Regional Map - Lettering Problem

[Mouse]

Great maps, Valastyr

If this is PS and you still have layers, duplicate the parchment layer and raise it to just below the labels. Then create a mask from the labels and feather the mask outwards. Use the mask to create a layer mask on the new parchment layer, and what you should get as a result of that is a faint parchment halo around each letter that will give the illusion that the artwork below has been erased... whereas it in truth it remains untouched

That means you don't have any coloured halos that stand out from the rest of the map as being different.

EDIT: This is very much after about 4 more comments were added, but it just occurred to me that you could move your new parchment label outline layer down the stack till it was only just above the linework. Any colours you add would then also colour the new parchment layer, and the false erasing effect would only be on the linework.

[Valastyr]

And thank you all again, I feel tremendously flattered (I need some ice for my face now), and am very grateful for the help.
Diamond, you were absolutely right. I "tested" with just erasing some lines, but it would take forever to do it this way... I will try both your and mouses' technique next (thank you very much Mouse, for explaining it in detail!), and will see how it works out :>

[Pixie]

Here's one other technique.. it's the one I use and requires that you know how to use masks.

Put all your labels in, avoiding as much as possible the linework, but if it needs to be on top of linework, leave it.
Make a copy of all your lavels and merge it as a simple, raster, layer.
Select the transparent area of that layer, and modify it to be a little smaller (2 to 10 px, depends on the size of the file, experiment... you can also feather a few pixels in the selection)
Use it as a mask for your linework layer/group.

This works best if done after all the labeling, but it's quick enough to be redone everytime you change the labels.

If you are a lunatic-for-details-kind-of-person, you can also finetune the selection in the quick mask mode (I do that, but I'm that kind of person).

Take some well deserved reputation for your linework. I hope you keep at it and join the ranks of amazing "linework" artists we have around here already!