Opacity and blend modes
Control a layer's transparency and how it composites with layers below it.
Opacity
Opacity sets how transparent the entire layer is, from 0% (fully invisible) to 100% (fully opaque). All child layers and effects are affected together.
To change opacity, select a layer and use the Opacity field in the Appearance section of the right inspector. You can also type a value directly or scrub the field.
Note that fill opacity and layer opacity are separate. A fill with 50% opacity inside a layer at 100% opacity renders differently from a fill at 100% inside a layer at 50% opacity — fill opacity only affects that fill, while layer opacity affects the composited result of all fills, strokes, and effects together.
Blend modes
Blend modes change how a layer's pixels combine mathematically with the pixels of layers below it. The default is Normal (no blending).
Common blend modes and when to use them:
| Blend mode | Effect |
|---|---|
| Multiply | Darkens — useful for shadows and overlays on light backgrounds |
| Screen | Lightens — useful for glows and highlights on dark backgrounds |
| Overlay | Increases contrast — good for texture overlays |
| Color Dodge | Brightens based on the layer color — good for light effects |
| Color Burn | Darkens based on the layer color — good for dark vignettes |
| Difference | Inverts where the layer and background overlap |
| Color | Applies hue and saturation of the layer to the luminance of the background |
| Luminosity | Applies brightness of the layer to the hue and saturation of the background |
To set a blend mode, select a layer and choose from the Blend mode dropdown in the Appearance section.
Tips
- Use Multiply to apply a tinted overlay on a photo without completely hiding it.
- Use Screen to blend a gradient on a dark background for a glowing light effect.
- Blend modes interact with layer opacity — try reducing opacity after setting a blend mode.
- Check the design on a variety of background colors before finalizing a blend mode.