How do you use Blend Mode in Photoshop?

Photoshop, as we all know, is a program designed to process images. The most common effects for image processing are Blend Mode. Although they are the most common, not everyone knows how they work.

What is Blend Mode in Photoshop?

To put it simply, Blend Mode controls how the image is projected onto the layer below it. Blend Mode is an experimental process, which means that its use can rarely be used from the rules and the first attempt to obtain an effect that suits the desired goal. In this article, we’ll take you closer to working in Blend Mode to help you get the results you want faster, and shorten your experimentation time.

How easier to understand?

To make it easier to understand the mixing process, let’s explain it like this:

• Base color It’s the original or primary color in the picture. It is the base or bottom layer to which it reacts.
• Color Blend (Aperture) is a color or top layer that is applied and arranges the base layer
• The color of the result is the color that arises from the mixing

When we select one of the Blend Mode modes, we essentially want the top layer to merge with the bottom layer based on what Blend Mode does. This means that the pixels from the top layer will change the light and color on the layers below, depending on the mode we have chosen.

There are 27 types of Blend Mode, and for ease of understanding, Blend Mode is divided into 6 categories:

• Normal / no special interference occurs, only opacity effects
• Darken (darkened) / the result darkens the image. On the mixture layer (aperture) the white color is invisible
• Lighten (Illuminated) / the result illuminates the image. On the aperture layer, black is invisible
• Contrast The result is an increase in contrast. 50 percent of the gray color is invisible on the mixture layer
• Inversion / the result is the creation of reverse effects
• Component/result deals with the colors of the image

In the following examples, with the same two base and aperture layers, we will show the changes in Blend Mode.

Normal Mixing Modes

Blending method In this category, there is no additional math and algorithm that mixes pixels. With the “Opacity” control, we control the mixing between layers. The “Normal” mode doesn’t actually mix the layers, but simply makes the top layer more transparent, i.e. transparent, thus revealing the layers underneath.

Normal

Normal mode is default mode. The colors of the two layers will not affect them in any way and will display the full value of the colors in the layer.

Dissolve

The dissolve blending mode also doesn’t mix pixels. Dissolve mode detects the pixels below only when the “Opacity” is reduced. Essentially, this effect finds one of its applications in combination with “blur” effects.

Darken Blending Modes

As the name suggests, the result of mixing is that darker color tones become even darker. While the white color becomes invisible. And all tones darker than white will have some darkening effect.

Darken

Darken blending mode doesn’t separate the pixels, but only compares the color of the layer below and the color of the layer you’re blending, while retaining the darkest of them. And if the layer we mix and the color of the layer underneath it are the same, then there is no change.

Multiply

Multiply Blending Mode is one of the most popular ways of blending layers in Photoshop. Multiply means multiplying, so this Blend Mode multiplies the brightness of the base color with the layer it is blending with. The white color does not change, and the black pixels remain black. The color is always darker.

Color Burn

Color Burn blending mode darkens the image below. It does this by adding contrast and lowering colors. This gives the image a so-called burnt look. It reduces glare and its use results in saturated midtones, more precisely gray.

This means that this blending mode looks at the color information on each RGB color channel and darkens the base color (base). To emphasize the color of the mixing increases the contrast between the two layers. Mixing with white doesn’t make a difference.

Linear Burn

Darker Color

Darker Color Blending Mode compares the base and color blend, determining and showing the darker color. The difference between Darken Mode and Darker Color Blending Mode is that Darken Mode looks at the composition of all RGB channels, while Darken Color looks at each one individually to arrive at the final mix.

Lighten Mixing Modes

The results in Lighten blending modes are that anything that is black in the blend layer will become invisible, and anything that is lighter than black will have the effect of subduing the layer below. These blending modes always choose the lighter color between the two layers.

Lighten

Lighten blending mode inspects the color of the base and the color of the blend and retains the color that is lighter. If the colors of the base and the colors of mixing are the same, then there will be no change. This means that no part of the image becomes darker.

Screen

Screen Blending Mode works in the opposite way to Multiply Mode. This means that the image will become brighter. Black and pure white do not change.

Color Dodge

Color Dodge blending mode outputs colors and reduces contrast. This blending mode touches the bottom layer with the top layer, resulting in a brighter image so that no part of the image will be darkened.

Linear Dodge (Add)

The Linear Dodge blending mode is similar to Screen mode, only the result is more intense. This means that this mode looks at the color information on each channel and illuminates the base color, i.e. base and to highlight the color of the mixture increases brightness. Mixing with black doesn’t make a difference.

Lighter Color

Lighter Color mode is the opposite of Darker Color mode. This means that this blending mode brings out the lighter color and extinguishes the darker tones.

Contrast Blending Modes

The Contrast modes affect light and dark tones by choosing those that are more prevalent on the layers.

Overlay

The overlay blending mode is one of the most common, it multiplies or displays colors depending on the base color. colors of the base. The base color is not replaced, but is mixed with the color of the mixture, i.e. the top layer that shows the brightness or darkness of the color of the base. This means that the darker areas become even darker, and the lighter ones become even brighter.

Soft Light

The soft light blending mode is similar to the overlay mode, only with a softer blending mode. It gives the result of lightening or darkening depending on which shade is more present on the layers, and will never give a completely black or white color.

Hard Light

Hard Light Blending mode multiplies the colors that are darker and displays the colors that are lighter.

Vivid Light

Vivid blending mode burns out or outshines colors by increasing or decreasing contrast, depending on the color of the blend. If the color of the mixture is lighter, the image is brightened by reducing the contrast. And if the aperture color is darker, the image is dimmed by decreasing the brightness.

Linear Light

Linear Light blending mode raises or lowers the brightness level depending on whether the blending layer is light or dark, it does not provide contrast. This mode works on the brightness of the lower level.

Pin Light

The pin light mixing mode depends on the color of the mixing. This means that if the mixing colors are lighter or darker, it will replace the color information of the bottom layer. If the bottom layer is darker in darker areas or lighter, then no change will be seen.

Hard Mix

Hard Mix blending mode has no gradient or gradual color changes. Light areas are shown completely white, and dark areas are “burnt”. It basically displays only the primary colors (red, blue, green, white, and black)

Inversion Mixing Modes

Inversion blending modes require variations between the base layer and the blend layer (aperture) to create blending.

Difference

Difference Blending Mode looks at the color information on each channel and subtracts either the color color from the base color or the base color from the color mixture, whichever is greater. Mixing with white turns into basic colors, and mixing with black does not bring changes.

Exclusion

The Exclusion blending mode works similarly to the Difference mode, but does not produce such results. The reason is that it doesn’t create as many contrasts. Areas of pure black color do not cause changes. Essentially, this regime subtracts the white paint layer from the bottom layer.

Subtract

The subtract blending mode subtracts the paint layer from the bottom layer, i.e. base. Pure black does not affect, because you cannot take away the color from black and get something darker, and it fades.

Divide

Divide blending mode divides the aperture color from the base color. The result is a drastically illuminated image as a whole.

Component Mixing Modes

Component blending modes use different combinations of the components of a primary color, including saturation, hues, and brightness, to create a blend

Hue

Hue blending mode preserves the brilliance and saturation of the base pixels while embracing the hue of the aperture pixels. This means that the Hue blending mode changes the shade of the bottom layer, i.e. bases in the shade of the top layer, i.e. layer mixing, but leaves the brightness and saturation alone that means it does not affect them.

Saturation

The saturation blending mode changes the saturation of the lower layer to the hue of the upper layer, but leaves the light and hue alone, meaning it doesn’t affect them.

Color

Color blending mode benefits color from the aperture, i.e. color blends and uses light from the color of the base. This means that this mode changes the hue and saturation from the bottom layer, i.e. bases in shade and saturation of the top layer, i.e. Aperture, but the brightness of the base does not change.

Luminosity

Luminosity mode mixes all the details of the image from the aperture, i.e. of the upper layer is depicted with paint from the base, i.e. The basic colors. This means that it changes the hue and saturation from the bottom layer to the hue and saturation of the top layer, but the light remains the same.

Working with Blend Mode is an important part of Photoshop. Merging two images can be achieved with the right use of layer mixing. In order to get the desired results when working with Blend Mode in Photoshop, you need to research and try various combinations of blending. Sometimes and accidentally come to an unexpected result. We hope that we have brought you closer to working with Blend Mode, it is up to you to find the result that will suit you.

If you’d like to know the basics of Photoshop, check out here.