10/1/25, 13:46 Blending modes in Adobe Photoshop
☰ Sign in
Blendi Search Adobe Support
ng
modes
Last updated on Jul 18, 2024
The blending mode specified in the options bar controls how pixels in the image are affected by a
painting or editing tool. Think in terms of the following colors when visualizing a blending mode’s
effect:
The base color is the original color in the image.
The blend color is the color being applied with the painting or editing tool.
The result color is the color resulting from the blend.
Blending mode descriptions
Choose from the Mode pop‑up menu in the options bar.
Note:
In the Blend Mode pop-up menu, scroll over different options to see how they look on
your image. Photoshop displays a live preview of blend modes on the canvas.
Only the Normal, Dissolve, Darken, Multiply, Lighten, Linear Dodge (Add), Difference,
Hue, Saturation, Color, Luminosity, Lighter Color, and Darker Color blending modes are
available for 32‑bit images.
Normal Edits or paints each pixel to make it the result color. This is the default mode. (Normal
mode is called Threshold when you’re working with a bitmapped or indexed-color image.)
[Link] 1/7
10/1/25, 13:46 Blending modes in Adobe Photoshop
Dissolve Edits or paints each pixel to make it the result color. However, the result color is a
random replacement of the pixels with the base color or the blend color, depending on the opacity
at any pixel location.
Behind Edits or paints only on the transparent part of a layer. This mode works only in layers
with Lock Transparency deselected and is analogous to painting on the back of transparent areas
on a sheet of acetate.
Clear Edits or paints each pixel and makes it transparent. This mode is available for the Shape
tools (when fill region is selected), Paint Bucket tool , Brush tool , Pencil tool , Fill
command, and Stroke command. You must be in a layer with Lock Transparency deselected to use
this mode.
Darken Looks at the color information in each channel and selects the base or blend color—
whichever is darker—as the result color. Pixels lighter than the blend color are replaced, and pixels
darker than the blend color do not change.
Multiply Looks at the color information in each channel and multiplies the base color by the
blend color. The result color is always a darker color. Multiplying any color with black produces
black. Multiplying any color with white leaves the color unchanged. When you’re painting with a
color other than black or white, successive strokes with a painting tool produce progressively
darker colors. The effect is similar to drawing on the image with multiple marking pens.
Color Burn Looks at the color information in each channel and darkens the base color to reflect
the blend color by increasing the contrast between the two. Blending with white produces no
change.
Linear Burn Looks at the color information in each channel and darkens the base color to reflect
the blend color by decreasing the brightness. Blending with white produces no change.
Lighten Looks at the color information in each channel and selects the base or blend color—
whichever is lighter—as the result color. Pixels darker than the blend color are replaced, and pixels
lighter than the blend color do not change.
Screen Looks at each channel’s color information and multiplies the inverse of the blend and
base colors. The result color is always a lighter color. Screening with black leaves the color
unchanged. Screening with white produces white. The effect is similar to projecting multiple
photographic slides on top of each other.
Color Dodge Looks at the color information in each channel and brightens the base color to
reflect the blend color by decreasing contrast between the two. Blending with black produces no
change.
[Link] 2/7
10/1/25, 13:46 Blending modes in Adobe Photoshop
Linear Dodge (Add) 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.
Overlay Multiplies or screens the colors, depending on the base color. Patterns or colors overlay
the existing pixels while preserving the highlights and shadows of the base color. The base color is
not replaced, but mixed with the blend color to reflect the lightness or darkness of the original
color.
Soft Light Darkens or lightens the colors, depending on the blend color. The effect is similar to
shining a diffused spotlight on the image. If the blend color (light source) is lighter than 50% gray,
the image is lightened as if it were dodged. If the blend color is darker than 50% gray, the image is
darkened as if it were burned in. Painting with pure black or white produces a distinctly darker or
lighter area, but does not result in pure black or white.
Hard Light Multiplies or screens the colors, depending on the blend color. The effect is similar to
shining a harsh spotlight on the image. If the blend color (light source) is lighter than 50% gray, the
image is lightened, as if it were screened. This is useful for adding highlights to an image. If the
blend color is darker than 50% gray, the image is darkened, as if it were multiplied. This is useful for
adding shadows to an image. Painting with pure black or white results in pure black or white.
Vivid Light Burns or dodges the colors by increasing or decreasing the contrast, depending on
the blend color. If the blend color (light source) is lighter than 50% gray, the image is lightened by
decreasing the contrast. If the blend color is darker than 50% gray, the image is darkened by
increasing the contrast.
Linear Light Burns or dodges the colors by decreasing or increasing the brightness, depending
on the blend color. If the blend color (light source) is lighter than 50% gray, the image is lightened
by increasing the brightness. If the blend color is darker than 50% gray, the image is darkened by
decreasing the brightness.
Pin Light Replaces the colors, depending on the blend color. If the blend color (light source) is
lighter than 50% gray, pixels darker than the blend color are replaced, and pixels lighter than the
blend color do not change. If the blend color is darker than 50% gray, pixels lighter than the blend
color are replaced, and pixels darker than the blend color do not change. This is useful for adding
special effects to an image.
Hard Mix Adds the red, green and blue channel values of the blend color to the RGB values of
the base color. If the resulting sum for a channel is 255 or greater, it receives a value of 255; if less
than 255, a value of 0. Therefore, all blended pixels have red, green, and blue channel values of
either 0 or 255. This changes all pixels to primary additive colors (red, green, or blue), white, or
black.
[Link] 3/7
10/1/25, 13:46 Blending modes in Adobe Photoshop
Note: For CMYK images, Hard Mix changes all pixels to the primary subtractive colors
(cyan, yellow, or magenta), white, or black. The maximum color value is 100.
Difference Looks at the color information in each channel and subtracts either the blend color
from the base color or the base color from the blend color, depending on which has the greater
brightness value. Blending with white inverts the base color values; blending with black produces
no change.
Exclusion Creates an effect similar to but lower in contrast than the Difference mode. Blending
with white inverts the base color values. Blending with black produces no change.
Subtract Looks at the color information in each channel and subtracts the blend color from the
base color. In 8- and 16-bit images, any resulting negative values are clipped to zero.
Divide Looks at the color information in each channel and divides the blend color from the base
color.
Hue Creates a result color with the luminance and saturation of the base color and the hue of the
blend color.
Saturation Creates a result color with the luminance and hue of the base color and the
saturation of the blend color. Painting with this mode in an area with no (0) saturation (gray)
causes no change.
Color Creates a result color with the luminance of the base color and the hue and saturation of
the blend color. This preserves the gray levels in the image and is useful for coloring monochrome
images and for tinting color images.
Luminosity Creates a result color with the hue and saturation of the base color and the
luminance of the blend color. This mode creates the inverse effect of Color mode.
Lighter Color Compares the total of all channel values for the blend and base color and displays
the higher value color. Lighter Color does not produce a third color, which can result from the
Lighten blend, because it chooses the highest channel values from both the base and blend color
to create the result color.
Darker Color Compares the total of all channel values for the blend and base color and displays
the lower value color. Darker Color does not produce a third color, which can result from the
Darken blend, because it chooses the lowest channel values from both the base and the blend
color to create the result color.
[Link] 4/7
10/1/25, 13:46 Blending modes in Adobe Photoshop
Blending mode examples
These examples show the result of painting part of the image’s face using each blending mode.
Original image Normal, 100% Normal, 50% Dissolve, 50%
opacity opacity opacity
Behind Clear Darken Multiply
Color Burn Linear Burn Lighten Screen
Color Dodge Linear Dodge (Add) Overlay Soft Light
[Link] 5/7
10/1/25, 13:46 Blending modes in Adobe Photoshop
Get help faster and easier
Sign in
New user?
Create an account ›
Legal Notices | Online Privacy Policy
Share this page
Was this page helpful? Yes, thanks Not really
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP
< Visit Adobe Help
^ Back to top
Center
Learn & Support Contact Us
Get Started
User Guide
Ask the Real help from real
Tutorials
Community people.
Post questions and
get answers from
experts.
Ask now Start now
Shop for
[Link] 6/7
10/1/25, 13:46 Blending modes in Adobe Photoshop
For business
For education
For nonprofits
For mobile
Experience Cloud
Support
Resources
Adobe Account
Adobe
Featured products Adobe Acrobat Reader Adobe Express Photoshop Illustrator
Ad Ad Ad Ad
ob ob ob ob
e e e e
Change region ∨ on on on on
Fac Tw Lin Ins
eb itte ke tag
oo r dIn ra
k m
Copyright © 2025 Adobe. All rights reserved. /
Privacy / Terms of Use / Cookie preferences / Do not sell or share my personal information / AdChoices
[Link] 7/7
