> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://fater.gitbook.io/fater-ai-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://fater.gitbook.io/fater-ai-docs/using-editing-and-masking-tools/manipulating-masks.md).

# Manipulating Masks

Once you've created an initial mask in Fater's **Image Editor** using tools like the Brush, Rectangle, or Polygonal Lasso, you'll often need to refine or modify it. The **Inpaint Toolbar** provides several actions for manipulating your active mask.

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### Accessing Mask Manipulation Actions

These actions are typically found as buttons with icons on the **Inpaint Toolbar** (floating on the left of the canvas).

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### Common Mask Manipulations:

1. **Clear Mask (`X` icon 🚫):**
   * **Action:** Immediately removes the entire current mask from the canvas, leaving no area selected.
   * **Use Case:** To start over with a fresh mask or if you no longer need the current selection.
2. **Invert Mask ( `YinYang` icon):**
   * **Action:** Flips the masked and unmasked areas. Everything that was masked becomes unmasked, and everything unmasked becomes masked (within the Generation Area Bounding Box).
   * **Use Case:** Useful if it's easier to mask the area *around* your desired subject, then invert the selection to target the subject itself.
3. **Inflate / Deflate Mask (`Expand` icon ↔️):**
   * **Action:** Modifies the edges of your current mask by expanding (inflating) or shrinking (deflating) them by a set number of pixels.
   * **How to Use:**
     * **Inflate (Default):** Click the `Expand` icon to make your masked area larger by a small radius (e.g., 1 pixel).
     * **Deflate (Alt + Click):** Hold down the **Alt key** while clicking the `Expand` icon to make your masked area smaller by a small radius.
     * **Larger Step (Shift + Click):** Hold down the **Shift key** (with or without Alt) while clicking to inflate or deflate by a larger radius.
   * **Use Case:** Quickly making slight adjustments to mask coverage, ensuring edges are fully included, or creating a small border around a selection.
4. **Create Border Mask (`CircleDashed` icon ◌):**
   * **Action:** Transforms your current mask so that only the **edge pixels** of the originally masked area remain selected. The interior of the mask becomes unmasked.
   * **Use Case:** Creating outline effects, or for specific AI models that might use edge information from a mask.

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### Combining Manipulations

You can use these manipulation actions in sequence to achieve complex selections:

* For example, you could create a rough mask, `Inflate` it slightly to ensure full coverage, then perhaps `Invert` it if you needed to select the background instead.

Remember to use the **Mask History** (Undo/Redo) if you make a manipulation you want to reverse.