Blend Modes - Dodge and Burn

Dodge and Burn

Dodge and burn change the lightness of the pictures, inspired by the dodging and burning performed in a darkroom. Dodging lightens an image, while burning darkens it.

• Dodge modes:
  • The Screen blend mode inverts both layers, multiplies them, and then inverts that result.
  • The Color Dodge blend mode divides the bottom layer by the inverted top layer. This decreases the contrast to make the bottom layer reflect the top layer: the brighter the top layer, the more its colour affects the bottom layer. Blending with white gives white. Blending with black does not change the image. This effect is similar to changing the white point. The operation is not invertible.
  • The Linear Dodge blend mode simply sums the values in the two layers. Blending with white gives white. Blending with black does not change the image.

• Burn modes:
  • The Multiply mode simply multiplies each component in the two layers.
  • The Color Burn mode divides the inverted bottom layer by the top layer, and then inverts the result. This darkens the top layer increasing the contrast to reflect the colour of the bottom layer. The darker the bottom layer, the more its colour is used. Blending with white produces no difference.
  • The Linear Burn mode sums the value in the two layers and subtracts 1. This is the same as inverting each layer, adding them together (as in Linear Dodge), and then inverting the result. Blending with white leaves the image unchanged.

• Vivid Light: this blend mode combines Color Dodge and Color Burn. Dodge applies to values lighter than middle gray, and burn to darker values.

• Linear Light: this blend mode combines Linear Dodge and Linear Burn. Dodge applies to values lighter than middle gray, and burn to darker values. The calculation simplifies to the sum of bottom layer and twice the top layer, subtract 1.