blending options explained

7/27/2019 Blending Options Explained

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Blending Options

Multiply: Multiply is used to give a higher contrast image with deeper tones. In order

to get this look you should duplicate the layer, and then select Multiply from the

blending options to the layer above the background.

To dramatically change the photo, I used a different image and used Hard Light

from the blending options.


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Hard Light: In a picture like the one above hard light emphasizes the top layer over

the background layer. Hard Light uses a mix of Linear Burn and Linear Dodge to

create a blending mode similar to Overlay, but harsher.

Where as, Soft Light makes the background show through more than the layers

above. See example above.

Soft Light: This blend mode uses a combination of Screen and Multiply. This is alsosimilar to the Overlay option as well, but results in a softer look.

To finish my photo, I created a solid colour on a separate layer and used the Hue

blending option to tint the picture red.


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Hue: This blending option keeps the colour of the selected layer and blends with the

luminosity and saturation of the underlying layers.

Other Blending Options:

Darken: If pixels of the selected layer are darker than the underlying layers, they are

kept. If they are lighter, they are replaced with darker tones from the lower layer.

(See figure below).

Lighten: Lighten is similar to darken but instead, if the pixels are lighter than the

layers below, they are kept, and if they are darker they are replaced from the

underlying layers. (See figure below)


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Screen: Screen works similarly to Lighten, but removes darker pixels resulting in a

brighter picture, with smoother transitions.

Overlay: This blending mode uses a combination of Screen for the lighter pixels and

Multiply for the darker pixels. Overlay is similar to Soft Light, but is subtler. (See

figure below).


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Vivid Light: This blend mode uses a combination of Colour Dodge on lighter pixels

and Colour Burn mode on the darker pixels. Its similar to the Hard Mix but more

extreme in its effects.

Saturation: This mode keeps the saturation of the active layer and blends it with the

hue and luminosity of the underlying layers.


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Colour: This blending mode keeps the colour of the active layer and blends with the

hue and luminosity of the underlying layers.

Luminosity: This blending mode keeps the luminosity of the active layer and blends

with hue and saturation of the underlying layers.

All of the blend modes come in different groups, which are:

Normal Group:

Normal Dissolve


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Darken Group:

Darken Multiply Colour Burn Linear Burn Darker Colour

Lighten Group:

Lighten Screen Colour Dodge Linear Dodge Lighter Colour

Contrast Group:

Overlay Soft Light Hard Light Vivid Light Linear Light Pin Light Hard Mix

Inversion Group:

Difference Exclusion

Cancellation Group:

Subtract Divide

Component Group:

Hue Saturation Colour Luminosity

blending options explained

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