(see also: Fill/Stroke Editor - Overview and Basics)
This tab allows you to transform your vector object into a transparent blending effect. Each one has its own effects, so you will need to play with them to truly understand how each of them.
- Blending Mode: The effect that will be applied.
- Opacity: How strongly the effect will be applied. 100% means a full strength effect, 0% means none. A 0% opacity means the object will be invisible.
Most blending effects will utilize the base color of the blending object as part of the effect. This allows for a virtually limitless number of effects.
Most of the below examples will use a simple gray rectangle as the blending object to showcase the different effects over a polka dot rainbow gradient unless otherwise noted. Aside from the Normal blending effect, all are shown at 100% opacity.
Blending is extraordinarily complex and common across the industry. The explanations below are fairly rudimentary. We recommend reading up on Blending Modes
Normal
This is the default setting; no effect has been applied. The opacity, however, can still be reduced to create a translucent effect. Below is the rectangle at 50%.
Darken
Lighten
Hue
This effect is highly color dependent. This is using a Blue blending object.
Saturation
This effect operates independent of its color, and instead uses the blending object's saturation level to adjust the objects below it. This is at 25% saturation and 100% opacity. 100% saturation will have no effect and 0% will turn the object into grayscale.
Color
This effect overlays the blending object's color. This is using a green blending object.
Softening the opacity will reduce how strongly the color is applied. This is at 50% opacity.
Luminosity
Multiply
This effect requires a color that is not gray, white, or black. It multiplies the color values of the object using the blending object's color value, causing those colors to increase in saturation and reducing the rest. The below example uses a cyan and a red blending object.
Screen
Screen is the functional opposite of Multiply. Where Multiply will darken the colors dependent on the blending object, Screen will lighten it. Respectively, the same cyan and red blending objects are used below.
Overlay
This emphasizes the blending object's color for colors that are not a pure primary color of RGB or CMY. It does so without affecting the purity of the colors beneath. For grayscale colors, the blending color takes over completely.
Hard Light
This blending effect requires a mixed color to work. A primary color of RGB or CMY or White/Black will produce a blank rectangle of that color. It makes it appear as if a strong colored light is being shined on the object. Below uses a sky blue color.
Soft Light
Soft light is actually more similar to Overlay; It produces a soft, smoothing effect of that color. Below, yellow is used. The yellow color is more emphasized than in overlay, and its opposite is deemphasized.
Difference
This blending mode produces the difference between the blending object's color and the the objects below it. Using white produces a direct inverse. Below uses a manila yellow.
Exclusion
Exclusion is very similar to Difference, except that it produces less contrasting colors in with more muted colors. Below uses the same manila yellow as in Difference. Notice the red column has vanished completely.
Color Dodge
Color Dodge uses a combination of the color's saturation and its hue to lighten an image or soften the impact of certain colors. A lighter saturation increases how strong the color dodge is and which colors it affects. A dark red color is used below to reduce the impact of green, cyan and blue.
To achieve the desired effect from this blend mode, it is recommended that you use the Color Mixer and adjust each color channel manually.
Color Burn
Color Burn does the opposite of Color Dodging, darkening an image or increasing the impact of a certain color. A deeper saturation increases color dodging. The same dark red color is used below.
To achieve the desired effect from this blend mode, it is recommended that you use the Color Mixer and adjust each color channel manually.
Linear Burn
Linear Burn is a much more straightforward way to burn an image. The color is applied more forcefully across the entire object. The same dark red color is used below.