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Lesson 12:   12-A   12-B   12-C   12-D

​Lesson 12 - Objective 1 (Monday) 

​Blending modes are one of the powerhouse functions of Photoshop!  Blending modes control how pixels in the image are affected by a painting or editing tool, or by a layer.  You'll find blend mode options for several tools, such as the brush tool shown in the image at the right.  Layers can have blending modes, too, and you'll find a mode drop-down menu just to the left of the layer opacity slider. 

Each mode uses an algorithm to mix pixels.  For a detailed description of what each blending mode does, visit this page in the Adobe Help site.  Notice that the blend modes are divided into groups.  Each group has similar, but slightly different algorithms.  For example, the group containing darken, multiply, color burn, linear burn, and darker color all use algorithms that darken pixels as they mix.  The next group lightens.  We'll go more into detail on this now. Please watch this great Photoshop Training Channel tutorial on blending modes for beginning Photoshop users. It's 41 minutes long. Take some notes - it covers about everything you need to know about blending modes, and it's so important to knowing how to use Photoshop!

Iris Painting by Nathan Smith

Video: Blending Modes Explained - Complete Guide to Photoshop Blend Modes (41:05)