Blend modes and texture overlays

What blend modes do

A blend mode tells your software how to combine the pixels of a selected layer with the pixels on the layers beneath it. In most programs, layers default to a normal setting. This means the top layer completely covers the bottom layer. When you select a new blend mode from the layers panel menu, the top layer interacts with the colors and brightness of the layers below.

Digital scrapbooking software groups these modes by their effects. Some modes darken the image, some lighten it, and others increase contrast. You do not need to memorize all of them to make great pages. Hobby scrapbookers usually rely on just 4 options. These are Multiply, Screen, Overlay and Soft Light. You will find these options in Photoshop Elements, GIMP, Affinity and full Photoshop.

Multiply for darkening and shadows

The Multiply blend mode darkens your image. When you set a layer to Multiply, the white parts of that layer disappear completely. The darker parts remain visible and blend with the colors beneath them. This makes it the perfect choice for digital stamps, ink and paint.

If you place a digital stamp on a background paper and set it to Multiply, the stamp looks like it was actually pressed into the paper. The paper texture shows through the dark ink. Multiply is also the standard blend mode for creating realistic drop shadows. It darkens the background paper to create a natural shadow effect.

• Select your ink or shadow layer in the layers panel
• Open the blend mode drop down menu at the top of the panel
• Choose Multiply from the list of options

Screen for lightening and glow

The Screen blend mode does the exact opposite of Multiply. It lightens the image. When you set a layer to Screen, the black parts of the layer disappear. The lighter parts stay visible and brighten the layers underneath.

This mode is useful for adding light leaks, sun flares or glitter highlights to your scrapbook page. If you have a sparkle element with a black background, setting it to Screen removes the black box and leaves only the bright sparkles. Since elements are usually transparent PNG files, you might not need this for basic supplies. It is very helpful when you want to blend a bright JPG image over a dark background paper.

Overlay and Soft Light for contrast

Overlay and Soft Light are contrast modes. They add contrast and texture while keeping the colors of the layers below. Both modes darken the dark pixels and lighten the light pixels. Soft Light produces a gentle, subtle effect. Overlay creates a much stronger, harsher contrast.

These modes are excellent for blending patterned papers or adding grunge effects. If you place a black and white grunge texture over a colored paper and set it to Soft Light, the paper keeps its original color but gains a distressed look. You can switch between Overlay and Soft Light to see which one looks best for your specific project.

Using texture overlays

A texture overlay is a paper or grunge image placed above a page or element to give it a tactile feel. You blend it at a low opacity, often 20 to 40 percent. This technique makes flat digital items look like real physical objects.

Our kraft and linen basics work perfectly as overlays. You can place a linen paper above a solid color layer and set the linen layer to Multiply or Soft Light. Lowering the opacity to 20 or 40 percent gives the solid color a realistic fabric texture. Since the standard digital scrapbook page is 12 x 12 inches at 300 pixels per inch, which is 3600 x 3600 pixels, make sure your overlay matches this size to cover the whole background.

Practical recipes for texture

You can apply textures to individual elements instead of the whole page. If you clip a texture to one element, you can make it look like felt, kraft or worn paper. This requires using clipping masks to restrict the texture to just the shape of the element below it.

Here is how to add a kraft texture to a plain digital shape.

• Place a solid color shape on your page
• Add a kraft paper JPG file directly above the shape layer
• Clip the kraft paper to the shape layer
• Change the blend mode of the kraft paper to Multiply
• Lower the opacity of the kraft paper to 40 percent