Want to spice up your ordinary photos with that extra touch? It’s simple to transform your ordinary photos into something special by using Blend Modes in Paint Shop Pro. This tutorial does not require the use of any plug-ins.
1. Open your photo and make a duplicate of it (shortcut: Shift+D). Close your original photo.
2. Create a duplicate layer of your image by clicking on Layers > Duplicate (or you can right-click on the layer that you want to duplicate and click Duplicate.) Your layers palette should like this:
3. Convert the background layer to a Raster layer by right-clicking on the background layer and then click Promote Background Layer.
4. Rename this layer “Blur” by double-clicking on the Raster 1 layer and entering the new layer name.
5. Your layers palette should now look like the following:
6. Make sure you are still on the Blur layer and apply a Gaussian blur (Adjust > Blur > Gaussian Blur). Enter a radius value and click OK. For this example, I’ve entered a radius value of 5.0. Be sure to experiment for different effects.
7. After clicking OK, your image will appear as if nothing has happened to it. What has actually occurred is that the Gaussian blur was applied to the background or bottom layer and the duplicate of the background layer is “blocking” the bottom layer. If you click on the Visibility Toggle of the top layer (currently named “Copy of Background”) then you will see the Gaussian blur effect.
8. Toggle back so that your duplicated layer is visible again.
9. Activate the duplicated layer and rename this layer “Blend.”
10. Towards the right side of your Layers palette, find the Blend Mode settings. It should currently read “Normal.” Left-click once on the Blend Mode field (where it says “Normal”) and choose the blend mode that suits your photo. Be sure to experiment with the various modes. For the example, I’ve chosen “Soft Light.”
11. Your image should now have a soft focus with a color-saturated look.
Finished Photo
12. When you have achieved the desired look, flatten your image (Layers > Merge > Merge All) and save your newly finished photo. Be sure to experiment with different blur radius values as well as different blend modes for unusual effects.
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