Glow Effect and Color Filters

Understanding Glow Effects

It is important to understand when creating a glow effect within an image, we want to direct the viewer's eyes to an object and enhance that object. Too bright of a glow effect and that is all the viewer will see is the glow effect and the viewer is now distracted from the object, but too low of a glow effect and there is no enhancement to the object whatsoever. A glow effect should enhance and not distract from the object within the image for where we want focus. This tutorial aims to teach the different options available and best practices for accomplishing this task.

Take these basic examples. These designs are purposely not elaborate, but the concept is the same as more intricate designs.

These images start from the original image and increasingly lead to a very distracting glow. The concept of glows starts in the same place whether it is a basic glow effect or a more elaborate effect. Learning how not to overemphasize a glow effect is important. More elaborate effects require the use of masking techniques and gradient opacity tricks.

What Are Layer Styles?

Layer Styles is where you will find the inner and outer glow effect settings. Layer styles are non-destructive effects applied directly to a layer in Photopea that modify its appearance. These effects include shadows, glow effects, embossing, overlays, and outlines. They can be adjusted and deselected at any time within the Layer Style panel, making them flexible for design edits. However, once the layer is rasterized or merged, the Layer Styles become permanent, altering the pixels of the layer.

Why Use Layer Styles?

1. Quick Adjustments: Layer Styles allow you to apply multiple effects efficiently without manually painting or blending elements.
2. Stackable Effects: You can combine different Layer Styles, such as Outer Glow Effect and Stroke, to refine the look of a layer.
3. Editable Until Rasterized: As long as the layer remains unmerged, you can adjust, toggle, or remove styles in the Layer Style panel. Once rasterized, the effect becomes a permanent part of the layer.
4. Visual Enhancements: These effects help create depth, lighting effects, and polished designs in text, shapes, and images.

Since both an Inner and Outer Glow Effect is applied through Layer Styles, understanding how these effects work helps when customizing a glow effect. Next, let's go over how to access and apply Outer Glow Effect using Layer Styles in Photopea.

How to Create a Glow Effect?

1.1 Outer Glow Method

1. Begin by duplicating the layer to preserve the original image for non-destructive editing.
2. Use the Object Selection Tool, Lasso Tool, or Magnetic Lasso Tool. Magnetic Lasso works particularly well for more precise selections. If needed, use the Polygonal Lasso Tool to refine the selection and capture any areas that may have been missed.
3. With your selection still active, add a Raster Mask to the duplicated layer. In Photopea, do this by clicking the Layers menu option and choosing Raster Mask and then Reveal Selection. This isolates the selected area so that the glow appears only where desired.
4. With the masked, duplicated layer active, go to the Layer menu, select Layer Style, and choose Outer Glow. This will bring up the Outer Glow window.
5. Adjust the settings in the Outer Glow dialog:
   

   

   

   
   1. Blend Mode: This determines how the glow interacts with the underlying image. Common choices are "Screen" or "Linear Dodge (Add)" for brightening effects.
   2. Opacity: This controls the transparency of the glow effect. A lower opacity makes the glow effect subtler, while a higher opacity creates a more intense glow effect.
   3. Color: Choose a color that suits your desired light or artistic intent for the glow effect.
   4. Spread: This setting extends the glow effect outward from the edge of the selection, controlling how far the glow effect reaches.
   5. Size: This determines the overall thickness and softness of the glow effect by setting its radius.

   The next section delves deeper into each option available to us within the glow effect.

6. Pro Tip: Apply a Gaussian Blur to the duplicated (and masked) layer to create a softer transition and further blend the glow effect with the surrounding pixels. Applying a gaussian blur to a glow effect is outside the scope of this tutorial.
7. Fine-tune the opacity and blend mode of the blurred layer so that the glow effect integrates smoothly with the composition.

Understanding Outer Glow Settings

1. Blend Mode: This option determines how the glow layer interacts with the underlying image. Photopea provides 27 blend modes, giving you a wide range of options. For instance, "Screen" and "Linear Dodge (Add)" are often used to brighten and create a natural light effect, while "Multiply" can be used when a darker, more dramatic glow is desired. Your choice depends on the image content and the artistic mood you want to convey.
2. Opacity: This will be your number 1 control setting for a glow effect. Opacity controls the transparency of the glow effect. Lower values result in a more subtle glow, while higher values produce a more pronounced effect. Adjust this slider to balance the intensity of the glow effect against the base image.
3. Noise: This setting adds a grainy texture to the glow effect, which can simulate natural imperfections or contribute to an artistic, textured look. It's best used sparingly unless you intentionally want a heavily textured effect.
4. Gradient:

   

   The gradient affects how the color transitions within the glow effect. Typically, the gradient editor displays a color on the left as the start and a color on the right as the end. By clicking on the gradient, you can access the Gradient Editor, where you may adjust color stops, opacity stops, and the smoothness of the transition. This is useful for creating multi-colored glows or achieving subtle color shifts.
5. Technique: The technique setting alters how the edges of the glow are rendered. Different options can produce soft, feathered transitions or sharper, more defined outlines. Experiment with the available techniques to find the one that best suits your design.
6. Spread: Spread determines how far the glow effect extends outward from the edge of your selected area. A higher spread makes the glow effect cover a larger area, while a lower spread keeps the glow effect closer to the object. This setting is key for fine-tuning the reach of the glow effect.
7. Size: Size defines the overall thickness or radius of the glow effect. Increasing the size results in a broader and softer glow effect, whereas decreasing the size yields a tighter, more concentrated effect. Balance this setting to ensure the glow effect complements your composition.
8. Contour: The contour setting adjusts the brightness falloff along the glow's edge by modifying its curve. The contour graph shows hills and valleys representing variations in brightness, which can simulate smooth transitions or more pronounced changes. This is useful for adding depth and dynamism to the effect.
9. Range: Range controls the distance over which the glow effect is applied from the object's edge. A larger range extends the glow effect further into the surrounding area, while a smaller range confines the glow effect closer to the original shape. Use this setting to fine-tune how gradually the glow effect dissipates.
10. Jitter: Jitter introduces randomness into the glow, breaking uniformity and simulating natural variations in light. This subtle irregularity can help the glow effect look more organic and less mechanically perfect. Adjust jitter to add a touch of texture to your glow effect.

Layer Style >> Outer Glow Options

Blend Mode in Outer Glow

Blend Mode determines how the glow effect interacts with the layer beneath it. Photopea provides 27 different blend modes, each producing a distinct effect. Below is a categorized breakdown with examples for when to use each.

Normal Modes (Direct Color Application)

1. Normal: Applies the glow effect color directly, without blending with the underlying layer.
2. Dissolve: Introduces a grainy, speckled texture by randomly replacing pixels with transparency.

Darkening Modes (Glow Effect Appears as a Darker Effect)

1. Darken: Replaces only the lighter pixels with the glow effect color, keeping darker areas intact.
2. Multiply: Darkens the layer based on the glow effect color, making it blend naturally with shadows.
3. Color Burn: Creates a high-contrast darkening effect, emphasizing deeper shadows.
4. Linear Burn: Similar to Color Burn but preserves more detail in midtones.
5. Darker Color: Keeps only the darkest tones from either the glow effect or underlying layer.

Lightening Modes (Bright Glows Work Best Here)

1. Lighten: Replaces only the darker pixels with the glow effect color, keeping brighter areas intact.
2. Screen: Produces a soft, bright glow by multiplying the glow effect and base layer's brightness.
3. Color Dodge: Intensifies the glow effect by lightening areas based on its color.
4. Linear Dodge (Add): Strongest brightening mode, perfect for creating luminous highlights.
5. Lighter Color: Keeps only the lightest tones from either the glow effect or underlying layer.

Contrast Modes (Enhances Both Light & Dark Areas for a High-Impact Glow Effect)

1. Overlay: Balances light and dark to make the glow effect blend naturally without overpowering highlights or shadows.
2. Soft Light: Creates a subtle contrast glow effect, great for soft effects.
3. Hard Light: More intense than Soft Light, produces a dramatic glow effect.
4. Vivid Light: High-contrast enhancement that increases brightness and darkness simultaneously.
5. Linear Light: A mix of Linear Dodge and Linear Burn, giving strong contrast effects.
6. Pin Light: Replaces pixels based on the glow layer, making unique artistic blends.
7. Hard Mix: Extremely high-contrast blending, often looking posterized.

Inversion Modes (Uncommon for a Glow Effect but Can Create Unique Effects)

1. Difference: Shows the difference between the glow layer and the base layer's pixels.
2. Exclusion: Similar to Difference but results in lower contrast.
3. Subtract: Removes brightness from the glow effect, darkening the effect.
4. Divide: Inverts brightness values, leading to unpredictable effects.

Hue & Color Modes (For Color Adjustments, Not Commonly Used in Outer Glow)

1. Hue: Changes only the hue of the glow effect without affecting brightness.
2. Saturation: Adjusts saturation levels based on the glow effect color.
3. Color: Applies only the glow effects color while keeping the base layer's light and dark details.
4. Luminosity: Modifies brightness while keeping the base layer's colors.

How Do I Add a Glow Effect Around Text?

Adding a glow effect around text in Photopea follows the same principles as applying Outer Glow to any layer, but with a focus on enhancing readability and visual impact. An inner glow can be added for a more neon light effect.

1. Select the Text Layer:
   
   • Ensure your text layer is active in the Layers panel. If needed, create new text using the Type Tool (T).
2. Open Layer Styles:
   
   • Double-click the text layer in the Layers panel, OR
   • Go to Layer > Layer Style > Outer Glow.
3. Enable Outer Glow Effect:
   
   • In the Layer Style window, check the box next to Outer Glow.
   • Click directly on "Outer Glow" to reveal the effect's adjustable settings.
4. Customize Outer Glow Settings:
   
   • Blend Mode: Choose Screen or Linear Dodge (Add) for a bright glow effect.
   • Opacity: Adjust the transparency level to control glow effect intensity.
   • Color: Select a color that contrasts well with the background for visibility.
   • Spread and Size: Increase these values to expand the glow effect radius for a softer or more defined effect.
   • Contour and Range: Modify these to refine how the glow effect interacts with the text edges.
5. Apply and Adjust as Needed:
   
   • Click OK to confirm the glow effect.
   • Fine-tune the glow effect by re-accessing Layer Styles and adjusting parameters for better integration into the design.

Glowing text is commonly used for titles, neon effects, and emphasis in graphics, making the words stand out with a vibrant, illuminated look.

Conclusion

Mastering a glow effect in Photopea enables you to add depth, lighting effects, and emphasis to your designs. Whether applying a glow effect to objects, text, or creating unique artistic effects, understanding how Blend Modes, Opacity, Contour, and Range work ensures precise control over the final result. Experimenting with different settings and layer interactions will help refine the effect and tailor it to your specific creative vision.