How to Blend a Photo Into Another Photo Adobe Photoshop

Photo blending is a common task in the field of graphic design. It is used to achieve a variety of effects, including full-photo blends and superimposing parts of one or more images onto another. Photoshop--Adobe Systems' popular graphics editing software--allows users to perform photo blends using layers and layer masks. Although advanced photo blends can be somewhat difficult to perform, basic full photo blends are relatively easy and surprisingly effective in Photoshop.

Instructions

1. Open Photoshop, then browse for and open both photos. Alternatively, you can simply drag-and-drop them into the main work area of the Photoshop window.

2. Activate the "Move" tool by pressing the "V" key or by clicking the arrow icon in the tool bar. Click on one of opened pictures--the smaller of the two, if they are different sizes--and drag it onto the other, then release the mouse button. This will add the first picture as a new layer on top of the second picture. For now, it will cover some or all of the second picture.

3. Click the "Add layer mask" button at the bottom of the Layers pane, which by default is at the bottom right of the Photoshop window. The "Add layer mask" button looks like a rectangle with a small circle inscribed inside it.

4. Activate the Gradient tool in the tool bar by clicking the icon consisting of a rectangle with white on the left, blending into black on the right. In some versions of Photoshop, the Gradient tool is hidden under the Paint Bucket tool. If you do not see the Gradient tool, right-click the Paint Bucket tool, then click the Gradient tool. As its name suggests, the Paint Bucket tool looks like a paint bucket.

5. Press the "D" key to set the foreground and background colors to black and white, respectively, then click the Gradient Picker and select the second gradient option, "Foreground to transparent." The Gradient Picker is located at the top left of the Photoshop window and is a wide rectangle showing one color blending into another.

6. Click and drag from one side of the document window to the other, then release the mouse button. Experiment with dragging in different directions and over different lengths, as this will change the direction and intensity of the photo blend. If you make a blend you don't like, click the "Edit" menu, then select "Step backward."

7. Save the image by clicking the "File" menu and selecting "Save." If you save it as a .PSD file--Photoshop's native file format--the layers and layer mask will be preserved and you can go back and edit the blending later. If you save it as a standard image format, such as .JPG, .GIF, or .PNG, you will not be able to edit the blending later.

Tips & Warnings

• If you can't get the right blending shape using a gradient, try the Brush tool instead. Make sure the layer mask is selected by clicking on it in the Layers pane, then activate the Brush tool by pressing the "B" key, and paint black onto the document window. Any parts of the layer mask that are black will render corresponding parts of the photo transparent, thus revealing the layer underneath.

References

• Photoshop Essentials: Blend Photos Like a Hollywood Movie Poster in Photoshop