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Opacity and blending modes

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  1. Photoshop Elements User Guide
  2. Introduction to Photoshop Elements
    1. What's new in Photoshop Elements
    2. System requirements | Photoshop Elements
    3. Workspace basics
    4. Guided mode
    5. Making photo projects
  3. Workspace and environment
    1. Get to know the Home screen
    2. Workspace basics
    3. Preferences
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    14. Viewing images
  4. Fixing and enhancing photos
    1. Resize images
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    5. Adjust shadows and light
    6. Retouch and correct photos
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    11. Using actions to process photos
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    14. Moving Overlays
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  5. Adding shapes and text
    1. Add text
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    11. Work with Asian type
  6. Quick Actions
  7. Guided edits, effects, and filters
    1. Guided mode
    2. Filters
    3. Guided mode Photomerge edits
    4. Guided mode Basic edits
    5. Adjustment filters
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    12. Blur filters
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  8. Working with colors
    1. Understanding color
    2. Set up color management
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    4. Choose colors
    5. Adjust color, saturation, and hue
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    7. Using image modes and color tables
    8. Color and camera raw
  9. Working with selections
    1. Make selections in Photoshop Elements
    2. Saving selections
    3. Modifying selections
    4. Move and copy selections
    5. Edit and refine selections
    6. Smooth selection edges with anti-aliasing and feathering
  10. Working with layers
    1. Create layers
    2. Edit layers
    3. Copy and arrange layers
    4. Adjustment and fill layers
    5. Clipping masks
    6. Layer masks
    7. Layer styles
    8. Opacity and blending modes
  11. Creating photo projects
    1. Project basics
    2. Making photo projects
    3. Editing photo projects
    4. Creating Photo Reels
  12. Saving, printing, and sharing photos
    1. Save images
    2. Printing photos
    3. Share photos online
    4. Optimizing images
    5. Optimizing images for the JPEG format
    6. Dithering in web images
    7. Guided Edits - Share panel
    8. Previewing web images
    9. Use transparency and mattes
    10. Optimizing images for the GIF or PNG-8 format
    11. Optimizing images for the PNG-24 format
  13. Keyboard shortcuts
    1. Keys for selecting tools
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    7. Keys for the Liquify filter
    8. Keys for transforming selections
    9. Keys for the Color Swatches panel
    10. Keys for the Camera Raw dialog box
    11. Keys for the Filter Gallery
    12. Keys for using blending modes
    13. Keys for viewing images (expertmode)

About opacity and blending options in layers

A layer’s opacity determines the degree to which it obscures or reveals the layer beneath it. A layer with 1% opacity is nearly transparent, while a layer with 100% opacity is opaque. Transparent areas remain transparent regardless of the opacity setting.

You use layer blending modes to determine how a layer blends with the pixels in layers beneath it. Using blending modes, you can create various special effects.

A layer’s opacity and blending mode interact with the opacity and blending mode of painting tools. For example, a layer uses Dissolve mode at 50% opacity. You paint on this layer with the Paintbrush tool set to Normal mode at 100% opacity. The paint appears in Dissolve mode at 50% opacity. Similarly, if a layer uses Normal mode at 100% opacity, and you use the Eraser tool at 50% opacity, only 50% of the paint disappears from the layer as you erase.

Blending layers

A. Bamboo layer and Borders layer B. Bamboo layer with 100% opacity and Color Burn mode C. Bamboo layer with 50% opacity and Color Burn mode 

Specify the opacity of a layer

  1. Select the layer in the Layers panel.
  2. In the Layers panel, enter a value between 0 and 100 for Opacity, or click the arrow at the right of the Opacity box and drag the Opacity slider that appears.

Specify a blending mode for a layer

  1. Select a layer that you have added, in the Layers panel.
  2. Choose an option from the Blending Mode menu.
    Note:

    (Windows) Immediately after you choose a blending mode, you can press the up or down arrows on your keyboard to try other blending mode options in the menu.

Select all opaque areas in a layer

You can quickly select all the opaque areas in a layer. This procedure is useful when you want to exclude transparent areas from a selection.

  1. In the Layers panel, Ctrl-click (Command-click in Mac OS) the layer thumbnail:
  2. To add the pixels to an existing selection, press Ctrl+Shift (Command+Shift in Mac OS) and click the layer thumbnail in the Layers panel.
  3. To remove the pixels from an existing selection, press Ctrl+Alt (Command+Option in Mac OS) and click the layer thumbnail in the Layers panel.
  4. To load the intersection of the pixels and an existing selection, press Ctrl+Alt+Shift (Command+Option+Shift in Mac OS) and click the layer thumbnail in the Layers panel.

Customize the transparency grid

The checkerboard grid identifies transparency in a layer. You can change the appearance of this grid; however, do not change it to solid white because you’ll eliminate the visual distinction between opaque (white) and transparent (checkerboard).

  1. In Windows, choose Edit > Preferences > Transparency. In Mac, choose Photoshop Elements > Preferences > Transparency.
  2. Choose a pattern size from the Grid Size menu.
  3. Choose a pattern color from the Grid Colors menu. To choose a custom color instead, click one of the two boxes below the Grid Colors menu and select a color from the Color Picker.

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