Mastering Blend Modes    Tutorial for Affinity Photo, Affinity Designer, and Affinity Publisher
Channel: Affinity Inspiration
Date: 2023-11-06

Blend mode types
 Common blend modes: (A) Normal, (B) Multiply, (C) Screen, (D) Overlay, (E) Colour Burn.
Affinity Photo supports an impressive selection of different blend modes. The most commonly used blend modes are as follows:
- Normal—The default blend mode. The top pixels display over underlying pixels according to the level of top layer opacity.
- Multiply—The blending result combines the top and bottom colour at each pixel position, always producing a darker value.
- Screen—The opposite of Multiply, where the blending result combines the inverse of the top and bottom colour at each pixel position, always producing a lighter value.
- Overlay—Applies either Multiply or Screen Blend mode, depending on the bottom colour at each pixel position. If the bottom layer pixels are less than 50% grey, it multiplies; if greater than 50% it screens.
- Divide1—Lower layers are lightened based on luminance on the upper layer. White has no effect. Lightness is increased progressively from grey through to black.
- Colour Burn1—Darkens the bottom colour pixels relative to the values of the top colour pixels.

00:00 Start
00:56 Most commonly used
08:47 All other blend modes


Other available blend modes include Darken, Darker Colour, Lighten, Lighter Colour, Colour Dodge1, Add, Soft Light, Hard Light, Vivid Light, Pin Light, Linear Light, Linear Burn, Hard Mix, Difference1, Exclusion1, Subtract, Hue2, Saturation2, Luminosity, Color2, Average1, Negation1, Reflect1, Glow1, Contrast Negate, Erase and Passthrough.
These in detail are:

Affinity Photo Version 2 Blend Modes Descriptions

- Darken: This blend mode darkens pixels based on the base layer.
- Darker Colour: This blend mode darkens pixels based on the darker of the two layers.
- Lighten: This blend mode lightens pixels based on the base layer.
- Lighter Colour: This blend mode lightens pixels based on the lighter of the two layers.
- Colour Dodge 1: This blend mode brightens pixels based on the base layer.
- Add: This blend mode adds the pixel values of the two layers together.
- Soft Light: This blend mode creates a soft, diffused effect.
- Hard Light: This blend mode creates a hard, contrasty effect.
- Vivid Light: This blend mode increases the contrast of the image.
- Pin Light: This blend mode creates a high-contrast image with bright highlights and deep shadows.
- Linear Light: This blend mode creates a linear contrast increase.
- Linear Burn: This blend mode creates a linear contrast decrease.
- Hard Mix: This blend mode creates a hard, contrasty effect with bright highlights and deep shadows.
- Difference 1: This blend mode subtracts the pixel values of the two layers from each other.
- Exclusion 1: This blend mode creates a subtle, desaturated effect.
- Subtract: This blend mode subtracts the pixel values of the top layer from the pixel values of the bottom layer.
- Hue 2: This blend mode changes the hue of the base layer based on the hue of the top layer.
- Saturation 2: This blend mode changes the saturation of the base layer based on the saturation of the top layer.
- Luminosity: This blend mode changes the brightness of the base layer based on the brightness of the top layer.
- Colour 2: This blend mode changes the colour of the base layer based on the colour of the top layer.
- Average 1: This blend mode averages the pixel values of the two layers together.
- Negation 1: This blend mode inverts the colours of the top layer.
- Reflect 1: This blend mode creates a reflection effect.
- Glow 1: This blend mode creates a glow effect.
- Contrast Negate: This blend mode negates the contrast of the image.
- Erase: This blend mode erases the top layer.
- Passthrough: This blend mode does not blend the two layers together. (Designer Only.)
 
 1 Not available in Lab16 mode.
 2 Not available in Grayscale mode.
 
Examples
Here are some examples of how the different blend modes can be used:
- Darken: This blend mode can be used to create a shadow effect. For example, you could use the Darken blend mode to add a shadow to a text layer.
- Lighter Colour: This blend mode can be used to create a highlight effect. For example, you could use the Lighter Colour blend mode to add a highlight to a skin layer.
- Colour Dodge 1: This blend mode can be used to brighten the colours of an image. For example, you could use the Colour Dodge1 blend mode to brighten the colours of a flower photo.
- Soft Light: This blend mode can be used to create a soft, diffused effect. For example, you could use the Soft Light blend mode to blend a layer of clouds with a layer of sky.
- Hard Light: This blend mode can be used to create a hard, contrasty effect. For example, you could use the Hard Light blend mode to blend a layer of text with a layer of background.
- Vivid Light: This blend mode can be used to increase the contrast of an image. For example, you could use the Vivid Light blend mode to increase the contrast of a landscape photo.
 
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