Using stencil and silhouette blending modes

The stencil and silhouette blending modes use either a layer's alpha channel or its luminance (luma) values to affect the alpha channel of all layers beneath the layer. This differs from the track matte, which affects only one layer.

Stencil mode

Cuts through all layers, so you can show multiple layers through the frame of the stencil layer's alpha channel.

Silhouette mode

Blocks out all layers below it, so you can cut a hole through several layers at once.

Note: The stencil and silhouette blending modes affect all layers below the layer to which they are applied. To keep the silhouette and stencil blending modes from cutting through or blocking all layers underneath, nest the layer in a composition. (See Creating animations by nesting compositions.)

With Stencil Luma, the lighter pixels of the layer are more opaque than the darker pixels. With Silhouette Luma, the lighter pixels of the layer are more transparent than the darker pixels.


Stencil (left) shows all layers below through the frame of the stencil layer's alpha channel. Silhouette (right) cuts a hole through all layers below.

To use the stencil or silhouette modes on a layer:

1. Click Switches/Modes at the bottom of the Timeline window.
2. Click Normal to open the Mode pop-up menu for the layer you want to use as a stencil or silhouette, and then choose one of the following:
• Stencil Alpha to create a stencil using the layer's alpha channel.
• Stencil Luma to create a stencil using the layer's luma values.
• Silhouette Alpha to create a silhouette using the layer's alpha channel.
• Silhouette Luma to create a silhouette using the layer's luma values.