Using Blend Modes

The Blend Modes are a selection of different filters designed to change the appearance of the effects applied by a tool or the look of a selected object.  Each Blend Mode is affected by the Opacity and/or the selected colors in the Color Picker.  The Blend Mode only works on Truecolor images. You may choose to covert to a true color image, edit the image and convert back to the original color level.

To apply a Blend to a Floating Selection:

  1. Select a part of the image using the Select, Lasso or Magic Wand selection tools.

  2. Do one of the following:

  3. Select the blend you wish to apply. The selection will change each time you chose a different blend.

  4. Adjust the Opacity of the blend.

When applying the blend, FotoCanvas analyzes the pixel of the floating selection and the pixel in the underlying image.  After the comparison is complete, a final pixel color is applied to the image.  The pixels in the underlying image will change as the selection is moved, until it is anchored.

To apply a Blend with a Drawing Tool

  1. Select a drawing tool.

  2. Select the blend you wish to apply.

  3. Select a primary and secondary color from the Color Picker.

  4. Draw on the image. The blend is applied directly to the image.

It is best to experiment with different colors when applying the blends with a drawing tool.  

Note:

The Rectangle and Ellipse tools use both colors from the Color Picker.  The primary color affects the outline and the secondary color affects the fill.

Blend Modes

A short description and a pop-up is available for each of following blend modes.  The pop-up displays an image of a floating selection with the blend mode applied at 100% Opacity.

Normal

The selection or tool is applied to the underlying image with its original color.  Only the opacity affects the blend.

Screen

Lightens the underlying color by multiplying the inverse of the blend and base colors, resulting in a color that is the same or a lightened version of the base color.

Multiply

Combines the colors in the selection or tool with the underlying layers to produce a darker color. Multiplying any color with black produces black; multiplying any color with white leaves the color unchanged.

Dodge

The lightness values of the colors in the selection or tool, lighten the colors of the underlying image. Light colors produce the greatest effect; black has no effect.

Burn

The lightness values of the colors in the selection or tool, reduce the lightness of the underlying image, darkening the image.

Overlay

Combines the Multiply and Screen blend modes. If the underlying image color channel value is less than half the maximum value, the Multiply blend mode is used. If the color channel value is greater than or equal to half, the Screen blend mode is used. This shows patterns or colors of the upper layer while preserving the shadows and highlights of the lower layers.

Difference

Subtracts the selection or tool's color from the color of the underlying image, depending on which is lighter. Any white in the selection or tool produces a true negative of the color in the image, while black produces no effect.

Darken

Pixels in the selection or tool that are darker than the underlying image are applied to the image. Pixels in the selection or tool that are lighter than the underlying image disappear (works on RGB values).

Lighten

Pixels in the selection or tool that are lighter than the underlying image are applied to the image. Pixels in the selection or tool that are darker than the underlying image disappear (works on RGB values).

Hard Light

Combines the Multiply and Screen blend modes. If the selection or tool's color channel value is less than 128 (half the maximum value), the Multiply blend mode is used. If the selection or tool's color channel value is greater than or equal to 128, the Screen blend mode is used. This mode is generally used to add highlights or shadows.

Soft Light

Combines two previous blend modes. If the selection or tool's color channel value is less than 128 (half the maximum value), the Color Burn blend mode is used. If the selection or tool's color channel value is greater than or equal to 128, the Color Dodge blend mode is used. This mode is generally used to add soft highlights or shadows.

Hue

Applies the hue value of colors in the selection or tool to the color of the underlying image. The hue value of any particular color can be seen in the Color Picker.

Saturation

Applies the saturation value of colors in the selection or tool to the color of the underlying image. The saturation value of any particular color can be seen in the Color Picker.

Color

Applies the hue and saturation of the selection or tool to the image. The luminance of the underlying image is not affected.

Luminosity

Applies the lightness value of colors in the selection or tool to the color of the underlying image. The saturation value of any particular color can be seen in the Color Picker.

Dissolve

Randomly replaces the colors of some pixels in the selection or tool with those of the image underneath to create a speckled effect. The number of pixels replaced is determined by the opacity, with more pixels being replaced as the opacity decreases.