H-S-L Blending Modes
|
Color |
The blending layer contributes both
its hue and saturation, while the base layer contributes only
its luminosity.
|
Yes |
|
Hue |
The blending layer contributes only
its hue to the base layer, while the base layer contributes
its saturation and luminosity to the blend.
|
Yes |
|
Saturation |
The blending layer contributes only
its saturation to the base layer, while the base layer contributes
its hue and luminosity to the blend.
|
Yes |
|
Luminosity |
The blending layer contributes its
luminosity,
while the base layer contributes its hue and
saturation. |
Yes |
Summary of the
Top-Transforms-Lower Blending Modes
Category: Darken & Lighten
|
Darken |
Darkens less |
Chooses darker already existing pixel |
|
White |
|
Multiply |
Darkens more |
Multiplies |
No |
White |
|
Lighten |
Lightens less |
Chooses lighter already existing pixel |
|
Black |
|
Screen |
Lightens more |
Multiplies |
No |
Black |
Category: Burning & Dodging
|
Color Burn |
The blending layer colors are used
to darken the base layer colors. |
Contrast |
Blacks |
White |
|
Linear Burn |
Stronger than Color Burn or Multiply |
Uses brightness via Color Burn & Multiply |
Blacks |
White |
|
Color Dodge |
The blending layer colors are used
to lighten the colors of the base layer. |
Contrast |
Whites |
Black |
|
Linear Dodge |
The blending layer colors are used
to lighten the colors of the base layer. |
Uses brightness via Color Dodge &
Screen |
Whites |
Black |
Category: Tonal Contrast
|
Soft Light |
Small increase in contrast |
Multiply & Screen |
No |
50% gray |
|
Overlay |
Medium increase in contrast
The base layer is not replaced, but
its color, shadows and highlights, are blended with the blending
layer.
|
Multiply & Screen |
No |
50% gray |
|
Hard Light |
Large increase in contrast
Used for adding shadows and highlights
|
Multiply & Screen |
Yes |
50% gray |
Category: Lighting Contrast
|
Vivid Light |
|
Uses contrast via Color Burn & Color
Dodge |
|
50% gray |
|
Linear Light |
|
Uses brightness via Linear Burn &
Linear Dodge |
Yes |
50% gray |
|
Pin Light |
For adding special effects |
Darken or Lighten |
|
50% gray |
Category: Comparison
Neutral Colors
Many of the blending modes have a neutral color.
Neutral, here, means that pixels in the blending layer, of that color,
don't create any change in the base layer.
The neutral colors are white (255,255,255), black (0,0,0), and 50%
gray (127,127,127).
If a pixel is not a neutral color, that pixel inspects and may change
pixels on the base layer.
As the numbers get further from the neutral color numbers, the effect
become greater.
For example, if black is the neutral color (0,0,0), a pixel with
the RGB values of 0,0,0 doesn't do anything.
A pixel with the RGB values of 1,1,1 does a liT-T-Le.
A pixel with the RGB values of 200,200,200, does a lot.
Blending Modes with White Neutral Colors
For the blending modes in the first chart, when a pixel in the blending
layer is white (255,255,255), there's no change in the base layer.
However, as RGB value decrease from white (255,255,255), the effect
of the blending layer increases to 100% in pixels that are black (0,0,0).
| 0% Effect |
50% Effect |
100% Effect |
| (255,255,255) |
(128,128,128) |
(0,0,0) |
The following blending modes have white as their neutral color.
• Darken
• Multiply
• Color Burn
• Linear Burn
Blending Modes with Black Neutral Colors
For the blending modes in the next chart, when a pixel in the blending
layer is black (0,0,0), there's no change in the base layer.
However, as the RGB values increase from black (0,0,0,), the effect
of the blending layer increases to 100% in pixels that are white (255,255,255).
| 100% Effect |
50% Effect |
0% Effect |
| (255,255,255) |
(128,128,128) |
(0,0,0) |
The following blending modes have black as their neutral color.
• Lighten
• Screen
• Color Dodge
• Linear Dodge
• Difference
• Exclusion
Blending Modes with 50% Gray Neutral Colors
These blending modes don't work from left-to-right, or right-to-left.
They work out from the middle. The middle is 50% gray (128,128,128).
If a pixel in the blending layer is between 0,0,0 and 128,128,128,
the corresponding base layer pixel is darkened.
If a pixel in the blending layer is between 128,128,128 and 255,255,255,
the corresponding base layer pixel is lightened.
| 100% Effect |
0% Effect |
100% Effect |
| (255,255,255) |
(128,128,128) |
(0,0,0) |
The following blending modes have 50% gray as their neutral color.
• Overlay
• Soft light
• Hard Light
• Vivid Light
• Linear Light
• Pin Light
Mathematics
The mathematics of the blending modes is described at
Blending Modes - Pegtop.net, with examples.
The same is done here,
Grokking
the Gimp, but for GIMP.
