Overlay

Let us now look at the different contrast modes. This is the fourth group of modes in our drop-down menu. Each of these options is a combination of “Darken” and “Lighter” modes.
For this example, I add a layer above the Michel, a layer with a photograph of a marble pattern.

First we have the Overlay mode. The Overlay mode combines the Dissolve and Screen modes. The Highlights (highlight) and the Shadows (shadows) of the base color are preserved. And it removes the Midtones.

Soft Light

The second is “Soft light”. The effect you achieved is comparable with a faint light that strikes across the image.

Hard Light

The third, “Hard Light” mode is a “harder” version of the Overlay mode.

These first three modes, Overlay, Soft Light and Hard Light are based on the first two modes from the third group. In particular, the Lighten and Overlay mode. If you wish a combination of “Color Dodge” and “Linear” mode, you must choose Hard Light or Linear Light.

Vivid Light

Vivid Light combines Color Burn and Color Dodge.

Linear Light

And Linear Light combines Linear Burn with Linear Dodge.

These two do not seem to be very useful at first sight, but when we change the fill value, we have a very different picture. But let us first look at the pin light mode.

Pin Light

When we use the pin light mode, we keep the Highlights and Shadows and we lose the midtones. This is because the Pin Light blends Lighter and Darker color modes.

Hard mixture

The “Hard Mix” mode is based on the “Hard Light” mode, and adds the values for red, green and blue channels of the working color to the RGB values of the base color. When we use “Hard Mix” with a “Fill” value of eg 25%, then we have a very different picture:

Featured Courses

• Downloading iPad Apps
• Lesson 1: Introduction to Publisher
• Lesson 65: File Formats