A layer's blend mode determines how its pixels or contents blend with the layers beneath.
Common blend modes: (A) Normal, (B) Multiply, (C) Screen, (D) Overlay, (E) Divide (F) Color Burn.
Blend mode types
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 pixels display over underlying pixels according to the level of top layer's opacity.
Multiply—The blending result is a combination of the top and bottom color at each pixel position, 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 color at each pixel position, always producing a lighter value.
Overlay—Applies either Multiply or Screen blend mode, depending on the bottom color at each pixel position. If the bottom layer's pixels are less than 50% gray, it multiplies; if more than 50% it screens.
Divide1—Lower layers are lightened based on luminance on the upper layer. White has no effect. Lightness is increased progressively by gray through to black.
Color Burn1—Darkens the bottom pixel's color relative to the values of the top pixel's color.
Other available blend modes include Darken, Linear Burn, Darker Color, Lighten, Lighter Color, Color Dodge1, Add, Soft Light, Hard Light, Vivid Light, Pin Light, Linear Light, Hard Mix, Difference1, Exclusion1, Subtract, Hue2, Saturation2, Luminosity, Color2, Average1, Negation1, Reflect1, Glow1, Contrast Negate and Erase.
1 Not available in Lab16 mode.
2 Not available in Grayscale 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: