Blending Modes - Example Uses

The original black and white image

Image after applying color to the mans suit, the womans dress and hands and faces

Automatic selecion with Object Selection tool

Selection includes unwanted areas, i.e. head, shirt, tie, hands

Original image

Using the Quick Selection tool, subtract from the selection. You can select the subtract button on the options bar, but a better and quicker method is to use the keyboard shortcut of pressing and holding the Alt key. While the Alt key is pressed, the tool uses the Subtract option. When you want to add to selection, release the Alt key. This will soon become second nature if you persevere.

Important tips for good results.

1. Use the Quick Selection tool at 100% hardness. You then know exactly where the edge of the tool is, so you don't select unwanted areas.
2. Very important. Don't select unwanted areas. When adding to a selection, don't go over any areas you don't want to add to selection. When subtracting from a selection, don't go over any areas that you want to be part of the selection.
3. When unwanted areas are selected, DO NOT UNDO. Instead, switch to Subtract mode and removed them from the selection. If you undo, you will have the same issue next time.
4. Pay attention. If you accidentally select an area you shouldn't have (point 2), then Undo.
5. The tool learns what you want and don't want - provided that you Add To and Subtract From the selection accurately. It's a superb selection tool when used accurately, but I've seen in the classroom, many beginners failing to avoid adding and subtracting what they shouldn't.

Add New Layer button

In the Layers panel, click on the Add New Layer button (highlighted in red) at the bottom of the panel. The selection will remain active while you do this.

Add New Layer button

From the Edit menu select Edit > Fill.

In Contents, select Color...

Add New Layer button

From the Edit menu select Edit > Fill.

In Contents, select Color...

This opens the Color Picker panel.

Select a color in the Color Slider (highlighted red), the select a tone in the Picked Color area (highlighted green).

Click OK to close the Color Picker.

The selection is filled with color. This should be on the new layer. Deselect with the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+D, or from the menu; Select > Deselect, or click outside the image.

The selection is still active

Deselect (Ctrl+D)

Your layers should look like this

Change the Layer Blend Mode to either Overlay, Soft Light, or Color. You can also try Hard Light.

My immediate preference is for the Soft Light Blend Mode, as it produces a more natural looking color, but don't worry if you don't like the look initially, as you can change this using layer opacity, Levels Adjustment Layer and Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer.

Overlay Blend Mode 100% Opacity

Soft Light Blend Mode 100% Opacity

Color Blend Mode 100% Opacity

Changing layer opacity can make a big difference. I'm using Color Blend Mode as an example, as that was the most vivid. By reducing the layer opacity to 30%, it immediately looks a lot more realistic in this image. I have only changed layer opacity, nothing else.

A great keyboard shortcut to change layer opacity is to simply press a number key. Press 1 for 10%, press 2 for 20%, press 3 for 30%, and so on. This makes it very quick and easy to experiment and try how different opacities affect the look.

Overlay Blend Mode

100% layer opacity

30% layer opacity

Changing Levels gives you another useful tool to control the overall look. This is often used along with reducing layer opacity, which I've reduced to 20%. A Levels Adjustment layer has been added, with only the black slider being moved. I have not moved the white slider, because I don't want to lose detail in the faces, which are already very light. In different images you may bea able to move thw white slider, but pay attention to the effect of the adjustments.

Color Blend Mode, 20% Layer Opacity

Realistic looking color

Only black slider was moved

Position the Object Selection tool over the dress. In this image it doesn't select all of it, so I'll accept what it does select. This automatic selection also includes the hands and head, which we don't want, so we will have to refine the selection, as we did with the man.

Object Selection Tool, automatic selection

Only top part of dress selected and hands and head

These are the same steps as in Step 2, but for your convenience, I have repeated them here.
For more information, see Quick Selection tool.

Refined selection, including all dress and no face or hands

Using the Quick Selection tool, subtract from the selection. You can select the subtract button on the options bar, but a better and quicker method is to use the keyboard shortcut of pressing and holding the Alt key. While the Alt key is pressed, the tool uses the Subtract option. When you want to add to selection, release the Alt key. This will soon become second nature if you persevere.

Important tips for good results.

1. Use the Quick Selection tool at 100% hardness. You then know exactly where the edge of the tool is, so you don't select unwanted areas.
2. Very important. Don't select unwanted areas. When adding to a selection, don't go over any areas you don't want to add to selection. When subtracting from a selection, don't go over any areas that you want to be part of the selection.
3. When unwanted areas are selected, DO NOT UNDO. Instead, switch to Subtract mode and removed them from the selection. If you undo, you will have the same issue next time.
4. Pay attention. If you accidentally select an area you shouldn't have (point 2), then Undo.
5. The tool learns what you want and don't want - provided that you Add To and Subtract From the selection accurately. It's a superb selection tool when used accurately, but I've seen in the classroom, many beginners failing to avoid adding and subtracting what they shouldn't.

This is the same as Step 3, but for your convenience, it's repeated here.

Add New Layer button

In the Layers panel, click on the Add New Layer button (highlighted in red) at the bottom of the panel. The selection will remain active while you do this.

This is the same as Step 4.

Add New Layer button

From the Edit menu select Edit > Fill.

In Contents, select Color...

This is the same as Step 5.

Add New Layer button

From the Edit menu select Edit > Fill.

In Contents, select Color...

This opens the Color Picker panel.

Select a color in the Color Slider (highlighted red), the select a tone in the Picked Color area (highlighted green).

Click OK to close the Color Picker.

This is the same as Step 6.

The selection is filled with color. This should be on the new layer. Deselect with the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+D, or from the menu; Select > Deselect, or click outside the image.

The selection is still active

Deselect (Ctrl+D)

Your layers should look like this

This is the same as Step 7.

The selection is filled with color. This should be on the new layer. Deselect with the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+D, or from the menu; Select > Deselect, or click outside the image.

Overlay Blend Mode 100% Opacity

Soft Light Blend Mode 100% Opacity

Color Blend Mode 100% Opacity

Notice how Soft Light Blend Mode at 100% opacity is virtually identical to Overlay Blend Mode at 50% opacity.

Soft Light Blend Mode 100% Opacity

Overlay Blend Mode 50% Opacity

Color Blend Mode 50% Opacity

Add a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer (middle circular button at the bottom of the Layers panel).

When you add any new layer, it is always added immediately above the currently selected layer. Either select the required layer first, or reposition the Hue/Saturation layer by dragging up or down the layer stack in the Layers panel.

Soft Light Blend Mode 100% Opacity

Overlay Blend Mode 50% Opacity

Color Blend Mode 50% Opacity

Drag the Hue slider to change the hue. In the previous step I dragged the Hue slider all the way to the right. The man's suit has changed to a blue color and the woman's dress has changed to a brown color.

The Hue slider is affecting all layers beneath it. This is the usual behaviour for all Adjustment Layers. See the next step to change this, so that the Hue adjustment only affects the layer immediately beneath it.

The Hue/Saturation layer is affecting all layers beneath it

The Layers panel

At the bottom of the Hue/Saturation layer, click on the button highlighted in green. This "clips" the layer, so it only affects the layer immediately beneath.

In the Layers panel, this symbol is visible on the layer (highlighted in pink).

Clipping a layer is a common technique when you only want a layer to affect the layer immediately beneath.

Hue/Saturation layer is clipped, so it only affects the layer immediately below it

The Clipping button is highlighted in green

The Clipping icon in the Layers panel is highlighted in pink.

When making a selection, it's always worth trying first with the Object Select tool, as that is quick and easy. But sometimes it won't select what you want, as is the case here. The screenshots show the cursor (highlighted in green), showing that when I try to select the faces either of the man, or woman, the Object Select tool selects the whole person.

These selections will be better made with the Quick Selection tool, in the next steps.

Object Select tool selects whole man, instead of face

Object Select tool selects whole woman, instead of face

As above, when selecting the man (step 2) and the woman (step 11), the Quick Selection tool is great for selecting (and deselecting) areas that are not automaticall selected accurately by the Object Select tool.

Select Add to Selection (2nd button on the options bar) and carefully brush over areas you want to select. Take great care not to let any part of the brush touch an area that you don't want.

When you Add to Selection you will see a small + (plus) symbol in the middle of the brush (highlighed in green).

When you Subtract From Selection you will see a small - (minus) symbol in the middle of the brush (highlighed in pink).

For more information on using the Quick Selection tool accurately, see Quick Selection tool.

The + icon shows you are adding to selection

The - icon shows you are subtracting from the selection

Carefully select both faces and all the hands.

The + icon shows you are adding to selection

Click on the New Layer button at the bottom of the Layers panel, to add a new, empty layer. The color for the faces and hands will be added to this layer.

The + icon shows you are adding to selection

When choosing a color for the suit or the dress, the exact color is not critical. However when adding color to skin, the color needs to be realistic and this is not easy to do just by clicking in the Color Picker.

Open an image containing people with skin tones you want to use.

Arrange the image windows so you can see both images simultaneously. In the Window menu select Window > Float in Window.

I have positioned the images close together for the purposes of the screenshot, but it doesn't matter where the other image is positioned.

Float in Window puts the image into a separate window

You can view both images simultaneously

Select the image that you are adding color to.

From the Edit menu: Edit > Fill > Contents:Color.

This will open the Color Picker.

Move the cursor outside of the Color Picker and click on an area of skin. This color is selected within the Color PIcker. Click OK to close Color Picker.

Select an area that is not too light or too dark

You can view both images simultaneously

The selected areas are filled with the color.

Deselect by pressing Ctrl+D, or from the menu: Select > Deselect.

Selected areas are filled with color

After deselecting

Soft Light Blend Mode

The Layers panel