Adobe Photoshop CS3 User Manual
Page 352
PHOTOSHOP CS3
User Guide
345
Hard Light
Multiplies or screens the colors, depending on the blend color. The effect is similar to shining a harsh
spotlight on the image. If the blend color (light source) is lighter than 50% gray, the image is lightened, as if it were
screened. This is useful for adding highlights to an image. If the blend color is darker than 50% gray, the image is
darkened, as if it were multiplied. This is useful for adding shadows to an image. Painting with pure black or white
results in pure black or white.
Vivid Light
Burns or dodges the colors by increasing or decreasing the contrast, depending on the blend color. If the
blend color (light source) is lighter than 50% gray, the image is lightened by decreasing the contrast. If the blend color
is darker than 50% gray, the image is darkened by increasing the contrast.
Linear Light
Burns or dodges the colors by decreasing or increasing the brightness, depending on the blend color. If
the blend color (light source) is lighter than 50% gray, the image is lightened by increasing the brightness. If the blend
color is darker than 50% gray, the image is darkened by decreasing the brightness.
Pin Light
Replaces the colors, depending on the blend color. If the blend color (light source) is lighter than 50% gray,
pixels darker than the blend color are replaced, and pixels lighter than the blend color do not change. If the blend
color is darker than 50% gray, pixels lighter than the blend color are replaced, and pixels darker than the blend color
do not change. This is useful for adding special effects to an image.
Hard Mix
Adds the red, green and blue channel values of the blend color to the RGB values of the base color. If the
resulting sum for a channel is 255 or greater, it receives a value of 255; if less than 255, a value of 0. Therefore, all
blended pixels have red, green, and blue channel values of either 0 or 255. This changes all pixels to primary colors:
red, green, blue, cyan, yellow, magenta, white, or black.
Difference
Looks at the color information in each channel and subtracts either the blend color from the base color
or the base color from the blend color, depending on which has the greater brightness value. Blending with white
inverts the base color values; blending with black produces no change.
Exclusion
Creates an effect similar to but lower in contrast than the Difference mode. Blending with white inverts
the base color values. Blending with black produces no change.
Hue
Creates a result color with the luminance and saturation of the base color and the hue of the blend color.
Saturation
Creates a result color with the luminance and hue of the base color and the saturation of the blend color.
Painting with this mode in an area with no (0) saturation (gray) causes no change.
Color
Creates a result color with the luminance of the base color and the hue and saturation of the blend color. This
preserves the gray levels in the image and is useful for coloring monochrome images and for tinting color images.
Luminosity
Creates a result color with the hue and saturation of the base color and the luminance of the blend color.
This mode creates the inverse effect of Color mode.
Lighter Color
Compares the total of all channel values for the blend and base color and displays the higher value
color. Lighter Color does not produce a third color, which can result from the Lighten blend, because it chooses the
highest channel values from both the base and blend color to create the result color.
Darker Color
Compares the total of all channel values for the blend and base color and displays the lower value color.
Darker Color does not produce a third color, which can result from the Darken blend, because it chooses the lowest
channel values from both the base and the blend color to create the result color.
See also