Feathering a mask produces what kind of transition?

• A. Feathering a mask makes the edges harder
• B. Feathering a mask increases contrast
• C. Feathering a mask produces a soft transition between masked and unmasked areas
• D. Feathering a mask hides the subject completely

Answer: (C)

Feathering a mask creates a soft transition between masked and unmasked areas. In Photoshop, a layer mask controls visibility with grayscale—white reveals, black hides, and gray partially reveals. Applying feather adds a blur to the edge of the mask, so pixels near the boundary are partially visible, producing a gradual blend rather than a hard cut. The amount of softness is set by the feather radius—the bigger the radius, the smoother the transition. This technique is used to blend subjects into backgrounds more naturally; it doesn’t harden edges, increase contrast, or hide the subject completely by itself.