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- <h2>Layers and Blend Modes</h3><p>Paint.NET allows you to use layers and
- blending modes as the foundation for composing images.</p>
- <h3><a name="Layers"></a>Layers</h3>
- <p>For this discussion the following two images will be used for the
- background layer and for the 1st layer that is placed on top of the
- background layer:</p>
- <table border="0" width="50%">
- <tr>
- <td>
- <p align="center">
- <img border="1" src="../images/BlendModes_Layer1.jpg"></p>
- <p align="center">Background Layer - Picture of a Classic Camaro<br>
- ("Bottom Layer")</td>
- <td>
- <p align="center">
- <img border="1" src="../images/BlendModes_Layer2.jpg"></p>
- <p align="center">Layer 1 - Picture of Seattle<br>
- ("Top Layer")</td>
- </tr>
- </table>
- <p>You may think of "layers" as a stack of transparency slides that, when
- viewed together, form a complete image. Paint.NET displays this stack as if
- you were viewing it from the top and with no perspective (layers do not get
- "smaller" when they are closer to the bottom of the stack, which would place
- them "farther away"). To better visualize how layers work, it may help if we
- view the layer stack from the side instead of from the top:</p>
- <p>
- <img border="0" src="../images/LayerStack3D.jpg"></p>
- <h3><a name="PixelsAndTransparency"></a>Pixels and Transparency</h3>
- <p>Every layer in Paint.NET is composed of
- <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel">pixels</a> which are stored in
- the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RGBA_color_space">RGBA</a> format.
- The RGB part stands for red-green-blue, and is used to store traditional
- color intensity. The "A" is for alpha and is used to store information about
- the transparency of a pixel. This alpha value may range from 0 (completely
- transparent) to 255 (completely opaque). (Other software may refer to this
- as ranging from 0% to 100%.) If a pixel is transparent, then pixels from the
- layers below will show through. Paint.NET uses a technique called
- <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_compositing">alpha compositing</a>
- to be able to display a layered image on a standard computer monitor.</p>
- <p>However, transparent pixels cannot be displayed on a computer monitor. In
- order to simulate this Paint.NET uses a checkerboard pattern, which looks
- like this:</p>
- <blockquote>
- <p><img border="1" src="../images/TransparentCheckerboard.png"></p>
- </blockquote>
- <p>If you see this then it means that part of your image is transparent --
- the checkerboard pattern is not actually part of the image. You may think of
- the checkerboard pattern as a virtual background layer, or "layer zero,"
- which is always below all layers that are shown in the
- <a href="LayersWindow.html">Layers window</a>. However, as previously
- mentioned, it is not actually part of the image. If you save the image and
- then view or load it with other software then the checkerboard pattern will
- not be there (unless, of course, if that other software also uses a
- checkerboard pattern to simulate transparency).</p>
- <h3><a name="LayersAndOpacity"></a>Layers and Opacity</h3>
- <p>While every pixel has transparency information associated with it, every
- layer also has an associated opacity value. The two terms are similar and in
- most cases can be treated as the same. You may think of a layer's opacity
- value as a "dimmer" for the alpha values of every pixel in the layer.</p>
- <p>For example, if we take the top layer and adjust its opacity from 255
- gradually down to 0, we will get the following images, shown as both
- conceptual stacks and as it would be shown on the computer monitor:</p>
- <table border="0" width="50%">
- <tr>
- <td width="683">
- <p align="center">
- <img border="0" src="../images/LayerStack3D.jpg" width="360" height="168"><img border="1" src="../images/BlendModes_Layer2.jpg"></p>
- <p align="center">Layer 1 at 255 opacity (100%)<br>
- Completely opaque: The car is not visible.</td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td width="683">
- <p align="center">
- <img border="0" src="../images/LayerStack3D_128.jpg" width="360" height="168"><img border="1" src="../images/BlendMode_Normal_128.jpg"></p>
- <p align="center">Layer 1 at 128 opacity (about 50%)<br>
- Partially transparent: The picture of Seattle is partially visible.</td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td width="683">
- <p align="center">
- <img border="0" src="../images/LayerStack3D_0.jpg" width="360" height="168"><img border="1" src="../images/BlendModes_Layer1.jpg"> </p>
- <p align="center">Layer 1 at 0 opacity (0%)<br>
- Completely transparent: The picture of Seattle is not visible.</td>
- </tr>
- </table>
- <h3><a name="BlendModes"></a>Blend Modes</h3>
- <p>A layer's blend mode specifies how it is blended with the layers below
- it. To change a layer's blend mode, click on the respective layer and then
- open its Properties (via the Layers menu, the Properties button, or by
- double clicking the layer). The following dialog will be shown:</p>
- <blockquote>
- <p>
- <img border="0" src="Images/LayerProperties.png"></p>
- </blockquote>
- <p>Not all blend modes are easy to understand in classic or intuitive terms,
- and because of this we recommend that you experiment and make use of the
- <a href="http://www.getpaint.net/redirect/forum.html">forum</a> for asking
- questions and getting tips. Each blend mode is described below along with an
- image composed of the two layers discussed previously, but with the
- respective blend mode selected and the opacity set to 255.</p>
- <p>In the discussions below, the term <i>composition </i>will be used. This
- refers to the result of blending all of the layers below the current layer
- which is being discussed. The "final" composition is what you see on the
- screen while working with the image. However, for this discussion we need to
- refer to the composition as it is being composed, layer by layer.</p>
- <ul>
- <li><h3><a name="Normal"></a>Normal</h3><p>This is the default and
- standard blend mode. Each pixel in the layer is blended with the
- composition depending on its alpha value.</p></li>
- <li><h3><a name="Multiply"></a>Multiply</h3><p>Each pixel component's
- intensity is multiplied with the pixel value in the composition. The
- result of using this blend mode is always pixels that are darker than
- the original. White pixels have no effect and are thus effectively
- transparent. </p>
- <p><img border="1" src="../images/BlendMode_Multiply.jpg"></p>
- </li>
- <li><h3><a name="Additive"></a>Additive</h3><p>Each pixel's color
- intensity is added to the intensity of the pixel values in the
- composition. This will always brighten pixels in the composition, except
- for pixels that are completely black which will be effectively
- transparent.</p>
- <p>
- <img border="1" src="../images/BlendMode_Additive.jpg" width="288" height="180"></p>
- </li>
- <li><h3><a name="ColorBurn"></a>Color Burn</h3><p>This blend mode has
- the effect such that dark pixels are made darker. Lighter pixels must be
- blended with other lighter pixels in order to remain bright.</p>
- <p><img border="1" src="../images/BlendMode_ColorBurn.jpg"></p>
- </li>
- <li><h3><a name="ColorDodge"></a>Color Dodge</h3><p>This can be thought
- of as the opposite of Color Burn. Lighter pixels are kept light, whereas
- darker pixels must be blended with other dark pixels in order to remain
- dark.</p>
- <p><img border="1" src="../images/BlendMode_ColorDodge.jpg"></p>
- </li>
- <li><h3><a name="Reflect"></a>Reflect</h3><p>This blend mode can be used
- for adding shiny objects or areas of light. </p>
- <p><img border="1" src="../images/BlendMode_Reflect.jpg"></p>
- </li>
- <li><h3><a name="Glow"></a>Glow</h3><p>This is the reverse of the
- Reflect mode: it works the same as swapping the layer positions and
- using Reflect.</p>
- <p><img border="1" src="../images/BlendMode_Glow.jpg"></p>
- </li>
- <li><h3><a name="Overlay"></a>Overlay</h3><p>This is a combination of
- Screen and Multiply depending on the intensity of the layer pixel. For
- darker colors, this acts like Multiply. For lighter colors, this acts
- like Screen.</p>
- <p><img border="1" src="../images/BlendMode_Overlay.jpg"></p>
- </li>
- <li><h3><a name="Difference"></a>Difference</h3><p>The counterpart to
- Additive. The layer pixel's intensity is subtracted from the composition
- pixel's intensity resulting in darker colors. Since this can produce a
- negative intensity, which is not possible to display, the absolute value
- is used. Thus, both "white minus black" and "black minus white" will
- both produce white. This is quite often useful when using the <a href="EffectsMenu.html#Clouds">
- Clouds</a> effect.</p>
- <p><img border="1" src="../images/BlendMode_Difference.jpg"></p>
- </li>
- <li><h3><a name="Negation"></a>Negation</h3><p>At first glance this
- seems similar to Difference, but it actually produces the opposite
- effect. Instead of making colors darker, it will make them brighter.</p>
- <p><img border="1" src="../images/BlendMode_Negation.jpg"></p>
- </li>
- <li><h3><a name="Lighten"></a>Lighten</h3><p>The lighter pixel of either
- the layer or the composition is used.</p>
- <p><img border="1" src="../images/BlendMode_Lighten.jpg"></p>
- </li>
- <li><h3><a name="Darken"></a>Darken</h3><p>The darker pixel of either
- the layer or the composition is used.</p>
- <p><img border="1" src="../images/BlendMode_Darken.jpg"></p>
- </li>
- <li><h3><a name="Screen"></a>Screen</h3><p>This can be thought of as the
- opposite of the Multiply blend mode. It is used to make pixels brighter,
- with black being effectively transparent. </p>
- <p><img border="1" src="../images/BlendMode_Screen.jpg"></p>
- </li>
- <li><h3><a name="Xor"></a>Xor</h3><p>This is short for "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusive_or">exclusive
- OR</a>", which is an advanced blending mode that is primarily used for
- image analysis and not for drawing or image composition.</p>
- <p><img border="1" src="../images/BlendMode_Xor.jpg"></p>
- </li>
- </ul>
- <!-- #EndEditable -->
- <h4><br>
- <br>
- </h4>
- <p align="center">
- <font color="#808080" size="1">Copyright <font face="Times New Roman">© 2007 </font>
- Rick Brewster, Tom Jackson, and past contributors. Portions Copyright
- <font face="Times New Roman">© 2007 </font>Microsoft Corporation. All Rights
- Reserved.</font><font size="1"> <br>
- </font>
- </div>
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