The 8 Special Blending Modes In Photoshop
47.2K views 2,374 likes 76 comments
Jump to a step in the video (6)
Click a time to play the video from there.
Your choices stick across every tutorial on this device.
The eight special blending modes in Photoshop react differently to Fill than to Opacity, and you can use that difference to paint soft, glowing highlights.
Blending modes are mathematical equations that blend layers using their hue, saturation, luminosity, or a combination of those components.
Most of them work pretty much the same way. Eight of them, though, have two special features that separate them from the rest.
First, lowering Fill gives you a different result than lowering Opacity. Second, they blend differently when you uncheck the Transparency Shapes Layer box in the Layer Style window.
This tutorial is for anyone who already knows how to add a layer and wants better control over light effects. You will paint a specular highlight, blend it into a photo, and mask it around your subject.
The video was recorded in Photoshop 2021 (version 22.4). Every step still works the same way in the current version.
Key Takeaways
- Only eight blending modes treat Fill and Opacity differently: Color Burn, Linear Burn, Color Dodge, Linear Dodge (Add), Vivid Light, Linear Light, Hard Mix, and Difference.
- With every other blending mode, 20% Fill and 20% Opacity look exactly the same.
- With these eight modes, lowering Fill blends colors more naturally, while lowering Opacity just makes white look duller.
- Unchecking Transparency Shapes Layer under Advanced Blending changes how the outer pixels of a layer blend with the layer below.
- Linear Dodge (Add) with these settings is a quick way to create lights, flares, and specular highlights.
Table of contents
- What You Will Learn
- Requirements
- Which Are the Special Blending Modes in Photoshop?
- Step 1: Choose a Special Blending Mode
- Step 2: Lower the Fill on the Blending Mode Layer
- Step 3: Uncheck Transparency Shapes Layer
- Step 4: Move and Mask the Highlight in Photoshop
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
- Related Links
What You Will Learn
- How to find the eight special blending modes in the blending mode menu.
- How to compare Fill and Opacity on a painted layer.
- How to uncheck Transparency Shapes Layer in the Layer Style window.
- How to paint and move a specular highlight on a photo.
- How to mask the highlight with Select Subject and a Layer Mask.
Requirements
Before you start
- Photoshop 2021 (version 22.4 or later) or the current version
- A photo on the Background layer
- A blank layer above it
Which Are the Special Blending Modes in Photoshop?
Eight blending modes stand out from the rest. They are members of a special group, and they all behave the same way:
- Color Burn
- Linear Burn
- Color Dodge
- Linear Dodge (Add)
- Vivid Light
- Linear Light
- Hard Mix
- Difference
These modes have two extra properties that the other blending modes do not have.
The first is the split between Fill and Opacity. With every other blending mode, 20% Fill looks the same as 20% Opacity. With these eight, the two sliders give you different results.
The second is the Transparency Shapes Layer checkbox. When you uncheck it, the special blending modes blend the outer pixels of the layer differently with the layer below.
If you want to know how every mode works, not just these eight, read the complete guide to Photoshop blending modes. It covers each mode and explains the math behind it.
Step 1: Choose a Special Blending Mode
Start with a document that has a Background layer and a blank layer above it.
Select the blank layer in the Layers panel.
Click the blending mode drop-down at the top of the Layers panel. Choose Color Dodge.
Note: This example uses Color Dodge, but everything here also applies to the other seven special blending modes.
Step 2: Lower the Fill on the Blending Mode Layer
Select the Brush Tool and set your foreground color to white.
Paint over the image on the blank layer.
Now compare the two sliders in the Layers panel. This is the biggest difference between these eight modes and the rest.
Lower the Opacity. The white simply becomes duller.
Set Opacity back to 100%, then lower the Fill instead. This time, the colors blend much better with the image below.
Tip: With these eight modes, reduce Fill rather than Opacity. It usually gives you better results.
Step 3: Uncheck Transparency Shapes Layer
The second difference is a checkbox that makes these blending modes blend the pixels even better.
With the layer selected, double-click to the side of the layer name in the Layers panel. You can also click the fx icon at the bottom of the panel and choose Blending Options.
The Layer Style window opens. Under Advanced Blending, uncheck Transparency Shapes Layer.
Watch the edges of your brush strokes. The outer pixels now blend differently with the layer below.
Click OK. Then lower the Fill again until the effect looks right.
The Advanced Blending section holds other useful options too. The TikTok logo effect tutorial uses its channel checkboxes to split an image into color channels.
Step 4: Move and Mask the Highlight in Photoshop
You can use this technique to create a specular highlight on your image.
Select the Move Tool. Drag the highlight anywhere you want on the photo.
Next, keep the highlight off areas where it does not belong. Select the Background layer.
Go to Select > Subject. Photoshop detects the main subject and creates a selection around it.
Select the highlight layer. Click the Add Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers panel to turn the selection into a Layer Mask.
Select the layer mask thumbnail. Paint with white on the mask to enhance the highlights.
The same approach works for other light effects. To place a flare exactly where you want it, see how to set a precise lens flare center in Photoshop.
Note: Using Linear Dodge (Add) with this technique also works well for lights and flares.
Frequently Asked Questions
They are Color Burn, Linear Burn, Color Dodge, Linear Dodge (Add), Vivid Light, Linear Light, Hard Mix, and Difference. These modes respond differently to Fill than to Opacity. They also blend differently when Transparency Shapes Layer is unchecked.
For most blending modes, there is no visible difference between Fill and Opacity. For the eight special blending modes, lowering Fill blends the colors more naturally. Lowering Opacity on the same layer makes white look duller.
Lower Fill. With Color Dodge and the other special modes, Fill keeps the colors bright while it blends them into the layer below. Opacity just fades the whole effect.
Double-click beside the layer name in the Layers panel to open the Layer Style window. You can also click the fx icon and choose Blending Options. The Transparency Shapes Layer checkbox sits under Advanced Blending.
With the box unchecked, the outer pixels of your brush strokes blend with the layer below in a different way. You only see the change with the eight special blending modes. It helps painted light blend even better into a photo.
Paint white with the Brush Tool on a blank layer set to Color Dodge or another special blending mode. Uncheck Transparency Shapes Layer in Blending Options, then lower the Fill. Use the Move Tool to place the highlight.
Yes. The video was recorded in Photoshop 2021, and these blending modes behave the same way in the current version. The Fill slider and the Advanced Blending options are still in the same places.
Conclusion
The special blending modes in Photoshop have two hidden differences: Fill and Opacity give different results, and the Transparency Shapes Layer checkbox changes how edges blend.
Together, they let you paint soft highlights that blend naturally into a photo. Try the remaining seven modes to see what kinds of effects you can create.
Watch the video above to see each step in action, and comment on the video if you have a question.
Selections and Masking Mastery
Complete course includes 2.5 hours of step-by-step lessons, 6 structured modules, downloadable practice files, and custom Photoshop brushes. Everything you need to master selections and masks in one place.
Keep going
Next, learn the other half of Advanced Blending with How to Use Blend If in Photoshop (Complete Guide).
your guideline is fantastic, I’am happy yet,so thanking you
Thanks!
Hey Jesus your tutorials are amazing, thanks a lot for sharing!
Here @.07min
https://youtu.be/jT45zxPDXvM?t=420
you say the fake background light needs some extra steps to get even more realistic,
and it will be a subject in a new tutorial.
Could you please indeed expand this subject?
Million thanks in advance!
Thank you so much for sharing this post.This bleeding mode is working.
Thank you for your tutorial. It is easy and understandable.