Affinity supports an impressive selection of different blend modes. The most commonly used blend modes are as follows:
Normal—The default blend mode. The top content displays over underlying content according to the level of top content's opacity.
Multiply—The blending result is a combination of the top and bottom colour where content overlaps, always producing a darker value.
Screen—The opposite of Multiply, where the blending result is a combination of the inverse of the top and bottom colour where content overlaps, always producing a lighter value.
Overlay—Applies either Multiply or Screen blend mode, depending on the bottom colour where content overlaps. If the bottom content is less than 50% grey, it multiplies; if more than 50% it screens.
Divide1—Lower content is lightened based on luminance of the upper content. White has no effect. Lightness is increased progressively by grey through to black.
Colour Burn1—Darkens the bottom content's colour relative to the values of the top content's colour.
Other available blend modes include Darken, Linear Burn, Darker Colour, Multiply, Lighten, Lighter Colour, Screen, Colour Dodge1, Add, Overlay, Soft Light, Hard Light, Vivid Light, Pin Light, Linear Light, Hard Mix, Difference1, Exclusion1, Subtract, Hue2, Saturation2, Luminosity, Colour2, Average1, Negation1, Reflect1, Glow1, Contrast Negate, and Erase.
1 Not available in Lab16 mode.
2 Not available in Greyscale mode.
To change the blend mode of a layer:
On the Layers panel, select a layer, then do one of the following:
Tap the current blend mode (next to the Opacity option).
Select Layer Options, then tap the current blend mode (below the Opacity option).
To change the blend mode of a layer: