Blend Mode

Blend modes determine how the color, image, or text overlay that’s set with blend will interact with your base image. Use blend-mode[N] to style a specific additional blend layer — styles do not inherit across blend layers.

You may want to experiment with these modes before applying across a wide range of images. The modes can be grouped into general categories based on their effects, as follows.

Normal

• blend-mode=normal
  Turns off blending, causing the overlay to be superimposed. This behavior is intended for use with watermarks, similar to the mark parameter.

Darken

• blend-mode=darken
  Compares the color value of each overlapping pixel from the two layers, and keeps the darker value.
• blend-mode=multiply
  Multiplies the color values of each overlapping pixel from the two layers, resulting in a darker composite image. Multiplying with black as the blend color will result in black; multiplying with white will leave the image unchanged.
• blend-mode=burn
  Darkens the image based on the overlay image or color.

Lighten

• blend-mode=lighten
  Compares the color value of each overlapping pixel from the two layers, and keeps the lighter value.
• blend-mode=screen
  The reverse of blend-mode=multiply—this parameter multiplies the inverse of the color values of each overlapping pixel from the two layers, lightening the image.
• blend-mode=dodge
  Brightens the image based on the overlay image or color.

Contrast

• blend-mode=overlay [Default]
  Overlays the blend image or color, while preserving the highlights and shadows. It effectively multiplies or screens, depending on the background color.
• blend-mode=softlight
  Lightens each pixel if the overlay is brighter than 50% grey (similar to blend-mode=dodge), and darkens it if the overlay is darker than 50% grey (similar to blend-mode=burn). Effect is like a diffuse spotlight.
• blend-mode=hardlight
  Lightens each pixel if the overlay is brighter than 50% grey (similar to blend-mode=screen), and darkens it if the overlay is darker than 50% grey (similar to blend-mode=multiply). Effect is like a harsh spotlight.

Inversion

• blend-mode=difference
  Subtracts the value of the pixel on the overlay layer from the value of the underlying pixel on the base layers or vice versa, depending on which is brighter.
• blend-mode=exclusion
  Similar to blend-mode=difference, but with less contrast.

Color Components

• blend-mode=color
  Blends the hue and saturation values of the overlay with the luminance of the base layer.
• blend-mode=hue
  Blends the hue value of the overlay with the luminance and saturation of the base layer.
• blend-mode=saturation
  Blends the saturation value of the overlay with the luminance and hue of the base layer.
• blend-mode=luminosity
  Blends the luminance value of the overlay with the hue and saturation of the base layer.