## Managing masks

Masks are used in some images to prevent unwanted pixels from being displayed in the user interface (UI).
Items can have two different types of masks:

- 1-bit masks (hard masks)
- 8-bit masks (soft masks)

An 8-bit mask is a greyscale image and allows creation of soft edges (anti-aliasing), and semi-transparency. The mask type is component-specific. Generally, 8-bit masks are applicable, unless otherwise indicated.
Note: Software vector graphics (svg) icons are parsed with their own opacity. Separate masks are not needed.