UI option
Last updated on
Oct 27, 2025
Learn about blending modes work in Illustrator and explore how each mode affects color interaction between overlapping objects.
Blending modes control how the colors of one object interact with the colors beneath it. When you apply a blending mode to an object, the effect is visible on any object that lies below it in the layer or group structure.
Blending modes are commonly used to create visual effects such as shading, highlights, texture overlays, or color stylization.
To understand how blending modes affect your artwork, consider these terms:
- The blend color is the original color of the selected object, group, or layer. The resulting color is the color resulting from the blend.
- The base color is the color beneath the blend color in the artwork.
- The resulting color is the outcome of applying the blending mode.
Illustrator offers the following blending modes:
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Function |
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Normal |
Applies the blend color directly, without interacting with the base color. This is the default mode. |
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Darken |
Compares the blend and base colors and retains the darker of the two. Lighter areas are replaced, darker areas remain unchanged. |
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Multiply |
Multiplies base and blend colors, always resulting in a darker color. White has no effect; black produces black. |
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Color Burn |
Darkens the base color to reflect the blend color. Blending with white produces no effect. |
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Lighten |
Compares the blend and base colors and retains the lighter of the two. Darker areas are replaced while lighter ones stay unchanged. |
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Screen |
Multiplies the inverse of the blend and base colors to produce a lighter result. Black has no effect while white yields white — similar to overlapping slide projections. |
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Color Dodge |
Brightens the base color to reflect the blend color. Blending with black has no effect. |
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Overlay |
Combines Multiply and Screen depending on the base color. Preserves highlights and shadows while mixing in the blend color to maintain brightness or darkness. |
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Soft Light |
Lightens or darkens depending on the blend color. Works like shining a soft spotlight on the image.
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Hard Light |
Multiplies or screens the colors depending on the blend color. Works like shining a harsh spotlight on the image.
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Difference |
Subtracts the darker of the blend or base color from the lighter. Blending with white inverts base colors while black has no effect. |
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Exclusion |
Creates an effect similar to Difference but with lower contrast. Blending with white inverts the base-color components, while black has no effect. |
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Hue |
Uses the hue of the blend color and the saturation and luminance of the base color. |
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Saturation |
Uses the saturation of the blend color and the hue and luminance of the base color. Has no effect in gray (desaturated) areas. |
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Color |
Uses the hue and saturation of the blend color and the luminance of the base color. Preserves gray levels — ideal for tinting or recoloring grayscale artwork. |
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Luminosity |
Uses the luminance of the blend color and the hue and saturation of the base color. This is the inverse of Color mode. |
Note
Blending modes like Difference, Exclusion, Hue, Saturation, Color, and Luminosity don’t blend spot colors.
With most blending modes, a black designated as 100% K knocks out colors on the underlying layer, unless you apply a rich black using CMYK values.
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