The masking exercise involves several skills, including creating a mask, the use of layer styles, and filters. Students choose a font that is relevant to their country-of-choice, as well as images that will be used to fill each letter of the country name. The images should show well within the shape of each letter and are often cropped and resized before the masking is done. Once the lettering is completed, layer styles are applied to the letters to add depth and texture. A background image is added to the project, behind the text. That background has a filter applied for additional effects.