PhotoRiyaHow blend modes work
Every pixel of the result is calculated from two colours: the backdrop (Cb, the layers underneath) and the blend layer (Cs, the layer on top). Each colour channel is a number from 0 (none) to 1 (full). The blend mode is just the rule that turns Cb and Cs into a result. Opacity then mixes the result back with the backdrop.
Most modes work on the red, green and blue channels separately. The four Component modes (Hue, Saturation, Color and Luminosity) and Darker and Lighter Color look at the whole colour at once.
Which blend mode should I use?
| What you want | Try |
|---|---|
| Add a shadow, or remove a white background | Multiply |
| Add a glow, light leak or remove a black background | Screen, Linear Dodge (Add) |
| Overlay a texture or add contrast | Overlay, Soft Light |
| Tint a photo or colour a black-and-white image | Color |
| Change colours without changing brightness | Hue, Saturation, Color |
| Change brightness without changing colours | Luminosity |
| Find the differences between two versions | Difference |
| Strong, dramatic contrast | Hard Light, Vivid Light |
All 27 blend modes
The formulas use Cb for the backdrop and Cs for the blend layer, per channel, between 0 and 1.
Normal
- Normal
- Shows the layer as it is. At lower opacity it fades into the backdrop.
result = Cs - Dissolve
- Shows each pixel as either the layer or the backdrop, at random. The lower the opacity, the more backdrop pixels survive, giving a grainy, dithered edge instead of a smooth fade.
Darken modes
- Darken
- Keeps the darker of the two values in every channel.
min(Cb, Cs) - Multiply
- Multiplies the values, so the result is never lighter than either. White does nothing, black stays black. The classic mode for shadows.
Cb × Cs - Color Burn
- Darkens the backdrop and increases contrast and saturation.
1 − (1 − Cb) ÷ Cs - Linear Burn
- Adds the values and subtracts white, darkening more strongly than Multiply.
Cb + Cs − 1 - Darker Color
- Compares the whole colours and shows the one with the lower luminosity (0.3 R + 0.59 G + 0.11 B). Unlike Darken it never creates a new colour.
Lighten modes
- Lighten
- Keeps the lighter of the two values in every channel.
max(Cb, Cs) - Screen
- The opposite of Multiply: the result is never darker than either. Black does nothing, white stays white. Good for glows and light effects.
1 − (1 − Cb)(1 − Cs) - Color Dodge
- Brightens the backdrop and increases contrast, producing intense highlights.
Cb ÷ (1 − Cs) - Linear Dodge (Add)
- Adds the two values together and clips at white. Brighter and harsher than Screen.
Cb + Cs - Lighter Color
- Compares the whole colours and shows the one with the higher luminosity.
Contrast modes
- Overlay
- Multiplies dark backdrop areas and screens light ones, which adds contrast while keeping the backdrop's highlights and shadows.
2 × Cb × CsifCb ≤ 0.5, otherwise1 − 2(1 − Cb)(1 − Cs) - Soft Light
- A gentler Overlay that lightens or darkens softly depending on the layer.
2 × Cb × Cs + Cb² (1 − 2Cs)ifCs ≤ 0.5, otherwise2 × Cb (1 − Cs) + √Cb (2Cs − 1) - Hard Light
- Like Overlay, but the layer decides instead of the backdrop. It multiplies where the layer is dark and screens where it's light, with strong, harsh contrast.
2 × Cb × CsifCs ≤ 0.5, otherwise1 − 2(1 − Cb)(1 − Cs) - Vivid Light
- Applies Color Burn where the layer is darker than 50% gray and Color Dodge where it's lighter, with very strong contrast.
- Linear Light
- Applies Linear Burn or Linear Dodge depending on the layer.
Cb + 2 × Cs − 1 - Pin Light
- Replaces colours depending on the layer: where the layer is dark only darker backdrop values are kept, where it's light only lighter ones.
min(Cb, 2Cs)ifCs ≤ 0.5, otherwisemax(Cb, 2Cs − 1) - Hard Mix
- Pushes every channel to pure 0 or 1, giving a posterized, high-contrast result.
1ifCb + Cs ≥ 1, otherwise0
Inversion modes
- Difference
- Subtracts the darker value from the lighter one. Identical colours become black, so it's useful for comparing two versions of an image.
|Cb − Cs| - Exclusion
- Like Difference with lower contrast.
Cb + Cs − 2 × Cb × Cs - Subtract
- Subtracts the layer's values from the backdrop's and clips at black.
Cb − Cs - Divide
- Divides the backdrop by the layer, which brightens it.
Cb ÷ Cs
Component modes
- Hue
- The layer's hue with the backdrop's saturation and luminosity.
- Saturation
- The layer's saturation with the backdrop's hue and luminosity.
- Color
- The layer's hue and saturation with the backdrop's luminosity. The usual choice for tinting or colouring black-and-white images.
- Luminosity
- The layer's luminosity with the backdrop's hue and saturation. The opposite of Color.
Questions people ask
What are blend modes in Photoshop?
A blend mode decides how the colours of a layer combine with the colours of the layers beneath it. Normal just covers what's below. Other modes multiply, add, subtract or compare the two sets of colours, which is how shadows, glows, textures and colour grades are made without painting them by hand.
What does the Multiply blend mode do?
Multiply multiplies the colour values of the layer and the backdrop, so the result is always as dark as or darker than both. White has no effect and black stays black. It's the standard mode for shadows, and for removing a white background from a scan or drawing.
What's the difference between Overlay and Soft Light?
Both add contrast while keeping the backdrop's highlights and shadows. Overlay is stronger: it multiplies dark areas and screens light ones. Soft Light is a gentler version that lightens or darkens softly depending on the layer's colour. Soft Light suits subtle toning, Overlay suits strong texture.
What's the difference between Screen and Linear Dodge (Add)?
Both lighten, and black has no effect on either. Screen never clips as harshly: it inverts, multiplies and inverts again, so highlights roll off smoothly. Linear Dodge (Add) simply adds the values, which clips to pure white sooner and gives a harsher, brighter look.
How do I remove a white background with a blend mode?
Put the layer with the white background above your artwork and set it to Multiply. Every white pixel becomes transparent in effect, and the dark parts stay. To remove a black background instead, use Screen.
Why do blend modes look different in other apps?
Photoshop blends the colour numbers as stored in an 8-bit document, and this tool does the same with sRGB values. Some apps blend in linear light instead, which gives noticeably different results for the same layers. Colour profiles and opacity settings also change the outcome.
Does PhotoRiya support all the same blend modes?
Yes, PhotoRiya has all 27 Photoshop layer blend modes, and PSD files keep their blend modes when you open and save them. This page uses the editor's own blend functions.
Can I use my own pictures?
Yes. Under each picker choose or use your own picture. Your pictures stay on your device: nothing is uploaded, and they're cropped to fit the preview.