GIMP Layers – Mode & Opacity

The next part of this tutorial covers Mode & Opacity.  These two options combine to provide a decent amount of simple, yet powerful layer manipulation in GIMP.

Each of the many modes provide a different way to display the layer, and the opacity determines how transparent/visable the layer is.  Below is a sampling of just a handful of the different modes and how they effect a layer.

Normal

Normal is the default mode for all layers.  The above shows the yellow oval with a 50% opacity.

Dissolve

Again showed at 50% opacity, dissolve essentially dissolves the layer pixel by pixel with nearly all of the layer showing at 100% opacity, and nearly nothing showing as the opacity approaches 0%.

Multiply

Multiply makes the layer feel almost like a lens filter and gives the effect of mixing colors.

Difference

Difference shows the color remaining after removing the layer’s color from the background.