As we all know, Gimp doesn’t have an adjustment layer, but that doesn’t mean you can’t archive those effects non-destructively in Gimp and you can even replicate 40–50% of Photoshop’s adjustment layer.
You can replicate adjustment layers by using blending modes. As you know, Gimp has lots of blending modes, I mean more than Photoshop.
Before we begin with the article, let me be clear on one thing: this method does not create a full copy of Photoshop’s adjustment layer, but only several important ones.
In this article, I duplicated the effects of about half of the adjustment layers in Gimp, which will help you with image manipulation, image correction, and other work.
The overall concept of using blending modes to replicate the effects of adjustment layers in GIMP is to use a variety of blending modes to achieve different effects on an image. Blending modes work by superimposing the colors of the selected layer over the colors of the underlying layers, with different effects based on the colors of the layers and the chosen blending mode.
This allows you to adjust the colors, contrast, and luminosity of an image without directly modifying the pixels of the underlying layers. This can be a flexible and powerful approach to image editing, as it gives you the ability to change the effect at any time and combine different effects in a single image.
To use blending modes to replicate the effects of adjustment layers, create a new layer and select a blending mode from the drop-down menu in the layers panel. Adjust the opacity of the selected layer to fine-tune the intensity of the effect, and experiment with different blending modes and settings to find the approach that works best for your specific project.
Darken (Levels, Curves, Exposure)
To darken an image in GIMP, you can use the “Multiply” blending mode. This will allow you to recreate the exact darkening effect that you would achieve by using the levels, curves, or exposure adjustment layers. To access the multiply blending mode, create a new layer and select “Multiply” from the drop-down menu in the layers panel. Experiment with different settings to find the best approach for your specific image and desired result.
To replicate this adjustment layer.
Step 1. Create a new layer
Step 2. Fill it with black
Step 3. Change blending mode to multiply
Step 4. Reduce the opacity to adjust the darkening effect.
Brighten (Exposure , Curves and Levels)
In this case, the “Overlay” blending mode is used to brighten an image. This blending mode superimposes the white color of the selected layer over the colors of the underlying layers, resulting in a brighter image. This replicates the effect of using the exposure, curves, or levels adjustment layers to brighten an image.
Step 1. Create a new layer
Step 2. Fill it with white
Step 3. Change blending mode to overlay
Step 4. Reduce the Opacity to Adjust the Effect
Contrast (Levels, curves, and brightness and contrast)
In GIMP, you can use the “Overlay” or “Soft Light” blending modes to add contrast to an image. These blending modes work by superimposing the colors of the selected layer over the colors of the underlying layers, with different effects based on the colors of the layers.
The Overlay blending mode is a combination of the Multiply and Screen blending modes, which means it will darken or lighten the underlying layers depending on the colors of the selected layer. This can add contrast to an image by making the darks darker and the lights lighter.
The Soft Light blending mode is similar to the Overlay blending mode, but it is less intense and will produce a more subtle effect. This blending mode is particularly useful for adding contrast to images without making them look overly processed or unnatural.
To use these blending modes in GIMP, create a new layer and select either “Overlay” or “Soft Light” from the drop-down menu in the layers panel. Adjust the opacity of the layer to control the intensity of the effect, and experiment with different settings to find the approach that works best for your specific image and desired result.
Step 1. Duplicate the layer
Step 2. Change the blending mode to Overlay
Step 3. Reduce the opacity to adjust the effect.
Color Match (Color Balance, Curves)
This process will create a new layer that is filled with the sampled color and set to the LCH Color blending mode. This blending mode will match the hue, chroma, and lightness of the sampled color to the underlying layers, allowing you to adjust the colors of the image without affecting the luminosity.
You can also adjust the opacity of the selected layer to fine-tune the intensity of the color adjustments. This can help you achieve the exact color balance and contrast that you desire and produce a more polished final result.
Step 1. Create a New Layer
Step 2. Use a color picker tool with a high average sample rate (pick the area where the image is not too bright and not too dark).
Step 3. Fill the sampled color on the new layer
Step 4. Change the blending mode to Lch Color
Step 5. Reduce the opacity to adjust the effect
Invert
Step 1. Create a new layer
Step 2. Fill it with white
Step 3. Change Blending mode to Difference
Black and White
Step 1. Create a new layer
Step 2. Fill it with black
Step 4. Change blending mode to LCH Color (If you reduce the opacity, then you can also use this method to desaturate your images).
Replicate Clipping mask
In Photoshop, when you create an adjustment layer, you often need that adjustment layer to only affect certain layers. You often use a clipping mask for that.
Gimp doesn’t have any features named “clipping mask,” but Gimp does have similar features. And that is the layer group. Layer group with blending modes works very similarly to the clipping mask, and that is good because every effect in the article is achieved using blending modes.
To achieve the similar effect
Step 1. Create a layer group
Step 2. Put The layer and the effect layer to the layer group
