Techniques
Blend Modes: Stop Using Normal Mode Like a Caveman
Blend Modes: Stop Using Normal Mode Like a Caveman Look, I get it. Blend modes seem intimidating. There are like 27 of them, they have weird names like “Overlay” and “Soft Light,” and nobody’s really explained what they actually do in plain English. So you’ve been sticking with Normal mode, layering stuff on top, and adjusting opacity until things look vaguely correct. We need to fix that. Right now. Here’s the truth: blend modes are just math formulas that tell Photoshop how to combine two layers together.