chain icon between the layer and the mask in the Layers panel. Now they’ll be separated and you can modify one freely, without affecting the other. When you’re done, click between the layer and the mask once again to relink them.
This tip originally published in Colin Smith’s “Photoshop Tips” column in the May, 2023 issue of Photoshop User magazine.
