ACE - Adobe Certified Expert in Photoshop — Questions and Answers

Question 1: When converting a text layer to a shape layer, what happens to the text?

It is converted to a path but remains editable
It is rasterized into pixels
It becomes a smart object
It becomes editable vector outlines with no live text (Correct answer)

Correct answer: It becomes editable vector outlines with no live text

Converting text to a shape creates vector outlines you can edit with path tools, but the text is no longer editable as type.

Question 2: Which Layer Style creates the appearance of depth by making an element look raised or pressed into the surface below it?

Outer Glow
Bevel & Emboss (Correct answer)
Pattern Overlay
Color Overlay

Correct answer: Bevel & Emboss

Bevel & Emboss adds highlights and shadows to layer edges and surfaces to simulate a three-dimensional raised or recessed appearance. It is one of the most commonly used layer styles for creating depth and tactile effects on text and shapes.

Question 3: What distinguishes a vector mask from a pixel (layer) mask in Photoshop?

Vector masks cannot be edited after creation
Vector masks are resolution-dependent and pixel masks are not
Vector masks can only be black or white
Vector masks use paths for crisp edges and remain resolution-independent (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Vector masks use paths for crisp edges and remain resolution-independent

Vector masks are defined by paths, giving them infinitely scalable crisp edges unlike pixel masks which are resolution-dependent.

Question 4: In Camera Raw or Lightroom, what does the 'Masking' slider inside the Sharpening panel do?

Restricts sharpening to edge areas, reducing sharpening on smooth areas like skies (Correct answer)
Adds a vignette mask to the sharpening effect
Applies noise reduction before sharpening
Limits sharpening to the luminance channel only

Correct answer: Restricts sharpening to edge areas, reducing sharpening on smooth areas like skies

The Masking slider creates an edge mask so sharpening is applied mainly along edges, preventing amplification of noise in smooth regions like skies and skin.

Question 5: How does the 'Match Color' command in Photoshop help with color correction across multiple images?

It samples color statistics from a source image and applies them to a target image (Correct answer)
It converts both images to the same color profile
It synchronizes layer styles between documents
It applies the same Auto Tone settings to all open documents

Correct answer: It samples color statistics from a source image and applies them to a target image

Match Color analyzes the luminance, color range, and saturation of a source image and remaps the target image's colors to match those statistics.

Question 6: In Camera Raw's Detail panel, what does the 'Masking' slider under Sharpening do?

Controls how much noise reduction is applied
Sets the global amount of sharpening applied
Limits sharpening to edges and textured areas only (Correct answer)
Blends the sharpened version with the original

Correct answer: Limits sharpening to edges and textured areas only

Holding Alt/Option while dragging the Masking slider shows a black-and-white preview — white areas receive sharpening while black areas are protected.

Question 7: In Camera Raw, the 'Shadows' slider is designed to primarily affect which tonal range?

The brightest highlights in the image
Overall midtone contrast
Dark areas without affecting pure black (Correct answer)
The entire dynamic range proportionally

Correct answer: Dark areas without affecting pure black

The Shadows slider targets dark tonal values, allowing you to recover detail in shadows without clipping to pure black.

Question 8: What is the purpose of the Vibrance adjustment?

Sharpen image edges
Adds motion blur
Adjusts saturation while protecting skin tones (Correct answer)
Inverts all colors

Correct answer: Adjusts saturation while protecting skin tones

The purpose of the Vibrance adjustment is to intelligently adjust the saturation of colors in an image while protecting skin tones and already saturated colors. It primarily boosts the saturation of less-saturated colors, making the image more vibrant without over-saturating or distorting natural skin hues. This results in a more natural and pleasing color enhancement compared to a global saturation adjustment.

Question 9: What does enabling 'Use All Layers' in the Healing Brush options do?

Restricts healing to the current layer only
Allows the tool to sample pixel data from every visible layer (Correct answer)
Merges all layers before applying the heal
Automatically creates a new layer for the healed content

Correct answer: Allows the tool to sample pixel data from every visible layer

Use All Layers lets the Healing Brush sample from merged composite data of all visible layers while writing corrections to the current (or a new) layer.

Question 10: When compositing two images with different lighting angles, which Photoshop technique helps unify the perceived light direction?

Paint directional shadows and highlights on a new layer set to Overlay or Multiply mode (Correct answer)
Add a Drop Shadow layer effect matching the intended light direction
Apply a Photo Filter adjustment to one layer to shift its color temperature
Convert both layers to Smart Objects before merging

Correct answer: Paint directional shadows and highlights on a new layer set to Overlay or Multiply mode

Painting custom shadows and highlights on a separate layer using Multiply (shadows) or Overlay (highlights) lets you manually re-light a composited subject to match the background's lighting.

Question 11: In Camera Raw, what does clicking the 'Auto' button in the Basic panel do?

Syncs the current settings to all open raw files
Applies algorithm-based tone adjustments to Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, and Blacks (Correct answer)
Enables automatic white balance based on scene lighting
Resets all sliders to their default zero position

Correct answer: Applies algorithm-based tone adjustments to Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, and Blacks

The Auto button uses Adobe's tone analysis algorithm to set Basic panel sliders to values that maximize dynamic range for the specific image.

Question 12: Which color management option in Photoshop's Print dialog gives the printer driver control over color rendering?

Printer Manages Colors (Correct answer)
Photoshop Manages Colors
No Color Management
Convert to sRGB

Correct answer: Printer Manages Colors

Choosing 'Printer Manages Colors' delegates all color conversion to the printer driver, which applies its own built-in profiles.

Question 13: Which blending mode in the Layer Style dialog makes white pixels transparent while preserving dark tones, useful for compositing smoke or fire?

Multiply
Luminosity
Screen (Correct answer)
Overlay

Correct answer: Screen

Screen blending mode makes white areas transparent and lets darker pixels composite naturally, making it ideal for fire, smoke, and light effects.

Question 14: What limitation applies when you attempt to use the Brush tool directly on a Smart Object layer?

You can paint freely but the paint is stored as a Smart Filter
The Brush tool is restricted to 50% opacity on Smart Objects
Painting on a Smart Object automatically creates a clipping mask
You cannot paint directly on a Smart Object; you must rasterize it or use a separate layer (Correct answer)

Correct answer: You cannot paint directly on a Smart Object; you must rasterize it or use a separate layer

Smart Objects protect their pixel content, so direct painting, erasing, or cloning requires either rasterizing the layer or working on a separate layer above it.

Question 15: In Select and Mask, what does the 'Smart Radius' checkbox do?

Increases the selection radius proportionally to canvas zoom level
Applies a fixed 5-pixel radius to the entire selection border
Limits edge detection to areas you paint with the Refine Edge Brush
Automatically adjusts edge detection radius based on the complexity of the edge (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Automatically adjusts edge detection radius based on the complexity of the edge

Smart Radius lets Photoshop vary the detection radius dynamically — wider near complex edges like hair, narrower near clean geometric edges.

Question 16: In the Select and Mask workspace, what does the 'Decontaminate Colors' option do?

Removes color casts from the selection interior
Samples and removes the background color from inside the mask
Replaces color fringing at the selection edge with nearby fully selected pixel colors (Correct answer)
Converts the selection to grayscale

Correct answer: Replaces color fringing at the selection edge with nearby fully selected pixel colors

Decontaminate Colors removes edge fringing (color contamination from the background) by replacing fringe pixels with colors from fully selected interior areas.

Question 17: Which channel type appears in the Channels panel only while a layer mask is selected for editing?

Alpha channel
Layer Mask channel (temporary composite mask channel) (Correct answer)
Multichannel channel
Spot color channel

Correct answer: Layer Mask channel (temporary composite mask channel)

When a layer mask is active, a temporary 'Layer Mask' channel appears at the bottom of the Channels panel representing that mask.

Question 18: A photographer needs to remove a small, distracting sensor dust spot from a clear blue sky in a landscape photo. Which tool offers the quickest and most effective way to remove this type of blemish by automatically sampling from the surrounding area?

Healing Brush Tool
Clone Stamp Tool
Patch Tool
Spot Healing Brush Tool (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Spot Healing Brush Tool

The Spot Healing Brush Tool is ideal for quickly removing small, isolated blemishes like dust spots, especially in areas with uniform texture like a clear sky. It works by automatically analyzing and sampling the texture and color from the area surrounding the brush stroke to seamlessly blend the repair, requiring no manual source point selection.

Question 19: When using the Vibrance adjustment, how does it treat already-saturated colors differently from less-saturated ones?

It applies less boost to already-saturated colors to prevent clipping (Correct answer)
It has no differential effect—all colors are boosted equally
It boosts already-saturated colors more aggressively
It converts saturated colors to grayscale

Correct answer: It applies less boost to already-saturated colors to prevent clipping

Vibrance uses a non-linear boost that increases saturation more in muted colors and less in already-saturated ones, protecting skin tones and rich hues.

Question 20: When working with a 16-bit image, which statement about tonal adjustments is most accurate?

Curves adjustments are not available
Adjustments are applied twice as fast
More headroom for aggressive adjustments with less banding than 8-bit (Correct answer)
Color range is identical to 8-bit but files are smaller

Correct answer: More headroom for aggressive adjustments with less banding than 8-bit

16-bit images store 65,536 tonal values per channel, providing much more data to redistribute before posterization or banding occurs.

Question 21: What does the 'Subtract from Selection' mode do when using the Rectangular Marquee tool over an existing elliptical selection?

Creates a new separate selection region
Removes the entire elliptical selection and starts a new rectangular one
Deselects any pixels where the new rectangular area overlaps the existing selection (Correct answer)
Converts the elliptical selection into a rectangular one

Correct answer: Deselects any pixels where the new rectangular area overlaps the existing selection

Subtract mode removes the overlapping portion of the new marquee from the current selection, effectively cutting a rectangular hole in the ellipse.

Question 22: Which Select menu command lets you select all pixels on the current layer that fall within a specific color range?

Select > Focus Area
Select > Grow
Select > Similar
Select > Color Range (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Select > Color Range

Select > Color Range opens a dialog where you sample colors with an eyedropper and adjust Fuzziness to select matching tones across the layer.

Question 23: When removing red-eye from a portrait taken in RAW format, what is the most efficient first step in Photoshop?

Use the Red Eye Tool in Camera Raw before opening the file (Correct answer)
Use Replace Color adjustment
Apply Hue/Saturation to target the red channel
Select the red area with the Magic Wand and desaturate

Correct answer: Use the Red Eye Tool in Camera Raw before opening the file

Camera Raw's Red Eye Removal tool corrects red-eye before the file is processed, preserving maximum image quality.

Question 24: When using a Curves adjustment layer, what does clicking directly on the image with the on-canvas picker do?

Creates a new layer based on the sampled tone
Applies an auto correction to the image
Samples a color to set the white point
Places a control point on the curve at the sampled tonal value (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Places a control point on the curve at the sampled tonal value

Clicking the image with the on-canvas picker in Curves adds a control point corresponding to the sampled pixel's luminosity value.

Question 25: Which setting in Photoshop Preferences controls how many history states are retained in the History panel?

Guides & Slices > History Limit
File Handling > History Log
Performance > History & Cache > History States (Correct answer)
Interface > History Depth

Correct answer: Performance > History & Cache > History States

Under Preferences > Performance, the History States slider (1–1000) sets how many undo steps Photoshop remembers.

Question 26: When exporting a JPEG for web using 'Export As', which color profile setting ensures colors display consistently across browsers?

Remove all color profile data
Embed the working color profile
Use ProPhoto RGB
Convert to sRGB (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Convert to sRGB

Converting to sRGB is the web standard because most browsers and monitors are calibrated to sRGB, ensuring consistent color display.

Question 27: Which Photoshop workspace panel configuration is best practice for a photographer editing RAW files in a high-volume workflow?

Reset to Essentials workspace
Use the 3D workspace for depth mapping
Enable the Motion workspace for batch exports
Use the Photography workspace with Histogram and Camera Raw visible (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Use the Photography workspace with Histogram and Camera Raw visible

The Photography workspace pre-arranges panels like Histogram, Adjustments, and Camera Raw for efficient photo-editing workflows.

Question 28: A press operator requests that your CMYK file have no more than 300% Total Area Coverage (TAC). Your rich black swatch reads C:75 M:68 Y:67 K:100. What should you do?

Reduce the CMY values so the sum of all four channels is 300% or less (Correct answer)
Replace all black with a pure K:100 swatch only
Leave it as is; it is under the limit
Convert the file to RGB before delivery

Correct answer: Reduce the CMY values so the sum of all four channels is 300% or less

75+68+67+100 = 310%, which exceeds the 300% TAC limit; you must reduce the CMY components until the total is at or below 300%.

Question 29: What file extension is used for Photoshop Large Document format, which supports files over 2 GB?

.PSB (Correct answer)
.TIFF
.PSD
.DNG

Correct answer: .PSB

PSB (Photoshop Big) is the Large Document Format that supports canvases up to 300,000 × 300,000 pixels and files exceeding 2 GB.

Question 30: Which layer blend mode is commonly used to apply a texture layer while only affecting the luminosity of layers below?

Saturation
Hue
Luminosity (Correct answer)
Color

Correct answer: Luminosity

Luminosity blend mode applies the brightness (luminance) of the blend layer while keeping the hue and saturation of the layers beneath.

Question 31: In Adobe Bridge, what does the 'Cache' serve as?

A backup of recently deleted files
A list of recently opened documents
A stored index of thumbnails and metadata for faster browsing (Correct answer)
A temporary undo history

Correct answer: A stored index of thumbnails and metadata for faster browsing

Bridge's cache stores thumbnail previews and metadata so folders load faster on subsequent visits.

Question 32: You are working on a composite image and have a layer that is already a Smart Object (not from a raw file). You want to apply several adjustments using the Camera Raw interface non-destructively. Which of the following is the best approach?

With the Smart Object layer selected, go to Filter > Camera Raw Filter. (Correct answer)
Duplicate the Smart Object, then go to Image > Adjustments > and manually apply each setting.
Rasterize the layer, then go to Filter > Camera Raw Filter.
Double-click the Smart Object, apply the filter in the new window, and save it.

Correct answer: With the Smart Object layer selected, go to Filter > Camera Raw Filter.

The Camera Raw Filter can be applied to any layer, but when applied to a Smart Object, it becomes a non-destructive Smart Filter. This allows you to reopen the Camera Raw Filter at any time by double-clicking on it in the Layers panel (under the Smart Object layer) to modify the settings, offering maximum flexibility without permanently altering the layer's pixels.

Question 33: In Photoshop's HSL (Hue/Saturation) interface, dragging the Hue slider for a specific color range shifts that range by how many degrees on the color wheel?

Up to ±180 degrees (Correct answer)
Exactly ±45 degrees
Up to ±360 degrees
Up to ±90 degrees

Correct answer: Up to ±180 degrees

The Hue slider within a targeted color range can shift that hue by up to 180 degrees in either direction on the color wheel.

Question 34: Which Photoshop feature lets you set a target output color for neutrals (gray, white, black) in Curves by double-clicking the eyedroppers?

Color Range Select
Match Color dialog
Replace Color adjustment
Auto Color Correction Options (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Auto Color Correction Options

Double-clicking the shadow, midtone, or highlight eyedroppers in Curves opens the Auto Color Correction Options where you set target neutral values.

Question 35: What is the key difference between a smooth point and a corner point on a Bezier path?

Smooth points are created with the Pen tool; corner points with the Convert Point tool
Smooth points are used only for open paths; corner points only for closed paths
Smooth points have no direction handles; corner points have two
Smooth points have two linked direction handles creating a continuous curve; corner points allow direction handles to move independently (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Smooth points have two linked direction handles creating a continuous curve; corner points allow direction handles to move independently

A smooth anchor point links its two direction handles so the curve passes through smoothly, while a corner point lets handles move independently for sharp changes in direction.

Question 36: In a Curves adjustment, what does an S-curve achieve?

Inverts the tonal range
Equalizes the histogram
Reduces saturation across all hues
Increases contrast by lightening midtone highlights and darkening midtone shadows (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Increases contrast by lightening midtone highlights and darkening midtone shadows

An S-curve raises the upper midtones and lowers the lower midtones simultaneously, creating a contrast boost throughout the image.

Question 37: When using Content-Aware Scale, what does enabling 'Protect Skin Tones' do?

Applies a mask to skin areas before scaling
Converts skin tones to a neutral gray before scaling
Locks all layers containing skin-colored pixels
Tries to protect areas with skin-tone colors from distortion during scaling (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Tries to protect areas with skin-tone colors from distortion during scaling

Protect Skin Tones (the figure icon) tells Content-Aware Scale to avoid distorting regions that contain flesh-colored tones.

Question 38: What does the Hue/Saturation adjustment tool control?

Brush size
Filter strength
Color tone and vibrancy (Correct answer)
Image resolution

Correct answer: Color tone and vibrancy

The Hue/Saturation adjustment tool in Photoshop controls the color tone (hue), intensity (saturation), and lightness (luminosity) of specific colors or the entire image. This allows for precise color correction, creative color grading, and desaturation effects. It's a powerful non-destructive tool for altering the overall mood and vibrancy of a photograph.

Question 39: What does the 'Vibrance' adjustment do differently compared to 'Saturation'?

Vibrance boosts all colors equally while Saturation protects skin tones
Vibrance only affects the red channel while Saturation affects all channels
Vibrance applies to CMYK images while Saturation applies to RGB
Vibrance selectively boosts less-saturated colors while protecting already-saturated tones (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Vibrance selectively boosts less-saturated colors while protecting already-saturated tones

Vibrance uses a non-linear saturation increase that pushes muted colors more than already-vivid ones, preventing oversaturation.

Question 40: In Camera Raw, what does the 'Texture' slider primarily affect?

Fine chromatic aberration correction
Coarse detail and noise in highlights
Mid-frequency detail like skin pores and fabric (Correct answer)
Global contrast across the entire image

Correct answer: Mid-frequency detail like skin pores and fabric

The Texture slider in Camera Raw enhances or suppresses mid-frequency detail such as skin pores, bark, and fabric weave.

Question 41: When working on a composite image, what is the primary function of the 'Pass Through' blend mode when applied to a layer group?

It applies the blend mode of the top layer within the group to all other layers in that group.
It allows adjustment layers and blend modes inside the group to affect layers below the group in the layer stack. (Correct answer)
It makes all layers within the group transparent, revealing the layers below the group.
It isolates the group, preventing any blend modes from layers outside the group from affecting the layers inside.

Correct answer: It allows adjustment layers and blend modes inside the group to affect layers below the group in the layer stack.

The 'Pass Through' blend mode is the default for layer groups. It essentially tells Photoshop to ignore the group as a container for blending purposes, allowing adjustment layers and the blend modes of individual layers within the group to interact with and affect all layers below the group as if they were not in a group at all. Changing it to 'Normal' would confine the effects to only the layers within the group.

Question 42: How do you permanently apply (commit) a layer mask to its layer, merging the transparency into the pixels?

Shift-click the mask
Drag the mask to the Trash
Select > Deselect
Right-click the mask thumbnail > Apply Layer Mask (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Right-click the mask thumbnail > Apply Layer Mask

Right-clicking the mask thumbnail and choosing 'Apply Layer Mask' merges the mask's transparency into the layer pixels permanently.

Question 43: What does 'Optimize to File Size' do in Save for Web (Legacy)?

Automatically chooses the best file format
Removes all metadata to reduce size
Converts the image to grayscale for smaller output
Adjusts quality settings to hit a target file size you specify (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Adjusts quality settings to hit a target file size you specify

Optimize to File Size automatically adjusts the quality or compression parameter to produce a file as close to the target size as possible.

Question 44: Which blending mode is ideal for combining a neutral 50% gray layer with the image to add dodge-and-burn non-destructively?

Screen
Difference
Multiply
Overlay (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Overlay

Overlay mode renders 50% gray as invisible, so painting lighter or darker on such a layer dodges or burns the composite non-destructively.

Question 45: Which option in the Transform command maintains the aspect ratio of a selection or layer while resizing in older versions of Photoshop (pre-CC 2019)?

Holding Ctrl/Cmd while dragging a corner handle
Enabling 'Constrain Proportions' in the Options bar
Holding Alt while dragging a corner handle
Holding Shift while dragging a corner handle (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Holding Shift while dragging a corner handle

Before CC 2019, Shift+drag on a corner handle during Free Transform constrained the aspect ratio; in CC 2019+ it became the default behavior without Shift.

Question 46: Which tool option allows the Quick Selection tool to automatically subtract from an existing selection as you drag?

Holding Shift while dragging
Enabling 'Auto-Enhance' in the Options bar
Switching to the 'Subtract from Selection' icon in the Options bar
Holding Alt/Option while dragging (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Holding Alt/Option while dragging

Alt/Option+drag switches the Quick Selection tool to subtraction mode on the fly, removing the painted areas from the current selection.

Question 47: Which Photoshop tool should you use to add an anchor point to an existing vector path?

Add Anchor Point tool (Correct answer)
Direct Selection tool
Convert Point tool
Path Selection tool

Correct answer: Add Anchor Point tool

The Add Anchor Point tool (hidden under the Pen tool) places a new anchor on a selected path segment without breaking it.

Question 48: You have a layer mask that hides part of the image. Pressing Ctrl+I (Cmd+I) while the mask thumbnail is selected will:

Invert the mask, revealing hidden areas and hiding revealed areas (Correct answer)
Disable the mask temporarily
Convert the mask to a selection
Delete the mask

Correct answer: Invert the mask, revealing hidden areas and hiding revealed areas

Ctrl+I inverts the layer mask, swapping what is revealed and what is hidden.

Question 49: Which Photoshop feature allows you to sample a clone source from a different open document?

Arrange Documents > Tile, then Alt/Option-click in the source document with Clone Stamp active (Correct answer)
It is not possible to clone across documents in Photoshop
Enable Cross-Document Sampling in Clone Stamp Options
Use Edit > Paste Special > Paste In Place

Correct answer: Arrange Documents > Tile, then Alt/Option-click in the source document with Clone Stamp active

By tiling documents side by side, you can Alt/Option-click in the source document to set a clone source, then paint in the destination document.

Question 50: When two adjustment layers are inside a layer group and the group has 'Pass Through' blend mode changed to 'Normal', what changes?

The group mask is automatically disabled
The adjustments become stronger by doubling
The adjustments no longer affect layers outside the group (Correct answer)
All layers in the group are merged into a Smart Object

Correct answer: The adjustments no longer affect layers outside the group

Changing a group from Pass Through to Normal mode confines the adjustment layers' effects to only the layers within the group.

Question 51: When using the Path Selection tool (black arrow) on a compound shape with multiple sub-paths, which action selects all sub-paths simultaneously?

Ctrl+A (Cmd+A) after clicking the shape (Correct answer)
Double-click the shape layer thumbnail
Shift-click each sub-path
Click once anywhere on the shape layer

Correct answer: Ctrl+A (Cmd+A) after clicking the shape

Pressing Ctrl/Cmd+A while the Path Selection tool is active selects all paths within the current Shape layer.

Question 52: Which method lets you load a layer mask as an active selection?

Shift+click the mask thumbnail
Ctrl+click (Cmd+click) the mask thumbnail (Correct answer)
Double-click the mask thumbnail
Right-click and choose Select Mask

Correct answer: Ctrl+click (Cmd+click) the mask thumbnail

Ctrl+clicking (Cmd+clicking on Mac) a mask thumbnail loads it as a selection, with white areas becoming selected.

Question 53: A designer has created a company logo with a transparent background that needs to be placed on a website over a background that may change colors. Which file format is most suitable for exporting the logo to preserve its multi-level transparency for web use?

TIFF
PNG-24 (Correct answer)
GIF
JPEG

Correct answer: PNG-24

PNG-24 is the ideal choice because it supports 8-bit alpha transparency, which allows for smooth, multi-level transparent edges. This ensures the logo will look clean and professional over any color background without a halo or jagged edges. JPEG does not support transparency, GIF only supports 1-bit (hard-edged) transparency, and TIFF is primarily a print format not optimized for web use.

Question 54: To target a layer mask for painting without deselecting the layer, you should:

Alt/Option-click the mask thumbnail
Double-click the layer name
Shift-click the mask thumbnail
Click the mask thumbnail once (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Click the mask thumbnail once

Clicking the mask thumbnail once in the Layers panel makes the mask active (highlighted with a border) so brush strokes edit the mask.

Question 55: A Smart Object layer with a layer mask — what happens when you convert the Smart Object back to a regular layer?

The mask is converted to a vector mask
The mask is rasterized and flattened into the pixels
The mask is automatically deleted
The mask is retained as a pixel layer mask on the rasterized layer (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The mask is retained as a pixel layer mask on the rasterized layer

When you rasterize a Smart Object, Photoshop retains the existing layer mask on the resulting pixel layer.

Question 56: When restoring detail in a severely overexposed area of a JPEG, what is the realistic limitation?

Curves adjustments will introduce banding on JPEGs
Camera Raw cannot open JPEG files
Completely blown highlights contain no recoverable data in any channel (Correct answer)
The Shadows/Highlights adjustment cannot process JPEGs

Correct answer: Completely blown highlights contain no recoverable data in any channel

Pixels clipped to pure white (255,255,255) in all channels contain no information to recover, making highlight restoration impossible in those areas.

ACE - Adobe Certified Expert in Photoshop

The Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) in Photoshop exam validates advanced proficiency in Adobe Photoshop, covering image editing, retouching, color management, layers, masks, selections, compositing, and output for print and web.

Questions

90 min

Time Limit

63%

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