Blending Modes Explained – The Complete Guide to Photoshop Blend Modes
In this tutorial, I will explain in-depth how Photoshop Blending Modes (Blend Modes) work.
You may have worked with Blending Modes in the past, and it was probably more of an experimental process. This tutorial aims to show you exactly how each Blend Mode works to avoid having to experiment as much.
By the time you finish watching this Photoshop tutorial, you should understand how Blending Modes work and which to use to get your desired effect.
What Are Photoshop Blending Modes?
Blending Modes are mathematical equations that blend layers based on their hue, saturation, luminosity, or a combination of these components.
You can use Blending Modes to apply overlays, textures, or target adjustments to specific areas of your image without creating layer masks.
Blending Modes are an excellent way to create nondestructive effects. The blend you apply does not change pixels, only the visual output. You can always change or remove the Blending Mode.
How Do Blending Modes Work?
Each of the 31 Blending Modes (27 Layer Blending Modes) has an algorithm, a mathematical equation, that utilizes color information to determine how the pixel will blend. Hue, Saturation, Luminosity or a combination of these.
Photoshop Blending Modes can be easy to understand if you simplify the whole process. Blend Modes work by taking an input value and applying an equation. The result is what you see on screen.
For Blend Modes to work, you need at least two layers. The layer below is the Base layer, and the layer on top is the Blend layer. The Blending Mode determines the blend operation applied to the Blend layer.
When working with Blending Modes, Photoshop blends the pixels by performing a blend operation on each pixel of the Blend layer against its corresponding pixel in the Base layer.
Put simply, the blend is applied to a single pixel at a time to get the resulting blend.
To make things easier to understand, I’ll refer to pixels as colors to help your mind create a more accurate representation of what is happening. But remember, we’re always talking about pixels.
These terms should help you understand how Blending Modes work.
Base + Blend = Result
Remember these terms and their relationship to better understand how Blending Modes work.
- Base – The original color in the image.
- Blend – The color applied to the Base layer.
- Result – The color resulting from the blend between the Base and the Blend.
The resulting mix between the Base and the Blend colors depends on the selected Blending Mode.
Neural Colors
Some Blending Modes have “Neutral Colors” or colors that have no effect when blended.
For example, the Neutral Color for the Multiply Blending Mode is white. Any white pixels on a layer will become transparent with Multiply.
The Neutral Color for the Screen Blending Mode is black. Any black pixels on a layer will become transparent with Screen.
How To Change The Blending Mode in Photoshop?
To change a Layer Blending Mode, you can go to the unlabeled dropdown on the top left of the Layers panel and choose another blending mode for the currently active layer.
By default, all Layers are set to Normal, and groups are set to Pass Through.
You can also use keyboard shortcuts to change Blending Modes.
How many Blending Modes Are There?
Currently, there are 27 Layer Blending Modes in Photoshop. But 31 Blending Modes in total when you include Behind and Clear, the two extra Blending Modes in the painting tools; Pass Through the default Blending Mode for Groups, and Add, the additional Blending Mode in the Calculations and Apply Image command.
When Were Blending Modes Added To Photoshop?
Blending Modes (and layers) were first introduced to Photoshop 3.0 in 1994.
The 19 original Blending Modes are: Normal, Dissolve, Darken, Multiply, Color Burn, Darker Color, Lighten, Screen, Color Dodge, Lighter Color, Overlay, Soft Light, Hard Light, Difference, Exclusion, Hue, Saturation, Color, and Luminosity.
In 2002, Photoshop 7 introduced five Blending Modes and the Fill slider. The five Blending Modes were Linear Dodge (Add), Linear Burn, Vivid Light, Linear Light, and Pin Light.
In 2003, Photoshop CS added Hard Mix. While Subtract and Divide were added to Photoshop CS5 in 2010.
Blending Modes or Blend Modes?
Officially they are known as Blending Modes, but you can use the names interchangeably. I sometimes refer to them as “Blend Modes.” Even Adobe uses interchangeably withing the labels in Photoshop and other applications. You can use either name. As long as you know how they work!
Opacity vs. Fill With Blending Modes
19 out of the 27 Blending Modes behave the same way when you adjust Fill compared to Opacity. However, eight Blending Modes give you different results.
The 8 Special Blending Modes
Understanding the difference in blends is crucial because this additional method extends the capabilities of Blending Modes. More importantly, with these eight Blending Modes, the blend tends to be more aesthetically pleasing when using Fill rather than Opacity.
The example below shows how a graphic with varying luminance values and a photo were blended using the Hard Mix Blending Mode. The image in the center has an Opacity of 50%, while the image on the right is set to Fill at 50%.
The eight Blending Modes that are part of this special group are:
“Transparency Shapes Layer” Check Box
The 8 Blending Modes in this group also give you an extra level of blending by un-checking the “Transparency Shapes Layer” checkbox in the Layer Style window.
The example below shows how Linear Light blends differently when you uncheck the “Transparency Shapes Layer” box. Notice how the edges of the circles blend differently in the example on the right.
Each Blend Mode Explained
In the examples below, we will explain each of the 6 Blend Modes categories (Normal, Darken, Lighten, Contrast, Inversion, and Component) and all the Blend Modes within each category.
The graphics in each section will show the outcome of each Blend Mode at 100% opacity unless otherwise noted.
Each example contains two Blend layers, a grayscale luminosity layer and a color layer. The photo of Venice, Italy, will be the Base layer.
Normal Blending Modes
The Blending Modes in this category do not have algorithms that blend pixels. Instead, the Opacity slider controls the blend between layers.
Normal
“Normal” is the default Blending Mode for Photoshop layers. Opaque pixels will cover the pixels directly below them without applying any math or algorithm to them.
You will need to reduce the Opacity to reveal or “blend” the pixels with the layer below.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift N (Windows) or Option Shift N (macOS)
Neutral Colors: None
Dissolve
The Dissolve Blending Mode also does not blend pixels. Dissolve only reveals the pixels below when the layer’s Opacity or Fill is reduced.
The pixels below are revealed through a pseudo-random noise dither pattern whose intensity is based on the Opacity.
Dissolve shows either the blend color or the base color – never a blend of two. No anti-aliasing is used, and the result will look grainy and harsh.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift I (Windows) or Option Shift I (macOS)
Neutral Colors: None
Darken Blending Modes
As the name implies, the Blending Modes in the Darken category will turn the Result colors darker.
White is a Neural Color for all the Blend Modes in this category. White pixels will become transparent, and anything darker than white will have a darkening effect on the pixels below.
Darken
The Darken Blending Mode looks at the luminance values in each RGB channel and selects either the base color or blend color depending on which is darker.
This Blending Mode does not blend pixels; it only compares the base and blend colors, and keeps the darkest of the two. If the blend layer and the base layer color are the same, then there is no change.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift K (Windows) or Option Shift K (macOS)
Neutral Colors: White
* Not available in the Lab Color Space.
Multiply
Multiply is one of the most popular Blending Modes in Photoshop. I’m sure that you have used it many times before.
This Blending Mode multiplies the luminosity of the base color by the blend color. The resulting color is always a darker color. White produces no change, while the black pixels remain.
Multiply can produce many different levels of darkening depending on the luminosity values of the blend layer. Multiply is a great Blending Mode for darkening images or creating shadows.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift M (Windows) or Option Shift M (macOS)
Neutral Colors: White
Color Burn
Color Burn is the first of Photoshop’s Eight Special Blending Modes that react differently when Opacity is adjusted compared to Fill.
The Color Burn Blending Mode gives you a darker result than Multiply by increasing the contrast between the base and the blend colors resulting in more highly saturated mid-tones and reduced highlights.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift B (Windows) or Option Shift B (macOS)
Neutral Colors: White
* Not available in the Lab Color Space or 32-Bit Mode.
Linear Burn
Linear Burn decreases the brightness of the base color based on the value of the blend color. The result is darker than Multiply but less saturated than Color Burn. Linear Burn also produces the most contrast in darker colors than any of the other Blending Modes in the Darken category.
Linear Burn is the second of the Eight Special Blending Modes, which blends differently when Fill is adjusted compared to Opacity.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift A (Windows) or Option Shift A (macOS)
Neutral Colors: White
* Not available in 32-Bit Mode.
* Introduced in Photoshop 7.
*Introduced in Photoshop 7.
Darker Color
The Darker Color Blending Mode is very similar to Darken. This Blending Mode does not blend pixels. It only compares the base and blend colors, and keeps the darkest of the two.
The difference is that Darker Color looks at the composite of all the RGB channels, whereas Darken looks at each RGB channel individually to come up with a final blend.
Keyboard Shortcut: None
Neutral Colors: White
* Not available in the Grayscale Mode.
Lighten Blending Modes
The Blending Modes in this category are opposites or complementary to the Darken category. The Lighten Blending Modes will turn the Result colors brighter.
Black is a Neural Color for all the Blend Modes in this category. Black pixels will become transparent, and anything brighter than black will have a brightening effect on the pixels below.
Lighten
The Lighten Blending Mode looks at both the base and blend colors, and it keeps the lightest of the two. If both colors are the same, then no change is applied. As with the Darken Blending Mode, Lighten looks at the three RGB channels separately when blending the pixels.
Check out my tutorial on creating a Glass Window Reflection Effect in Photoshop to see a great example of how you can use Lighten Blending Mode.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift G (Windows) or Option Shift G (macOS)
Neutral Colors: None
* Not available in the Lab Color Space.
Screen
Screen is another of Photoshop’s most popular Blending Modes. The resulting color is always a brighter color. Black produces no change it becomes transparent while the brighter pixels remain.
Screen can produce many different levels of brightening depending on the luminosity values of the blend layer, making Screen a great Blending Mode for brightening images or creating highlights.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift S (Windows) or Option Shift S (macOS)
Neutral Colors: Black
* Not available in 32-Bit Mode.
Color Dodge
Color Dodge is the third of the Eight Special Blending Modes, which blends differently when Fill is adjusted than when Opacity is adjusted.
The Color Dodge Blending Mode gives you a brighter effect than Screen by decreasing the contrast between the base and the blend colors, resulting in saturated mid-tones and blown highlights.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift D (Windows) or Option Shift D (macOS)
Neutral Colors: Black
* Not available in the Lab Color Space or 32-Bit Mode.
Linear Dodge (Add)
Linear Dodge (Add) produces similar but stronger results than Screen or Color Dodge. This Blending Mode looks at the color information in each channel and brightens the base color to reflect the blend color by increasing the brightness. Blending with black produces no change.
Linear Dodge (Add) is the fourth of the Eight Special Blending Modes, which blends differently when Fill is adjusted compared to Opacity.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift W (Windows) or Option Shift W (macOS)
Neutral Colors: Black
* Introduced in Photoshop 7.
*Introduced in Photoshop 7.
Lighter Color
Lighter Color is very similar to Lighten. This Blending Mode does not blend pixels. It only compares the base and blend colors, and it keeps the brightest of the two.
The difference is that Lighter Color looks at the composite of all the RGB channels, whereas Lighten looks at each RGB channel to come up with a final blend.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift (Windows) or Option Shift (macOS)
Neutral Colors: Black
* Not available in the Grayscale Mode.
Contrast Blending Modes
The Blending Modes in this category are a mixture between the Darken and the Lighten categories.
Photoshop checks to see if the colors are darker than 50% gray or lighter than 50% gray. When the color is darker than 50% gray, Photoshop applies a Darkening Blending Mode. When they are brighter than 50% gray, Photoshop applies a Brightening Blending Mode.
Except for Hard Mix, 50% gray is a Neural Color for all the Blend Modes in this category.
Overlay
Overlay is another of Photoshop’s most Commonly Used Blending Modes. It uses Screen at half strength on colors brighter than 50% gray. And the Multiply at half strength on colors darker than 50% gray. 50% gray itself becomes transparent. Note that “half-strength” does not mean, Opacity at 50%.
Another way of thinking about Overlay is by thinking of shifting mid-tones. Dark tones shift the mid-tones to darker colors, and light tones shift the mid-tones to brighter colors.
One difference between Overlay and the other Contrast Blending Modes is that it makes its calculations based on the brightness of the colors in the base layer. All of the other Contrast Blending Modes make their calculations based on the brightness of the blend layer.
Overlay and Hard Light, are part of the first set of Commuted Blending Modes in Photoshop. They will give you the same result when you apply a Blending Mode to the blend layer as when you apply the corresponding Commuted Blend Mode to the base layer and reverse the layer order.
In other words, if you apply the Overlay Blending Mode to the blend layer, you will get the same result as when you apply the Hard Light Blending Mode to the Base layer, then reverse the layer order.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift O (Windows) or Option Shift O (macOS)
Neutral Colors: 50% Gray
* Not available in 32-Bit Mode.
Soft Light
Soft Light is very much like Overlay. It applies either a darkening or lightening effect depending on the luminance values, but in a much more subtle way.
You can think of Soft Light as a softer version of Overlay without the harsh contrast.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift F (Windows) or Option Shift F (macOS)
Neutral Colors: 50% Gray
* Not available in 32-Bit Mode.
Hard Light
Hard Light combines the Multiply and Screen using the brightness values of the Blend layer to make its calculations. Overlay uses the base layer.
The results with Hard Light tend to be intense, and in many cases, you will have to reduce the Opacity to get better results.
Hard Light sounds like it would have something in common with Soft Light, but it does not. It is much more closely related to Overlay, and they are part of the first set of Commuted Blending Modes.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift H (Windows) or Option Shift H (macOS)
Neutral Colors: 50% Gray
* Not available in 32-Bit Mode.
Vivid Light
You can think of Vivid Light as an extreme version of Overlay and Soft Light. Anything darker than 50% gray is darkened, and anything lighter than 50% gray is lightened.
The result with Vivid Light is strong, and you will likely have to reduce either the Fill or Opacity.
Vivid Light is the fifth of the Eight Special Blending Modes, which blends differently when Fill is adjusted compared to Opacity.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift V (Windows) or Option Shift V (macOS)
Neutral Colors: 50% Gray
* Introduced in Photoshop 7.
*Introduced in Photoshop 7.
Linear Light
Linear Light uses a combination Linear Dodge (Add) on lighter pixels and a Linear Burn on darker pixels.
The result with Linear Light is strong, and you will likely have to reduce either the Fill or Opacity.
Linear Light is the sixth of the Eight Special Blending Modes, which blends differently when Fill is adjusted compared to Opacity.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift J (Windows) or Option Shift J (macOS)
Neutral Colors: 50% Gray
* Not available in the Lab Color Space or 32-Bit Mode.
* Introduced in Photoshop 7.
Pin Light
Pin Light is an extreme Blending Mode that performs a Darken and Lighten blend simultaneously. It can result in patches or blotches and completely removes all mid-tones.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift Z (Windows) or Option Shift Z (macOS)
Neutral Colors: 50% Gray
* Not available in 32-Bit Mode.
* Introduced in Photoshop 7.
*Introduced in Photoshop 7.
Hard Mix
Hard Mix applies the blend by adding the value of each RGB channel of the blend layer to the corresponding RGB channels in the base layer.
The resulting image loses a lot of detail, and the colors can only be black, white, or any of the six primary colors: red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, or yellow.
The results are extreme, and you will need to reduce the intensity to get a more pleasing result.
Hard Mix is the seventh of the Eight Special Blending Modes, which blends differently when Fill is adjusted compared to Opacity.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift L (Windows) or Option Shift L (macOS)
Neutral Colors: None
* Not available in 32-Bit Mode.
* Introduced in Photoshop CS.
*Introduced in Photoshop CS.
Inversion Blending Modes
The Inversion Blending Modes look for variations between the base and blend layers to create the blend.
Difference
The Difference Blending Modes uses the difference of the base and blend pixels as the resulting blend.
White inverts the colors of the base layer. It is the same result as inverting the colors of the base layer by pressing Ctrl I (Windows) or Command I (macOS).
Black Produces no change, while dark grays apply a slight darkening effect.
This blending mode can be extremely useful for aligning layers with similar content. When two pixels are the same, the result will turn black.
Difference is the Eight of the Special Blending Modes, which blends differently when Fill is adjusted compared to Opacity.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift E (Windows) or Option Shift E (macOS)
Neutral Colors: Black
* Not available in the Lab Color Space.
Exclusion
Exclusion is very similar to Difference. Blending with white inverts the base color values, while blending with black produces no change. However, Blending with 50% gray produces 50% gray.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift X (Windows) or Option Shift X (macOS)
Neutral Colors: Black
* Not available in the Lab Color Space or 32-Bit Mode.
Subtract
The Subtract Blending Mode subtracts pixel values from the base layer. This Blending Mode drastically darkens pixels by subtracting brightness.
Black has no effect. Only as the blend values get brighter does the result get darker.
Notice how the light areas of the gradient are almost pure black, while the dark areas of the gradient produced a minimal change.
Subtract produces the opposite effect as Divide.
Keyboard Shortcut: None
Neutral Colors: Black
* Not available in the Lab Color Space.
* Introduced in Photoshop CS.
*Introduced in Photoshop CS5.
Divide
With Divide, all colors are turned into a percentage. Blending with the same color results in white because any number divided by itself is 1, or 100%.
Black (0%) gives you black because diving by zero is undefined. No change occurs.
Divide produces the opposite effect as Subtract.
White has no effect. Only as the blend values get darker does the result get brighter.
Dark areas of the blend layer produce bright colors, while the light areas of the blend layer produce a very small change.
Dive gives you the same result as inverting the Blend layer and changing the Blend Mode to Color Dodge.
Keyboard Shortcut: None
Neutral Colors: White
* Not available in the Lab Color Space.
* Introduced in Photoshop CS.
*Introduced in Photoshop CS5.
Component Blending Modes
The Component Blending Modes use combinations of the primary color components (hue, saturation, and brightness) to create the blend.
The Blend Modes in the component group are unavailable in the Grayscale Mode.
Hue
The Hue Blending Mode keeps the blend colors’ hue but preserves the base colors’ luminosity and saturation.
Hue will not apply a change if the base layer is a neutral gray.
The Hue Blend Mode could be used to change hues in a layer while maintaining the tones and saturation of the original.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift U (Windows) or Option Shift U (macOS)
Neutral Colors: None
* Not available in the Grayscale Mode.
Saturation
The Saturation Blending Mode applies the blend colors’ saturation to the base colors’ hue and luminosity (details).
Saturation will not apply a change if the base layer is a neutral gray.
A black-and-white blend layer will turn the result black-and-white because none of the pixels have saturation.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift T (Windows) or Option Shift T (macOS)
Neutral Colors: None
* Not available in Grayscale Mode.
Color
The Color Blending Mode applies both the hue and saturation of the blend colors to the luminosity (details) of the base colors.
The Color Blending Mode is ideal for colorizing monochromatic images.
Color and Luminosity are the second pair of Commuted Blending Modes.
If you apply the Color Blending Mode to the blend layer, you will get the same result as when you apply the Luminosity Blending Mode to the base layer, then reverse the order of the layers.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift C (Windows) or Option Shift C (macOS)
Neutral Colors: None
* Not available in Grayscale Mode.
Luminosity
The Luminosity Blending Mode applies the luminosity (detail) of the blend colors to the base color’s hue and saturation.
Luminosity and Color are the second pair of Commuted Blending Modes.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift Y (Windows) or Option Shift Y (macOS)
Neutral Colors: None
* Not available in Grayscale Mode.
Painting Tools Blending Modes
Behind
The Behind Blending Mode paints only on the transparent pixels of a layer. This Blend Mode works only if the layer does not have the Lock Transparency active.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift Q (Windows) or Option Shift Q (macOS) – When a painting tool is active.
Neutral Colors: None
Clear
The Clear Blend Mode erases pixels (much like the Eraser Tool). This Blend Mode works only if the layer does not have the Lock Transparency active.
One great use for Clear is to erase with the same brush you are painting with.
Note: In Photoshop 2020 and newer, you can hold the ` key (tilde) to erase with the brush you are currently using. No need to set the Blending Mode to Clear.
The Clear Blend Mode is available for the Shape Tools (when fill region is selected), Paint Bucket Tool, Brush Tool, Pencil Tool, Fill command, and Stroke command.
Keyboard Shortcut: Alt Shift R (Windows) or Option Shift R (macOS) – When a painting tool is active.
Neutral Colors: None
Blending Mode in the Calculations and Apply Image
Add
The Add Blending Mode appears in both the Calculations and Apply Image commands.
Keyboard Shortcut: None
Neutral Colors: None
Pass Through Blending Mode
When you select a group, you will notice the default Blending Mode is not Normal. Instead, it is “Pass Through.”
The Pass Through Blending Mode tells Photoshop to treat all the layers within a group as just part of a regular layer stack. The group is only used as an organizational tool, and all layers blend as you would expect.
However, if you change the Pass Through Blending Mode to any other Blending Mode, Photoshop will “merge” the layers in the group, then it will blend the resulting composite with the layers below using the Blending Mode you selected.
This is the same result as merging all the group’s layers into a single layer and applying a Blending Mode.
You can use Pass Through to create amazing effects when compositing. When you set a Group’s Blending Mode to Normal, all the adjustment layers inside of the group will only affect the contents of the group.
Keyboard Shortcut: None
Neutral Colors: None
Commonly Used Blending Modes
All workflows in Photoshop are different. But you will probably use these blending modes more often than any others. I would commit how these blending modes work to memory. They can help you create almost any effect you want in Photoshop.
Photoshop Blending Modes Greyed Out?
If some of your Photoshop blending Modes are grayed out, ensure you are working with an 8-bit or 16-bit RGB image.
To convert an image to 8-bit or 16-bit, go to Image > Mode and ensure to select both “RGB” and either 8 or 16 bits/channel.
Blending Modes with 32-Bit Images
Only 15 Blending Modes are available when you are working with 32-bit images.
They are: Normal, Dissolve, Darken, Multiply, Lighten, Linear Dodge (Add), Difference, Hue, Saturation, Color, Luminosity, Lighter Color, Darker Color, Divide, and Subtract.
Blending Modes with The Lab Color Mode
Only 19 Blending Modes are available when you are working with the Lab Color Mode.
They are: Normal, Dissolve, Multiply, Linear Burn, Darker Color, Screen, Linear Dodge (Add), Lighter Color, Overlay, Soft Light, Hard Light, Vivid Light, Linear Light, Pin Light, Hard Mix, Hue, Saturation, Color, and Luminosity.
Blending Modes with The Grayscale Mode
Only 21 Blending Modes are available when you are working with the Grayscale Mode.
Darker Color, Lighter Color, Hue, Saturation, Color, and Luminosity are not available with the Grayscale Mode.
Commuted Blending Modes
There are two sets of Commuted Blending Modes, Overlay and Hard Light and Color and Luminosity.
A set of Commuted Blending Modes will give you the same result when you apply one Blending Mode to the blend layer as when you apply the corresponded Commuted Blend Mode to the base layer and then reversing the order of the layers.
For example, if you apply the Overlay Blend Mode to the blend layer, you will get the same result as when you apply the Hard-Light Blend Mode to the base layer, then reverse the order of the layers.
Photoshop Blending Mode Keyboard Shortcuts
You can change the Blending Mode of a layer by clicking on the drop-down and selecting one from the list.
Alternatively, you can use Photoshop keyboard shortcuts for Blend Modes. Press Shift + (plus) to go down to the next Blending Mode. Or, Shift – (minus) to move up the list.
If you have a painting tool active, this shortcut will change the Blending Mode of the tool instead of the layer. You will see the Blending Mode change in the Options Bar.
To prevent this from happening, press the V key to select the Move tool, then press Shift + (plus) or Shift – (minus) to scroll through the Blending Modes.
If the focus, the blue highlight, is around the Blending Mode drop-down menu in the Layers Panel, these shortcuts will not work. Simply hit Enter (Windows) or Return (macOS) to remove the focus from the drop-down, then apply any shortcut again.
Each Blend Mode has a keyboard shortcut assigned, except for Darker Color, Lighter Color, Subtract and Divide.
However, I only recommend learning shortcuts for the most commonly used Blending Modes.
To select a Blending Mode, press Alt Shift (Windows) or Option Shift (macOS), then press the corresponding key to select the Blending Mode you want.
For a quick reference on Blending Modes, you may want to check out my 8-Minute Blending Mode Crash Course.
Photoshop Blending Modes Math
For those of you who are interested in how the math behind Blend Modes works, I’ve created a simplified explanation.
Photoshop uses “Standardized” values to calculate the blend. The luminance values in Blending Mode math range from 0 (black) to 1 (white). However, Photoshop uses 0 (black) to 255 (white) to represent luminance values in RGB. Photoshop has to convert the values, so black is still 0, but white becomes 1. 50% gray, which is 128, becomes 0.5.
To convert an RGB luminance value to a standardized value, dive it by 255. For example, divide 192 (light gray) by 255, and you get 0.75 (192÷255=0.75).
Photoshop Blending Mode Math Example:
A = Blend Layer Standardized Value
B = Base Layer Standardized Value
Multiply:
AxB = Result
Color Dodge:
B÷(1-A) = Result
Adobe provides descriptions of each Blending Mode, but they do not provide the mathematical equations behind them.
Photoshop Blending Mode Formulas
If you want to learn more about Blending Mode math, check out the formulas provided by a Wikipedia page on Blend Modes.
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Great video! Thanks to your tutorial I’ve learnt. BTW, where can I download this PSD file in the tutorial so I can always refer back the different of each blending mode.
Stanley,
On this page, there is a section where you can download the PSD.
Thank you so much. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, Dogum!
Thanks a million, I have learn so much with you guys, live longer and prosper my friends…
You’re welcome!
Won’t let me download the exercise files. Id like the grayscale chart. The Captcha keeps getting in the way!!
George, I don’t have a Captcha. I’m not sure what you mean by that. There is an option to share on social media, but you can click on the X to close it.
Great effort Jesus. Blending modes very well explained, very thorough.
Thank you, Zaid!
This is my extreme part in Photoshop when I want to make something incredible, something unique. I really appreciate your detailed observation about it!
Thank you, Lisa!
Thx！Very good tutorial！Can you please share the .psd ？
Great effort really like this post.
Thanks for share
You’re welcome, Monica!
A Masterpieces content about Photoshop blending modes, learn a lot reading the whole article!
Thank you, Matthew!
Very informative and detailed. I’ve searching for this tut. Great post. Thanks!
Awesome – thank you.
This is my extraordinary part in Photoshop when I need to make something unimaginable, something novel. I truly value your point by point perception about it!
Wow. You did your homework! I’ve been with Photoshop since 2.0 in 1996. Never saw anyone go into detail like this. Bravo!
Thank you, Barbara!
Fantastic video. I really learned a lot. Two questions, though: In the group blending modes section, I missed the “why” of this particular technique (changing Pass Through back to normal). Specifically, how is it substantively different than just clipping the Curves adjustment to the jet layer to confine the adjustment to the jet layer. And why was the jet in a group of its own?
Nick, clipping an adjustment layer to a group would work (on the newer versions of Photoshop). But for organization purposes, you could use this technique.
I have learn so much with you guys, live longer and prosper my friends.
Thanks!
Awesome – thank you.
I am very enjoying your Tutorials. I hope, some Tutorials regain futures. Thank you most pricey.
You’re welcome, Jennifer!
Excellent content! It was time to learn the blending modes in detail. And you clarified everything perfectly, thanks!
wow awesome tips for designers like me.learn a lot and thanks
Hello Jesus,
Thank you so much for sharing your expertise! I really appreciate your style of teaching.
keep well
Mark
Hopefully you can help on a very important task:
I am writing some code which will perform the saturation filter.
Have the RGB components of both blend and base layers.
How can I code the output?? (Which requires luminosity?)
Many thanks in advance!
Valuable information here. Thanks for help.
Awesome – thank you.
Awesome. Thank you
Very informative post. Thank you so much.
This is my extreme part in Photoshop when I want to make something incredible, something unique. Never saw anyone go into detail like this
Excellent explanation of how the blend modes work. Would be even more helpful to show examples how and why each blend mode would be used on various images,,,at least for the most common uses….much like how you showed difference mode for aligning 2 layers. Thanks.
Fantastic post! Full of useful and important hints and tips.
There were very good and informative posts about blending modes explained. Thanks for sharing such beautiful facts with us.
I am working in a photo editing company As a junior designer. Today I got many new things about photoshop. Thank you so much, Jesus