Masking Graphics

There's no crop tool in Keynote, but you can mask an image instead. This has the same visual effect on an image, but unlike cropping, masking doesn't change the original image. By masking the image, you retain the option to change the visible area of the image at a later time, by first unmasking the image, adding a new mask, then resizing the new mask area.

Masks are especially useful when used on master slides that have more than one photo cutout; you can place images into each cutout, then use a mask over each cutout to ensure that one of the photos doesn't overlap and intrude into the other cutout .

To mask an image

1.	Select an image on the slide ( Figure 5.11 ). Figure 5.11. I only want the colored version of this logo, not the outlines, so I'll need to mask the rest off.
2.	Choose Format > Mask, or press . The mask appears on the slide, as a rectangle with dashed sides. The area of the image outside the mask is dimmed ( Figure 5.12 ). Figure 5.12. When you place the mask, areas of the image outside the mask area are dimmed.
3.	Drag the mask's selection handles to resize the mask area. You can also click and drag inside the mask area to move the whole mask, or you can click and drag the image outside of the mask area to reposition the image under the mask.
4.	(Optional) If you want to rotate the mask area, hold down the Command key as you drag the mask's selection handles.
5.	To exit mask mode, press Return, or double-click the image. When selected, the image will appear with the dashed outline, indicating that it is a masked image ( Figure 5.13 ). Figure 5.13. You know that an image on your slide is masked by its dashed selection rectangle.

Tips

• You can have as many masked images on a slide as you like.

• If you double-click a masked image, the area of the image outside the mask will appear, dimmed. You can then click and drag on the image to reposition it under the mask area.

• If you often mask images, you can add a Mask button to the toolbar by choosing View > Customize Toolbar, then dragging the Mask button to the toolbar from the resulting Customize sheet.

• You can mask images anywhere in Keynote, including on presentation slides and master slides.

To unmask an image

1.	Select a masked image.
2.	Choose Format > Unmask, or press .