What is the difference between opacity and fill

Check out this informative video to learn how they work. Unmesh Dinda of PiXimperfect has put together an excellent outline of how these aspects of Photoshop function and why you might want to use each one for different purposes.

In terms of controlling layers, both Fill and Opacity will control the opacity, so what is Fill for? However, things change when you start controlling the Blend Mode of a particular layer. Andy Day is a British photographer and writer living in France. When you are satisfied with these changes, click the OK button to apply them, and you should then have managed to achieve an effect that is opposite to the one created using the Fill function!

Because of what happens when you decrease the Fill value of a layer with layer styles applied to it, you can create some awesome text effects in which the shape or outline of a piece of text is created entirely by elements such as glows, shadows, and strokes. The same thing applies to shapes and potentially image layers. Here are just a few of the examples of what we managed to create by simply playing around with layer styles and fill values for a few minutes:.

Want to find out more about the difference between them and how this difference can be exploited? Then take a look at this video by PiXimperfect which provides a great demonstration of the topic. Captivated by the digital world and particularly attracted by everything related to creativity, Martin is an amateur photographer and digital marketer who has more than 10 years of experience with Adobe Photoshop. Check his about page here. This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.

We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site. Act now! Photoshop Opacity vs. What Are the Opacity and Fill Options? To Resume. In this case, we are interested in the Opacity option, as shown below.

Why Does This Difference Matter? Facebook Instagram. It is important to note that Opacity and Fill behave differently when used in conjunction with "Special 8" blend modes. To quote the source:. These blend modes behave differently when Fill Opacity is adjusted, compared to when standard Opacity is adjusted. This is an important concept to understand, because it can extend the capabilities of these blend modes. Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top.

Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group. Create a free Team What is Teams? Learn more. What is the difference between Opacity and Fill on a photoshop layer? Ask Question. Asked 10 years, 6 months ago. Active 4 months ago. Viewed 46k times. Improve this question. Nathan Black Nathan Black 1 1 gold badge 2 2 silver badges 6 6 bronze badges.

Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes. For example, you can specify a Fill value and blending mode for a layer and only the fill pixels inside the shape are affected-not the layer styles applied to the layer.