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Blend Modes
Blending is how a top layer mixes with the layer(s) below it in a stack of layers.
Normal
This is the standard blend mode, which uses the top layer alone. There is no color mixed with the layers beneath the top layer.Disolve
in this mode random pixels are taken from the lop layer and the lower layer(s). If the opacity if top layer is greater than of the lower layer(s) most pixels will be taken form the top layer. Is it low, then more pixel of the lower layer(s) will be taken.Multiply
In this blend mode, each pixel of the top layer is multiplied with the corresponding pixel of the lower layer. The opposite of Multiply is Screen. Example • Black (0): 0 * 0 = 0 • White (1): 1 * 1 = 1 • Gray (0.5): 0.5 * 0.5 = 0.25 Multiplying will result in darker images. Alternatively, Curves or Levels can be used to get the same result.Screen
In this mode the values of the pixels are inverted, multiplied and then inverted again. This will result in a brighter picture. Example • Black (0): 1 - (1 - 0)(1 - 0) = 1 - 1 = 0 • White (1) : 1 - (1 - 1)(1 - 1) = 1 - 0 = 1 • Gray (0.5): 1 - (1 - 0.5)(1 - 0.5) = 1 - 0.25 = 0.75 Screen will result in brighter pictures.Examples
In below examples three columns (0%, red and 100% black) are covered with a 50% gray rectangle to reveal the effect of common blend modes. Note that the effect of blend modes largely depend on the images that are blended together.
Normal
Multiply
Screen
Overlay
Hard Light
Soft Light
Luminosity
Color
Color Burn
Color Dodge
Enhance
