In the color page, what does an outside node do?

• A. It inherits the alpha channel from the node before it and inverts the selection
• B. It resets the color adjustments
• C. It clamps the color range
• D. It merges with the next node

Answer: (A)

In the color page, the outside node acts as a mask that carries the alpha from the preceding node and inverts the selection. This means you’re creating the inverse of the prior matte: areas that were selected become unselected, and areas that weren’t selected become selected. This is handy for applying adjustments to everything around a subject or outside a defined area, without touching the previously isolated region. It isn’t about resetting color adjustments, clamping color ranges, or merging with the next node—those aren’t the functions of an outside node. The key idea is masking via the alpha from the previous node, with the selection inverted.