PHOTOSHOP ANATOMY

WHAT ARE BLEND MODES?

Blend modes work by blending pixels on the selected layer with those below. They each employ a different algorithm that uses the brightness or colour values of individual pixels to come up with a new effect. With 27 modes, it’s not always clear which Blend mode will give you the best results, so experimentation is key.

LIGHTEN AND SCREEN, DARKEN AND MULTIPLY

These four blend modes can be hugely useful when compositing images. Lighten only allows brighter pixels to show, while Screen multiplies the brightness values (in the same way a traditional double exposure would). Darken and Multiply do the opposite for a darkening effect.

BLEND TEXTURES

A simple texture blended using the Overlay or Soft Light mode can work wonders over your photos by giving them a weathered, aged look. It helps to build up a texture library, so head out with your camera and capture the textures all around you — we’ve been using the same old battered baking tray textures for years, to great effect.

BRUSH BLEND MODES

Several tools, including the Brush tool, feature a mode dropdown similar to layer Blend modes, but they affect how the tool applies paint. For example, if we set the Brush tool to the Color Blend mode, it will apply colour but won’t affect detail. The Brush tool offers two unique modes: Behind lets you apply paint to transparent pixels, and Clear works like an eraser.

OPACITY OR FILL?

Most Blend modes will behave in the same way whether you adjust the Fill or Opacity of the layer, but a select few are different. Color Burn, Linear Burn, Color Dodge, Linear Dodge (Add), Vivid Light, Linear Light, Hard Mix and Difference all give a varying effect at 50% Fill than 50% opacity. Experiment to see how each works.

ADJUSTMENT LAYERS

Blend modes can be used in combination with Adjustment Layers for all kinds of tricks. For example, if you add a Black and White Adjustment Layer and set it to Luminosity, instead of getting a blackand-white effect, you instead gain the ability to alter the brightness of the six colour ranges on offer.