Blending modes

1. Work with layer blending modes

Blending modes for layers control how each layer blends with or interacts with layers beneath it.

You can’t directly animate blending modes by using keyframes. To change a blending mode at a specific time, split the layer at that time and apply the new blending mode to the part of the layer that continues.

Each layer has a blending mode, even if that blending mode is the default Normal blending mode.

To apply a blending mode to selected layers,click Toolbox> Blend, and click Add suitable blend mode.

2. Blending mode reference

The following description uses these terms:

●The source color is the color of the layer to which the blending mode is applied.

●The base color is the color of the project layer below the source layer in the layer stacking order in the Timeline panel.

●The resulting color is the output of the blending operation; the color of the item.

The blending mode menu is subdivided into eight categories based on similarities between the results of the blending modes.

Normal category Options is Normal. The result color of a pixel is not affected by the color of the underlying pixel unless Opacity is less than 100% for the source layer.

Subtractive category Options include Darken,Burn and Linear Burn . These blending modes tend to darken colors, some by mixing colors in much the same way as mixing colored pigments in paint.

Additive category Options are Add, Lighten, Screen, and Dodge. These blending modes tend to lighten colors, some by mixing colors in much the same way as mixing projected light.

Complex category Options include Overlay, Soft Light and Hard Light. These blending modes perform different operations on the source and underlying colors depending on whether one of the colors is lighter than 50% gray.

Difference category Options include Difference, Exclusion, Subtract, and Divide. These blending modes create colors based on the differences between the values of the source color and the underlying color.

HSL category Options include Hue, Saturation, Color, and Luminosity. These blending modes transfer one or more of the components of the HSL representation of color (hue, saturation, and luminosity) from the underlying color to the result color.

3. Blending mode descriptions

Note : Some color values in the following descriptions are given in terms of the 0.0-1.0 scale from black to white.

Normal The result color is the source color. This mode ignores the underlying color. Normal is the default mode.

Darken Each result color channel value is the lower (darker) of the source color channel value and the corresponding underlying color channel value.

Add Each result color channel value is the sum of the corresponding color channel values of the source color and underlying color. The result color is never darker than either input color.

Lighten Each result color channel value is the higher (lighter) of the source color channel value and the corresponding underlying color channel value.

Screen Multiplies the complements of the channel values, and then takes the complement of the result. The result color is never darker than either input color. Using the Screen mode is similar to projecting multiple photographic slides simultaneously onto a single screen.

Overlay Multiplies or screens the input color channel values, depending on whether or not the underlying color is lighter than 50% gray. The result preserves highlights and shadows in the underlying layer.

Soft Light Darkens or lightens the color channel values of the underlying layer, depending on the source color. The result is similar to shining a diffused spotlight on the underlying layer. For each color channel value, if the source color is lighter than 50% gray, the result color is lighter than the underlying color, as if dodged. If the source color is darker than 50% gray, the result color is darker than the underlying color, as if burned. A layer with pure black or white becomes markedly darker or lighter, but does not become pure black or white.

Hard Light Multiplies or screens the input color channel value, depending on the original source color. The result is similar to shining a harsh spotlight on the layer. For each color channel value, if the underlying color is lighter than 50% gray, the layer lightens as if it were screened. If the underlying color is darker than 50% gray, the layer darkens as if it were multiplied. This mode is useful for creating the appearance of shadows on a layer.

Difference For each color channel, subtracts the darker of the input values from the lighter. Painting with white inverts the backdrop color; painting with black produces no change.

Exclusion Creates a result similar to but lower in contrast than the Difference mode. If the source color is white, the result color is the complement of the underlying color. If the source color is black, the result color is the underlying color.

Subtract Subtracts the source color from the underlying color. If the source color is black, the result color is the underlying color. Result color values can be less than 0 in 32-bpc projects.

Divide Divides underlying color by source color. If the source color is white, the result color is the underlying color. Result color values can be greater than 1.0 in 32-bpc projects.

Hue Result color has luminosity and saturation of the underlying color, and the hue of the source color.

Saturation Result color has luminosity and hue of the underlying color, and the saturation of the source color.

Color Result color has luminosity of the underlying color, and hue and saturation of the source color. This blending mode preserves the gray levels in the underlying color. This blending mode is useful for coloring grayscale images and for tinting color images.

Luminosity Result color has hue and saturation of the underlying color, and luminosity of the source color. This mode is the opposite of the Color mode.