User Guide

Canvas 12 User Guide
To combine channels:
1. With an image in edit mode, choose Image | Calculate.
2. Choose the first channel in the Source 1 menu. If you want to invert the channel, select
Invert. For more information, see "Inverting colors in images" on page 465.
3. In the Source 2 menu, choose the channel you want to combine with the Source 1 channel. If
you want to invert the channel, select Invert.
4. In the Blending area, choose an option in the Use menu. See "Descriptions of Calculate
blending options" on page 548.
5. Enter an opacity from 0 to 100 percent for Source 1. Other options are available for some
Blending methods.
6. If you want to mask Source 1, select Mask in the Blending area and choose a channel in the
menu. To invert the mask, select Invert in the Blending area.
7. Choose the name of a destination channel or choose New in the Result menu. If you select an
existing channel, Canvas replaces the channel with the results of the Calculate Image
operation.
8. Click OK to calculate the channel using the current settings.
Descriptions of Calculate blending options
You can select various blending methods in the Calculate Image dialog box.
Normal Places Source 1 over Source 2 at the specified opacity. 100 percent
opacity replaces Source 2 with Source 1.
Multiply Creates a darker channel than the source channels. Black areas in either
source create black areas in the resulting channel. White areas do not
affect the result.
Screen Creates a lighter channel than the source channels. White areas in either
source create white areas in the resulting channel. Black areas do not
affect the result.
Overlay Places Source 1 over Source 2 without destroying the shadows or
highlights of Source 2.
Soft Light Lightens or darkens pixels in Source 2 depending on the brightness
value of the corresponding pixels in Source 1. Pixels in Source 1 that are
lighter than 50% black lighten Source 2. Pixels in Source 1 that are
darker than 50% black darken Source 2.
548