User Guide

Chapter 5: Editing
87
About blend modes
Blend modes are filters that change the appearance of the text added to your images with the
Add Text tool. The following table lists the blend modes available in the Add Text tool, and
gives a brief explanation of their effects.
Blend modes
Normal Applies the text to the underlying image with the specified color. Only
opacity affects this blend.
Screen Combines the text color with the inverse of the underlying photo color,
resulting in a color that is the same or lighter.
Multiply Combines the text color with the underlying photo to produce a darker
color. Multiplying any color with black produces black; multiplying any
color with white leaves the color unchanged.
Dodge Combines the text color with the underlying pixels in the photo to
produce a lighter color.
Burn Combines the text color with the underlying pixels in the photo to
produce a darker color.
Overlay Preserves the shadows and highlights of the lower layers while applying
either Multiply or Screen blend mode based on the underlying image
area's color values.
Difference Subtracts the text color from the color of the underlying photo. Any white
in the text produces a true negative of the color in the image, while black
produces no effect.
Darken Applies pixels in the text that are darker than the underlying image.
Pixels in the text that are lighter than the underlying image disappear
(based on RGB values).
Lighten Applies pixels in the text that are lighter than the underlying image.
Pixels in the text that are darker than the underlying image disappear
(based on RGB values).
Hard Light Adds strong highlights or shadows by applying Multiply or Screen based
on the underlying image area's color values.
Soft Light Adds soft highlights or shadows by darkening or lightening based on the
underlying image area's color values.
Hue Applies the hue value of colors in the text to the color of the underlying
image areas.
Saturation Applies the saturation value of colors in the text to the color of the
underlying image areas.
Color Applies the hue and saturation of the text to the image. This blend does
not affect the luminance of the underlying image.
Luminosity Applies the lightness value of colors in the text to the color of the
underlying image areas.