multiple blending modes to one layer

[Giorgio Suite]

Good morning everyone,

I have a problematic situation to solve.

1. Is there any way (various photoshop plugins/extensions/modes) to apply multiple blending methods to a layer?

2. Is there any way to keep the blend methods active in an advanced object?

3. Is there any way to import layers with blend methods from another psd?

Thanks in advance

[D Fosse]

Just so it's clear, because a lot of people misunderstand this:

A blend mode is not a thing, it's a relationship. A layer cannot "have" a blend mode. The blend mode is the relationship between this layer and the underlying layer.

Going back to the famous zen koan: what is the sound of one hand clapping?

Given all that, I'm not sure I understand what you want to do.

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

Just so it's clear, because a lot of people misunderstand this:

A blend mode is not a thing, it's a relationship. A layer cannot "have" a blend mode. The blend mode is the relationship between this layer and the underlying layer.

By @D Fosse

I think what confuses some people is that this value is set on a single (upper) layer, however, the blend is latent, it has the potential for blending if there is suitable lower-layer content. So in one perspective, a single layer can have a blend mode. One can use the layer filter options or scripting to determine the blend mode of an active layer.

So, although the blend mode is set against the upper layer, it doesn't work unless there is a lower layer to interact and blend with. Dissolve blend mode is an obvious exception, as it uses opacity and not lower-layer interaction.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Good observation; »Dissolve« is kind of special. 

[r-bin]

When you copy a layer from one document to another, it is copied along with its blending mode. The rest is not clear. Explain what effect you ultimately want to achieve?

[c.pfaffenbichler]

It’s possible that I may have misunderstood the question, but I think the answer is obviously »No«. 

One Layer can naturally not assume multiple Blend Modes. 

Could you please post screenshots with the pertinent Panels (Toolbar, Layers, Options Bar, …) visible to illustrate the actual problem? 

Maybe multiple Layers in a »Pass Through«-Group can serve the task, possibly even multiple linked instances of the same Smart Object with Layer Comps applied. 

[Lumigraphics]

1. No. Blend mode describes how the layer composites with layers below it.

2. what is an advanced object?

3. blend mode (not method) is retained if you, for example, drag a layer to a new document. I do this with my watermark.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Some effects can be achieved with Normal Layers (the effect of a Layer with neutral content set to Blend Modes Screen and Multiply can be emulated with a Normal Layer for example), many others cannot. 

Please provide meaningful screenshots to clarify which effects you are achieving and which Blend Modes you are utilizing. 

[Giorgio Suite]

@Stephen_A_Marsh @c.pfaffenbichler @Lumigraphics @r-bin @D Fosse

Evidently I have explained myself badly!
I will try to be clearer.

I have to do serial postproduction of several dozen glasses.
Each eyeglass has 3 different views (different files) and each view has 20 lenses of different coloring.
To apply this tinting respecting the colors and have a satisfactory result, I have to apply adjustment layers and blending methods (to each lens about a different adjustment composition and blending method).

So I am looking for a way to quickly apply lens adjustment groups for each lens while maintaining an acceptable weight for each psd.

I really hope I have been clear this time
thank you for your time

[D Fosse]

Maybe if you could provide an example, this would be easier.

As for tinted glass, if that's what this is, Multiply will do it and there shouldn't be any need for other blend modes.

[Giorgio Suite]

actually behind it is the gray lens that alters the coloration. i can find no solution to easily respect the lens gradients

[Giorgio Suite]

Unfortunately, I cannot provide screens due to branding issues.

[Trevor.Dennis]

You should be able to fake an example without upsetting clients.

If you really need to apply multiple blend modes, you could use nested groups, but II can see that going horribly wrong.  Especially when you need to flatten the final effects and it suddenly looks completely different.

[D Fosse]

you could use nested groups, but II can see that going horribly wrong.

By @Trevor.Dennis

Yeah, I thought about that too and came to the same conclusion...

[PECourtejoie]

Hello

I'm puzzled by the weight mention. You'd want to compress several adjustments into one? Is your network very slow, or your storage space limited? Both as so cheap now, but maybe am I in a privileged situation?

There is the way to convert adjustment layers in a lut, or the hardcore method of useing the adjustment layer analyser: http://www.gregapodaca.com/photoshopmechanics/files/007.html

I guess that you are aware that groups have by default the pass through blending mode? 
https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/layer-opacity-blending.html

[r-bin]

I don’t understand well what the author needs, but perhaps he will find it useful to use LayerComps. Each LayerComp can store a LayerStyle, which includes a Blending Mode.

[Giorgio Suite]

At the moment I solved the problem by using layercomp. so I decided to put all the different lens blending styles and methods into one psd and then through action export the JPGs. But this is not the ultimate solution.
The ideal would have been something else.
Apply multiple blending methods to a single layer. Currently photoshop does not provide for this. To do this you have to duplicate the same layer several times and to each apply a different blending method that blends accordingly with the others. this I find very inefficient indeed.
Another solution would have been to import an advanced object with the blending methods I can apply to the photo. (unfortunately when I import the advanced object, it loses the ability to keep the blending methods active).
Below is a screen of the duplication of layers that I preferred to avoid.

The photo of course is taken randomly from the internet, but the situation is still highlighted perfectly.
As you see from the screen a number of blending methods are applied to each lens.
Multiplying this by the number of lens tinting (about 20) that I have to apply to each different frame tinting (about 5), for each different eyeglass, comes out to be quite a file-heavy processing session.
So I was finding a method to streamline the psd's and lighten the files per session.
What I do and will do until I find something better will be to save a psd with all the lens styles and blending methods, and then import the entire styles folder onto the photo to be postproduced and save for each sku only one psd for each view.

[Lumigraphics]

Do you understand how blend modes work? I suggest reading Adobe's documentation to see why you can't do what you think you want.

[Giorgio Suite]

Why do you say this? I'm sorry, I definitely won't be competent enough as you, that's why I'm trying to find a solution here with you. If you're bored of helping me you can always move on to other community questions.

[r-bin]

...

Apply multiple blending methods to a single layer. Currently photoshop does not provide for this. To do this you have to duplicate the same layer several times and to each apply a different blending method that blends accordingly with the others.

...
By @Giorgio Suite

Why would you duplicate layers with different blending modes? It is enough to remember in the current LayerComp the current style (including the blending mode) for the layer, then change it to another blending mode and save it in another LayerComp. By activating the desired LayerComp, you will change the mode of the layer (layers) to the one you need at a given moment automatically.

P.S. But maybe I didn’t understand your goals, so I didn’t delve into it.

[Giorgio Suite]

there are several blending modes that I have to apply and mix together at the same time. one at a time is not enough for me.

[r-bin]

It would be nice to take a look at a simplified example of your file. Perhaps some solution could be found. Here is an example of a smart object.

Two smart filters are applied to it. This is a Levels correction without changing the values.

The upper filter is in Mulitply mode, the lower one is in Screen mode.

Thus, we have, as it were, two Blending Modes at the same time.

Similar effects can be used using clipping mask, as well as the Knockout: Shallow mode.

[Lumigraphics]

There is no such thing on a single layer. You can apply a blending mode to a group or duplicate the layer with a different blending mode but you CANNOT HAVE more than one blending mode on a single layer. So stop looking for something that doesn't exist.