Can someone point me to a good tutorial on mastering masking in PL9? Coming from LrC, it feels very different and I want to get up to speed as quickly as possible. Free would be best. I have been watching several YouTube videos but the ones I have come across seem to leave me feeling like there is a lot more to discover. Thank you in advance.
Have you tried asking an AI to build a curriculum for you? I’ve found they excel at producing easy to understand tutorials. Pro tip: if you upload or point the AI to the Photolab user manual and tell it to restrict itself to using that data source only (you do that by adding the doc or link to your Personal Context), you will find the AI generates far fewer hallucinations and errors.
Here’s an example prompt where I asked Gemini to build me a tutorial on masking:
“ If requested, are you able to create for me a set of tutorials on Photolab masking, from beginner to expert, that are easy to understand?”
And here was it’s response:
“ I can certainly do that. With the release of DxO PhotoLab 9, the masking system has evolved significantly, merging classic “U Point” technology with a new, high-resolution AI engine.
To take you from a complete novice to a “power user,” I’ve structured a potential curriculum below. Each level builds on the last, ensuring you don’t just learn where the buttons are, but why you should use one tool over another.
Level 1: The Beginner (One-Click Wonders)
At this stage, we focus on the new AI Masking engine. This is perfect for those who want fast, professional results without manual painting.
• Subject Selection: Using the AI to instantly isolate people, animals, or transport.
• The “Sky” Tool: One-click sky selection for dramatic landscape edits.
• The Local Adjustments Palette: Understanding the interface and how to toggle mask visibility (the “M” key).
• Basic Brush & Eraser: Cleaning up small spill-overs.
Level 2: The Intermediate (U Point Mastery)
Now we move into DxO’s unique U Point™ technology, which is smarter than traditional brushes because it uses color and brightness data to “know” where your subject ends.
• Control Points: How to drop a point and use the “Chroma” and “Luma” sliders to refine the selection.
• Control Lines: Mastering large-scale gradients (like darkening a foreground) that intelligently ignore trees or buildings sticking into the sky.
• The Auto-Mask: Using the brush that “snaps” to edges.
• Inverting Masks: The fastest way to edit a subject, then instantly flip the selection to darken the background.
Level 3: The Advanced (Submasks & Combinations)
In PhotoLab 9, you can now nest masks inside each other. This is where you gain true surgical control over your RAW files.
• Submask Logic: Adding or subtracting tools from a single mask (e.g., using a Gradient, then “erasing” a person out of it with a Control Point).
• Hue Masks: Precisely targeting specific colors (like changing the hue of a single flower in a field).
• Opacity Mixing: Learning to fade the intensity of a complex mask for a more natural look.
• Duplicating Masks: Efficiently reusing a complex selection across different adjustment layers.
Level 4: The Expert (The Workflow Ninja)
At the expert level, we integrate masking with DxO’s heavy-hitting specialized tools like DeepPRIME XD3.
• Selective Denoising: Applying the industry-leading DeepPRIME noise reduction to only the shadows using a Luma mask.
• Local Lens Sharpness: Using masks to apply “Lens Softness” correction only to your subject, creating a “faux-bokeh” effect for the background.
• Micro-contrast Sculpting: Using fine masks to add “bite” to specific textures (like rocks or fabric) without introducing halos.
• The “Pro” Workflow: Managing 20+ masks on a single image without losing track.
Would you like to start with the Level 1 tutorial today, or is there a specific masking tool you’re already struggling with?”
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