# How to Select (inverse) with new Range or Luminance masking



## reidthaler (Feb 27, 2018)

I wish we had the ability to invert masks with the new color and luminance masking tools.  How would you select the area _around_ the cat.  I was hoping I could create a 100% graduated mask (Click and drag _away_ from the photo) and could subtract colors, but looks like you can only subtract color points that you clicked on and created.

It would be great (and easy to select the cat, and then invert to select the rest of the image, but don't see a way.  Any suggestions?  And don't say do it in Photoshop, I want to see if I can do it in Lightroom.


Thanks, 

Reid

Note:  not my photo nor my cat.


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## mcasan (Feb 27, 2018)

What is wrong about using edge aware brush to select the cat and then inverse the mask as needed to modify the cat or the background?


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## Johan Elzenga (Feb 27, 2018)

The way I would do this is as follows. First, I use the adjustment brush, set it as large as I can, turn off auto mask, and simply paint the whole image with it. Then I switch to erase, turn on auto mask, and erase the cat from the brushed image.


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## Johan Elzenga (Feb 27, 2018)

mcasan said:


> What is wrong about using edge aware brush to select the cat and then inverse the mask as needed to modify the cat or the background?


The adjustment brush doesn't have an inverse mask option, that's wrong with it.


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## mcasan (Feb 27, 2018)

You are indeed correct.  I was just in radial tool and used the invert mask option.   I did not remember it is the only tool with the invert capability.


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## RikkFlohr (Feb 28, 2018)

Actually, the Linear Graduated filter has an invert function too..  as a keyboard shortcut: [ ' ] Apostrophe will invert any existing linear graduated filter.


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## reidthaler (Feb 28, 2018)

That works for the Radial Gradient filter, but just tried tried it with no luck with the linear gradient.  It just turns the mask off and on, but doesn't invert it.


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## Johan Elzenga (Feb 28, 2018)

It works on my Mac...


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## Roelof Moorlag (Feb 28, 2018)

It does also work on my Windows 10 system


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## reidthaler (Mar 1, 2018)

I tried in on a Window 10 OS, and it behaved the same way as my Win 7 system:  all the apostrophe does is to turn off the grad filter, not invert it.


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## Jim Wilde (Mar 1, 2018)

It inverts just fine on my Win 10 system.


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## Hal P Anderson (Mar 1, 2018)

Reid,
Are you using the apostrophe at the right end of the keyboard? There's also a thing that looks like an apostrophe just to the left of the '1' key. I doubt you're using the wrong one, but it's the only thing that I can think of that would cause what you're not seeing.


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## reidthaler (Mar 1, 2018)

I got it to work, but just not working the way I'd like it to work.  I doesn't really invert, it just flips the side of the gradient it selects.  

I create a 100% grad mask by going to the right of the photo, and dragging the grad filter to the right.  I was hoping that I could then select by color, then invert the selection so all the other colors would be selected, but that doesn't work.

Thanks all,

Reid


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## Johan Elzenga (Mar 1, 2018)

No, it doesn't work that way. If you look at your cat example, then my method is still the method that makes the most sense if you ask me.


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