Layers
Basics
Computer Science II
Lesson 4
Layer – It is a transparent sheet that
may contain images, graphics, or text.
3 Ways to Blend Layers
01 Using the Layer Opacity
02 Using Layer Blend Modes
03 Using Layer Mask
OPTION 1
Using the Layer Opacity
Opacity refers to the degree to which an object or layer is
transparent.
• 0% means transparent; 100% = opaque
OPTION 2
Using the Layer Blend Modes
IMPORTANT TERMS TO REMEMBER
Base color is the original color in the image.
Blend color is the color being applied with the
painting or editing tool.
Result color is the color resulting from the blend.
OPTION 2
Using the Layer Blend Modes
IMPORTANT TERMS TO REMEMBER
Brightness – a measure of the overall lightness
or darkness of an image.
Contrast – difference in brightness between
objects or regions in an image.
OPTION 2
Using the Layer Blend Modes
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• Normal • Color Dodge • Hard Mix
• Dissolve • Linear Dodge • Difference
• Darken • Lighter Color • Exclusion
• Multiply • Overlay • Subtract
• Color Burn • Soft Light • Divide
• Linear Burn • Hard Light • Hue
• Darker Color • Vivid Light • Saturation
• Lighten • Linear Light • Color
• Screen • Pin Light • Luminosity
OPTION 2
Using the Layer Blend Modes
Foreground Base
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• Normal -there’s no interaction between layers, so you’ll
only see the top image. (Shift + Option + N)
Original Normal
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• Dissolve -This blend mode favors the top layer’s pixels
when the opacity has a high value, and the bottom
pixels when the opacity is low. It also applies a dither
pattern. (Shift + Option + I)
Original Dissolve
with 50% opacity
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• 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. (Shift + Option + N)
Original Darken
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• Multiply -This blend mode multiplies the base color
by the blend color, which of course will result in a
darker color. It’s the most commonly used in this
group. (Shift + Option + M)
Original Multiply
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• 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 (Shift +
Option + B)
Original Color Burn
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• 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. (Shift + Option + A)
Original Linear Burn
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• Darken Color - This works like Darken but it doesn’t do
it in separate channels.
Original Darken Color
with 74% opacity
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• 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. (Shift + Option + G)
Original Lighten
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• 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. (Shift + Option + S)
Original Screen
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• Color Dodge - This blend mode creates saturation
and contrast. The result is much lighter than Screen
or Lighten and very often it blows out the highlights
(Shift + Option + D)
Original Color Dodge
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• Linear Dodge (Add) - This mode is
brighter than Color Dodge but is less
saturated. (Shift + Option + W)
Original Linear Dodge (Add)
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• Lighter Color - This works like Lighten mode but
only on one channel instead of three.
Original Lighter Color
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• Soft Light - This blend mode is very similar to
the Overlay mode but softer. (Shift + Option + F)
Original Soft Light
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• Hard Light - This creates more contrasting images.
Imagine that you cast a hard light onto your image,
hence the name. The highlights will become more bright
and the shadows will become darker. (Shift + Option + H)
Original Hard Light
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• Vivid Light - Dodges and burns the color
according to the blend color. The result is very
intense. (Shift + Option + V)
Original Vivid Light
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• Linear Light - This works similarly to the Vivid
Light blend mode, except that it affects the
brightness instead of the contrast. (Shift + Option + J)
Original Linear Light
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• Pin Light - The effect here depends on the blend colors. If the
pixels on the top layer are darker, they’ll remain, if they’re
lighter than the ones underneath, they’ll be replaced. It applies
the same logic to the lighter pixels. The resulting blend is high
contrast with very little mid-tones. (Shift + Option + Z)
Original Pin Light
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• Hard Mix - the channel values will become either 0 or
255. As a result, the colors are only red, green, blue,
white, and black if you’re working in RGB mode. For
images in CMYK the colors are white, black, cyan,
magenta and yellow. (Shift + Option + L)
Original Hard Mix
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• Difference - Evaluates the brightness value of
each pixel and it then subtracts the base color or
the blend color depending on which was
brighter. (Shift + Option + E)
Original Difference
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• Exclusion - This is almost like Difference but
offers a less contrasting result. (Shift + Option + X)
Original Exclusion
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• Subtract - Subtracts the blend color from the
base color, so similar colors cancel each other.
Original Subtract
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• Divide - The process here is similar to Subtract
but instead of subtracting the color, it divides it.
This will give a very contrasted image with
blown-out highlights.
Original Divide
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• Hue - This blend mode keeps the hue as it is and
blends the luminance and saturation.
Original Hue
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• 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.
Original Saturation
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• Color - Keeps the color of the layer with a blend
of the hue and saturation.
Original Color
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• 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.
Original Luminosity
DIFFERENT LAYER BLEND MODES
• 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.
Original Luminosity
OPTION 3
Using Layer Mask
Layer Masking is a nondestructive way
to hide parts of an image or layer
without erasing them. They’re great for
making image composites, modifying
background colors, removing or cutting
out objects, and targeting your edits so
they affect only certain areas, rather
than the entire layer.
OPTION 3
Using Layer Mask
OPTION 3
Using Layer Mask
