# Gamut masking feature
**URL:** https://community.aseprite.org/t/gamut-masking-feature/10021
**Category:** Features
**Created:** [July 17, 2021, 8:04am UTC](https://community.aseprite.org/t/gamut-masking-feature/10021 "2021-07-17T08:04:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Olga\_Galvanova](https://community.aseprite.org/u/Olga_Galvanova)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2021, 8:04am UTC](https://community.aseprite.org/t/gamut-masking-feature/10021/1 "2021-07-17T08:04:45Z")
gamut masking concept is beautifully demonstrated by james gurney in this short video: [Gamut Masking - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfE4E5goEIc)
it basically means following:
1. you select your own primaries, usually three (going for more than four kind of removes the point of the whole thing)
2. these primaries determine the gamut available to you. it can be simulated by creating a mask over a colour wheel.
i made rough mock-ups how it could work. there are two modes: edit gamut mask and use gamut mask.
_ **edit gamut mask** mode allows for shifting selected primaries around a colour wheel space_
_ **use gamut mask mode** allows to select colours and prevents accidental editing of the gamut mask shape_
you might notice that this feature requires [colour wheel with 50% gray in a center](https://community.aseprite.org/t/hsl-color-wheel/10020).
why is this useful:
artists - particularly beginners - often struggle to restrain themselves and tend to use way too saturated colours with hues all over the place. gamut masking helps with that.
* * *
* * *
here’s example from pixel art world. artist winoma\_s uploaded to pixel joint this beautiful image _([link](https://pixeljoint.com/pixelart/139966.htm))_:
[ ](https://pixeljoint.com/files/icons/full/akirax1.png)
when you check its colours in dawnbringer’s palette analyzer, you’ll see this:
you can overlay a triangle over those colours and you will get this:
that’s gamut masking in practice. two main primaries (~cyan and ~magenta) with third (very desaturated yellow) serving as an accent colour. it’s masterful.
of course i can’t say winoma\_s used gamut masking - i don’t know that. but i believe this example shows quite well how useful gamut masking can be.
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### Author:  [@WolftrooperNo86](https://community.aseprite.org/u/WolftrooperNo86)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2021, 5:49am UTC](https://community.aseprite.org/t/gamut-masking-feature/10021/2 "2021-07-18T05:49:28Z")
First off. That art piece is \*\*\*\*ing beautiful. What an amazing example! I love Akira.
Second. This is an interesting concept. I reeeeaaaalllly need to study more color theory!
Third. This looks like it could be quite a helpful feature. I wonder if something like this could be coded. _heads for the API reference_
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### Author:  [@Victor\_Silva](https://community.aseprite.org/u/Victor_Silva)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2023, 1:34pm UTC](https://community.aseprite.org/t/gamut-masking-feature/10021/3 "2023-02-09T13:34:04Z")
i’d love to see that gamut mask on aseprite as well. krita already has that feature
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### Author:  [@gareththegeek](https://community.aseprite.org/u/gareththegeek)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2025, 8:14pm UTC](https://community.aseprite.org/t/gamut-masking-feature/10021/4 "2025-03-18T20:14:16Z")
Also would love to see this feature. I took a look at the plugin api but I don’t think it’s possible to create a UI similar to Krita’s gamut masking.
I noticed there’s a paid plugin on itch but it only works with predefined gamut masks rather than allowing you to specify arbitrary primaries.