Blending Modes

Normal mode is the default. The colors of the two layers will not interact in any way, and it will display the full value of the colors in the upper layer. However, lower layer can be seen by change the opacity of upper layer.

Darken mode compares each pixel value of the upper layer to its counterpart's pixel value of the lower layer and chooses the darker of the two to display. As a result, the dark part of two layer is emphasized.

Multiply mode darkens the lower layer based on the darkenss of the upper layer. No part of the image will get lighter. Any applied tone darker than white darkens the lower layer. White becomes transparent.

Linear Burn mode works like multiply but the results are more intense.

Color Burn mode burns in the color of the upper layer with the lower layer. No part of the image will get lighter.

Add mode adds the color of the upper layer to the lower layer.

Average mode averages of the color of the upper layer and the lower layer.

Lighten mode compares the two layers pixel for pixel and uses the lightest pixel value. No part of the image gets darker.

Screen mode brightens by lightning the lower layer based on the lightness of the upper layer. The result is always lighter, and makes it a good mode for correcting exposure in photos that are too dark.

Color Dodge mode dodges the lower layer with the upper layer, resulting in a lighter image. No part of the image will be darkened.

Linear Dodge mode works like screen but with more intense results.

Overlay mode multiplies the light colors and screens the dark colors.

Soft Light mode will multiply the dark tones and screen the light tones.

Hard Light mode muliplies the dark colors and screens the light colors.

Pin Light mode changes the lower layer pixels depending on how bright the pixels are in the upper layer. It acts like Multiply when the upper layer color is darker than neutral gray, and acts like screen if the upper layer color is lighter than neutral gray.

Subtract mode subtracts the color of the upper layer from the lower layer.

Negation mode changes the lower layer pixels depending on negation of the uppper layer.

Difference mode reacts to the differences between the upper and lower layer pixels. Large differences lighten the color, and small differences darken the color.

Exclusion mode uses the darkness of the lower layer to mask the difference between upper and lower layers.

Hue mode changes the hue of the lower layer to the hue of the upper layer but leaves brightness and saturation alone.

Saturation mode changes the saturation of the lower layer to the hue of the upper layer but leaves brightness and hue alone.

Color mode changes the hue and saturation of the lower layer to the hue and saturation of the upper layer but leaves luminosity alone.

Brightness mode changes the Brightness of the lower layer to the Brightness of the upper layer while leaving hue and saturation the same.