Tips for using blending Modes in Adobe Photoshop CS©

Some blend modes hide 50% gray. This allows other effects to be added to the layer (such as paint to dodge and burn, adding noise and lens flair effects etc.) which can't be added to an empty layer.

All blend modes have their own keyboard shortcut. They all begin with option (Mac)/ alt (Win) + shift + a letter - most often the letter is the first letter of the name, N = Normal, M = Multiple, O = Overlay etc.

The three most frequently used blend modes are:
Multiply, which is best described as keep the dark stuff (great for adding black edges)
Screen, which is best described as keep the light stuff. (great for adding white edges)
Overlay, which is like projecting two slides together through the projector.

I will write more on blending modes and their uses in the coming days when I have a little more time. Learning to use blending modes effectively will help speed your Photoshop workflow for sure!!