Painting Modes

Painting Modes

Painting Modes

Use various painting modes when you paint and edit images. Painting modes can create special effects and let you control color mixing and the tonal range affected by painting.

The Mode menu is in the Properties bar and Brushes palette when you use the following tools: Marker, Paintbrush, Airbrush, Bucket, Blend, Blur, Sharpen, and Rubber Stamp. Painting modes that are available for most painting tools are listed here.

To Choose a Painting Mode:

  1. Select a painting tool.
  2. Open the Mode menu and select a mode.

Not all modes are available for all painting tools.

Mode

Function

Normal

The default painting mode applies color to all pixels uniformly. When the painting opacity is 100%, the applied color replaces the original color. If you paint in a Black & White or Indexed image, Normal mode is labeled Threshold.

Dissolve

This mode applies color with a random diffused pattern within the brush shape. The effect is similar to drawing with chalk. The diffused effect is stronger when the painting opacity is less than 100%.

Multiply

Darkens all pixels by multiplying the value of the applied color and the underlying color. Painting with darker colors intensifies the effect. Painting with black results in black; painting with white does not affect the original color. When you apply a color with multiple strokes in the same area, the strokes become darker, similar to the effect of making multiple strokes on paper with an ink marker.

Screen

The Screen mode is the opposite of Multiply mode. Screen mode lightens all pixels by multiplying the inverse values of the applied color and the underlying color. Painting with lighter colors intensifies the effect. Painting with black does not affect the original image; painting with white results in white.

Overlay

Applies color without destroying the underlying shadows and highlights. Overlay mode blends the applied color with the underlying color; the amount of blending depends on the lightness of the underlying color.

Soft Light

Lightens or darkens underlying colors depending on the lightness value of the applied color. If the lightness of the applied color is less than 50% gray, painting lightens the image. If the lightness of the applied color is greater than 50% gray, painting darkens the image. Painting with white or black has the most intense effect, but does not completely replace the underlying color.

Hard Light

Paints in Multiply or Screen mode, depending on the applied color’s lightness value. This mode is similar to Soft Light. However, painting with black produces black; painting with white produces white.

Darken

Compares the underlying color and the applied color, and the result is whichever color is darker. In other words, pixels in the image will be painted if the paint color is darker, while pixels that are darker than the paint color will remain unpainted.

Lighten

The Lighten mode is the opposite of Darken mode. Lighten compares the underlying color and the applied color, and the result is whichever color is lighter. In other words, pixels in the image will be painted if the paint color is lighter; pixels that are lighter than the paint color will remain unpainted.

Difference

Compares the brightness of the original and applied colors, subtracts the brightness value of the darker pixel from the lighter one, and applies that value to the original image.

Hue

Applies the hue of the paint color without changing the brightness and saturation of the underlying image.

Saturation

Changes the saturation of the area painted to match the saturation of the applied color, without changing the hue or luminance values. Applying gray does not affect the original image.

Color

Changes the hue and saturation of the painted area to the hue and saturation of the applied color, without affecting the shadow, highlights, or midtones of the original image.

Luminosity

Changes the lightness of the underlying color to the lightness of the applied color, without affecting the hue or saturation of the image.

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