Simple Bluring & Blendings

Simple Bluring & Blendings

Photoshop has amazing bluring and blending tools for your.... uhm... bluring and blending needs.

• Gaussian Blur
Instead of having to CONSTANTLY hit the "Blur More" function to blur something up, just go to the Gaussian Blur function in the Filter/Blur menu to get instant bluring to your liking!
This is extreamly handy, especially to make things glow (more on that later).

Layer Options
In the Layers window, there is a pull down tab to the right of "Opacity".

This pull down menu has all sorts of different options which can make blending an image with another a lot more intersting. Here, I'll highlite some of the ones I use a lot.
• Multiply
Removes light colors from a layer, and leaves the dark ones. VERY useful when dealing with black-and-white images which annoying white rims. For example....

Without Multiply
The black object layer, which is above the colored layer, has a horrible white rim. With Multiply
The black object layer, which is above the colored layer, has no white rim, since Multiply removes it.

• Screen
Does the same as Multiply, but instead takes out the dark parts and leaves the light parts.

The same image, with the black part remove and the light parts left.

• Overlay
The Overlay function in the Layers window helps blend stuff better than just simple 50% opacity.
Take a look a this example:

These are two different patters, and you want to mix them.
Putting one over the other in the same document, and having the one above at 50% opacity will produce this effect.

Not all that interesting. ... However, if you use the OVERLAY function, you can mix the two together to make a neater effect.

Hmmm! ... A lot of my images (and stamps) are created using the Overlay mode. It becomes quite handy when you want to make something cool.

• Color Dodge
Very basically.... it produces a lit effect.

Without Color Dodge
The white dot layer, which is above the colored layer, is just plain looking. With Color Dodge
The white dot layer, which is above the colored layer, looks like it's lighting up the colorled layer.

• Color Burn
Very basically.... it produces a burnt effect.

Without Color Burn
The black dot layer, which is above the colored layer, is just plain looking. With Color Burn
The black dot layer, which is above the colored layer, looks like it's burning a hole in the lower layer.

These are the things I use the most. The other effects are still interesting none-the-less. But now that you know it's there, try to figure out what does what. ;)


*Without Multiply* The black object layer, which is above the colored layer, has a horrible white rim.	*With Multiply* The black object layer, which is above the colored layer, has no white rim, since Multiply removes it.


*Without Color Dodge* The white dot layer, which is above the colored layer, is just plain looking.	*With Color Dodge* The white dot layer, which is above the colored layer, looks like it's lighting up the colorled layer.


*Without Color Burn* The black dot layer, which is above the colored layer, is just plain looking.	*With Color Burn* The black dot layer, which is above the colored layer, looks like it's burning a hole in the lower layer.