The hard mix blend mode in Photoshop is worth a second look

posted Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at 4:30 PM EDT

If you’re experienced with Photoshop, you likely know that the software has many different kinds of blend modes, all producing different results and offering varied capabilities. However, even very advanced users often find several blend modes which fit into their workflow and rarely venture outside their favorites. As Blake Rudis of f64 Academy points out in his newest video, seen below, you may want to take a closer look at the hard mix blend mode.

The hard mix blend mode, when applied as-is, is “trash,” says Rudis. However, when you tinker with fill and opacity, such as when using the blend mode in combination with a color fill adjustment layer and drop down the opacity, there is a lot of power to be found in the hard mix blend mode. It is best used with actions, which you can download from Rudis by clicking here. To see the actions at work and learn more about the hard mix blend mode, watch the full video below.