Layers - Transparency and Blend Modes

This article assumes you've read Part 1 of Paint Shop Pro Layers. If you have not read it, you might want to read it first as it introduces you to layers in Paint Shop Pro. It covered using the menus for layers. In this article we will use the layer palette to work.

First thing you want to find is the new layer icon shown below with the red border around it.

Clicking on the new layer icon will open a dialog like the one shown below. You have the opportunity to name the layer. I always try to remember to name layers because an image with lots of layers can become confusing if the layer names are not descriptive of the content that is on them. We'll not worry about Blend Ranges right now. I'll cover that in another article.

To demonstrate some blend modes, I drew three rectangles, each on their own layer.

I then named the layers with the type of blend mode I used on them. You can experiment with this to see the different effects you can achieve using layer blend modes.

Using the transparency sliders you can adjust the transparency of each layer to create even more effects.

Below is the final image with transparency added as shown above.

Below is the layer palette when I'm finished altering my layers. I've marked the Background layer with red because that background layer is the only layer that you cannot adjust. You can't change it's transparency or alter it's blend mode. However, if you right click on the background layer and choose properties, you'll be able to alter the layer properties. When you click ok from that dialog you will no longer have a layer named background. It will be named whatever you decided in the properties dialog or whatever Paint Shop Pro decides to name it if you didn't.

Don't confuse a background layer with a background color. They are not the same thing.

If you experiment a little with some plain shapes like I did with the rectangles, you should be able to learn a lot about what the different blend modes can do for you. In the Paint Shop Pro manual (version 7) on page 203 you can find out the technical details of what each blend mode does.

Copyright Vikki Olds, All Rights Reserved