Blending Modes And Mask Modes; About Blending Modes; To Apply A Blending Mode - Adobe AFTER EFFECTS 7.0 Manual

Blending modes and mask modes

About blending modes

Blending modes for layers control how each layer blends with or reacts to layers beneath it. The stencil and silhouette
blending modes affect the alpha channels of layers beneath them. Other blending modes for layers affect how colors
appear when blended with the colors from other layers. Blending modes for layers in After Effects (formerly referred
to as layer modes) are identical to blending modes in Adobe Photoshop.
You can't animate blending modes by using keyframes. If you want a blending mode to change at a certain time, split
the layer at that time and apply the new blending mode to the part of the layer that continues. You can also use the
Compound Arithmetic effect, the results of which are similar to those for blending modes but can change over time.
For more information, see "Compound Arithmetic effect" on page 398.
You apply a blending mode to the layer above the layers you want it to interact with. When you specify blending
modes, it is helpful to think of the results in the following terms:
Colors of the layers located below the layer to which you want to apply the mode.
Underlying colors
Original colors in the layer where you set the blending mode.
Layer colors
Final colors of the composite.
Resulting colors
Note: To blend colors with a gamma value of 1, choose File > Project Settings and select Linear Blending. Deselect this
option to blend colors in the project's color space.
Blending modes for masks on the same layer are called mask modes.
Some effects include their own blending mode options. See the descriptions of the individual effects for details.
See also
"About mask modes" on page 264
"Splitting layers" on page 157
"To choose a working color space" on page 65

To apply a blending mode

If the Mode column is not visible in the Timeline panel, click the Switches/Modes button at the bottom of the
1
Timeline panel or choose Columns > Modes from the Timeline panel menu.
2 From menu in the layer's Mode column, choose a mode.
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User Guide