A layer's blend mode determines how its content blends with the content on the layers beneath.
Common blend modes: (A) Normal, (B) Multiply, (C) Screen, (D) Overlay, (E) Divide (F) Color Burn.
Blend mode types
Affinity Publisher 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 color 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 color where content overlaps, always producing a lighter value.
Overlay—Applies either Multiply or Screen blend mode, depending on the bottom color where content overlaps. If the bottom content is <50% gray, it multiplies; if less than 50% it screens.
Divide1—Lower content is lightened based on luminance on the upper content. White has no effect. Lightness is increased progressively by gray through to black.
Color Burn1—Darkens the bottom content's color relative to the values of the top content's color.
Other available blend modes include Darken, Darker Color, Linear Burn, 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 (or object):
In the Layers panel, select a layer (or object).
Choose a blend mode from the pop-up menu on the panel.
