“Blending” is used to combine layers and display them on the canvas. By changing [Blending], users can apply various effects to the image on the layer below. In this section, we will explain the case of changing the upper [Blending] value on the condition of the lower layer with 100% opacity.
To calculate the result of [Blending], the real values of RGB are converted to values between 0 and 1. Black (R=0, G=0, B=0) abbreviates as (0, 0, 0), 50% gray (128, 128, 128) as (0.5, 0.5, 0.5), and white (R=255, G=255, B=255) as (1, 1, 1).
Normal
The colors of the upper image are rendered regardless of the RGB values of the lower image.
Multiply
To obtain the composite RGB values, the RGB values of the lower image are multiplied by the RGB values of the upper image. If the upper color is black (R=0, G=0, B=0), it will be multiplied by 0 so the lower image will be black (0, 0, 0). Conversely, if the upper color is white (R=1, G=1, B=1), the lower image will be the same color as the original because it is multiplied by 1.
Basically, since the values are multiplied by a number less or equal to 1, the image on the canvas will be darker and closer to black than the RGB values of the original image. On account of this reason, a layer with [Multiply] is often used when users want to apply a color darker than the original, such as a shadow.
Add
Adding the RGB values of the upper image and the RGB values of the lower image will be combined to new RGB values. If the added value is greater than 1, it becomes 1. Therefore, as brighter colors (colors with higher RGB values) are painted over, they become closer to white. This is effective for expressing strong light because it produces an effect similar to halation in photographs.
Subtract
The RGB value of the lower image minus the RGB value of the upper image (subtraction) is the new RGB value. If the subtracted value is negative, it is set to 0. Therefore, the more bright colors (colors with high RGB values) are painted over, the closer to black they are. This function can be used when users want to reduce certain colors in an image.
Divide
The RGB value of the lower image is divided by the RGB value of the upper image (division), and creates the new composite RGB value. If the calculated value is greater than 1, it is set to 1. Therefore, if a darker color (a color with a lower RGB value) is painted over, it will be closer to white.
When users use eyedropper to subtract the color to be white, fill in the [Divide] layer so that other color parts will change as well. This is especially useful when users want to remove yellow stains from an imported analog illustration.
Overlay
For the RGB values in the lower image, [Multiply] is applied to elements less than 0.5 and [Screen] is applied to elements greater than 0.5, resulting in the combined RGB values. For example, if the lower color is (R=100, G=200, B=100), [Multiply] will be applied to the R and B values and [Screen] to the G value. When the same color is used to fill the image, the [Multiply] effect is applied to the dark areas and the [Screen] effect is applied to the light areas, thus changing the overall atmosphere of the image while maintaining the color balance of the original image.
Screen
The value, which comes from the RGB value of the inverted color of the lower image multiplied by the RGB value of the inverted color of the upper page, is inverted, which creates the new composite RGB value. The brighter (higher RGB value) the color of the upper image and the lower image are, the closer they are to be white. If one of them is white, the all will be white. It is similar to [Add] that brightens the color of the original image, but more mild and less white.
Lighten
Comparing the upper and lower images, the brighter (higher value) RGB value will be synthesized.
Darken
Comparing the upper and lower images, the darker (lower value) RGB value will be synthesized.
Difference
The absolute value of the RGB value of the lower image minus the RGB value of the upper image (difference) is the RGB value after compositing. If the color of the upper layer is darker (lower RGB value), the change will be little; if it is lighter (higher RGB value), the change will be more, as if the original colors were inverted. If the same color as the original is used to paint the image, it will be black (R=0, G=0, B=0), which can be used to check the difference between the original and the new image.
Exclusion
The RGB value of the inverted color of the upper image multiplied by the RGB value of the lower image, then plus the RGB value of the upper image multiplied by the RGB value of the inverted color of the lower image, leads to the RGB value after compositing. If the top color is black (R=0, G=0, B=0), the bottom image will remain unchanged; if it is 50% gray (0.5, 0.5, 0.5), it will be 50% gray; if it is white (R=1, G=1, B=1), the bottom image will be inverted. The overall effect is similar to when [Difference] is applied lightly.
Color Dodge
The RGB value of the lower image divided by the RGB value of the inverted color of the upper image is the RGB value after compositing (a value greater than or equal to 1). Basically, the result is brighter than the original color, similar to the “dodging” effect in a photograph.
Color Burn
The RGB value of the inverted color in the lower image is divided by the RGB value of the upper image, and the inverted value is the RGB value of the combined image (values below 0 are set to 0). Basically, the result is darker than the original color, similar to the “burn” effect of a photograph.
Linear Burn
The RGB values of the inverted color of the lower image and the inverted color of the upper image are added together, and the inverted value is the combined RGB value (values below 0 are set to 0). The original color will be darkened more evenly than in [Color Burn].
Soft Light
For the RGB values of the upper image, elements with RGB values less than 0.5 will have the effect of [Multiply] applied at about 50%, and elements with RGB values greater than 0.5 will have the effect of [Screen] applied at about 50%. The overall effect is similar to that of [Overlay] applied at 50% opacity. If the lower image is black or white, or the upper image is 50% gray (0.5, 0.5, 0.5), the lower color will not change at all.
Hard Light
The RGB values of the upper image will be the composite RGB values after processing [Multiply] for elements less than 0.5 and [Screen] for elements 0.5 or more. This is the same process as [Overlay], but the effect of the top color is stronger than [Overlay], which is based on the color of the lower image, making it useful for drawing effects.
Hue
The hue value of the lower image is replaced by the hue value of the upper image.
Saturation
The saturation of the lower image is replaced by the saturation of the upper image.
Color
The color of the lower image is replaced by the hue and saturation of the upper image, and the resulting color is more unified than [Hue] because the saturation value is also changed.
Luminosity
Luminosity in the lower image is replaced by luminosity in the upper image.
Pass Through
This blending is available only for layer folders.
When [Blending] of a layer folder is set to [Pass Through], [Blending] of layers in the folder will be applied to the layers below the folder. If users set it to other than [Pass Through], the effects of the [Blending] of layers within a folder will only be within the folder.
In the case of [Normal]
The effect of [Overlay] in a folder is applied only to the part of the image in the folder, and on the layers below the folder is the folder’s [Blending] applied (in this case [Normal]).
In the case of [Pass Through]
The effect of [Overlay] in the folder is also applied in the layers below the folder.
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