--- name: pixijs-blend-modes description: "Use this skill when compositing display objects with blend modes in PixiJS v8. Covers standard modes (normal, add, multiply, screen, erase, min, max), advanced modes via pixi.js/advanced-blend-modes (color-burn, overlay, hard-light, etc.), batch-friendly ordering. Triggers on: blendMode, additive, multiply, screen, overlay, color-burn, color-dodge, advanced-blend-modes, glow, erase." license: MIT --- Set `container.blendMode` to composite display objects with GPU blend equations (standard modes) or filter-based advanced modes. Blend-mode transitions break render batches, so group like-mode siblings together. ## Quick Start ```ts const light = new Sprite(await Assets.load("light.png")); light.blendMode = "add"; app.stage.addChild(light); const shadow = new Sprite(await Assets.load("shadow.png")); shadow.blendMode = "multiply"; app.stage.addChild(shadow); import "pixi.js/advanced-blend-modes"; const overlay = new Sprite(await Assets.load("overlay.png")); overlay.blendMode = "color-burn"; app.stage.addChild(overlay); ``` **Related skills:** `pixijs-filters` (advanced modes use the filter pipeline), `pixijs-performance` (batching with blend modes), `pixijs-color` (color manipulation). ## Core Patterns ### Standard blend modes Standard modes are built in and use GPU blend equations directly: ```ts import { Sprite } from "pixi.js"; sprite.blendMode = "normal"; // standard alpha compositing (effective default at root) sprite.blendMode = "add"; // additive (lighten, glow effects) sprite.blendMode = "multiply"; // multiply (darken, shadow effects) sprite.blendMode = "screen"; // screen (lighten, dodge effects) sprite.blendMode = "erase"; // erase pixels from render target sprite.blendMode = "none"; // no blending, overwrites destination sprite.blendMode = "inherit"; // inherit from parent (this is the actual default value) sprite.blendMode = "min"; // keeps minimum of source and destination (WebGL2+ only) sprite.blendMode = "max"; // keeps maximum of source and destination (WebGL2+ only) ``` These are hardware-accelerated and cheap. They do not require filters. ### Advanced blend modes Advanced modes require an explicit import to register the extensions. On the WebGL renderer they also require `useBackBuffer: true` at init time, or PixiJS logs a warning and the blend silently falls back: ```ts import "pixi.js/advanced-blend-modes"; import { Application, Sprite, Assets } from "pixi.js"; const app = new Application(); await app.init({ useBackBuffer: true }); // required for advanced modes on WebGL const texture = await Assets.load("overlay.png"); const overlay = new Sprite(texture); overlay.blendMode = "color-burn"; ``` Available advanced modes: | Mode | Effect | | -------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | | `color-burn` | Darkens by increasing contrast | | `color-dodge` | Brightens by decreasing contrast | | `darken` | Keeps darker of two layers | | `difference` | Absolute difference | | `divide` | Divides bottom by top | | `exclusion` | Similar to difference, lower contrast | | `hard-light` | Multiply or screen based on top layer | | `hard-mix` | High contrast threshold blend | | `lighten` | Keeps lighter of two layers | | `linear-burn` | Adds and subtracts to darken | | `linear-dodge` | Adds layers together | | `linear-light` | Linear burn or dodge based on top layer | | `luminosity` | Luminosity of top, hue/saturation of bottom | | `negation` | Inverted difference | | `overlay` | Multiply or screen based on bottom layer | | `pin-light` | Replaces based on lightness comparison | | `saturation` | Saturation of top, hue/luminosity of bottom | | `soft-light` | Gentle overlay effect | | `subtract` | Subtracts top from bottom | | `vivid-light` | Color burn or dodge based on top layer | | `color` | Hue and saturation of top, luminosity of bottom | You set advanced blend modes the same way as standard ones, via the `blendMode` property. They use filters internally, so they cost more than standard modes. ### Batch-friendly ordering Different blend modes break the rendering batch. Order objects to minimize transitions: ```ts import { Container, Sprite } from "pixi.js"; const scene = new Container(); scene.addChild(screenSprite1); // 'screen' scene.addChild(screenSprite2); // 'screen' scene.addChild(normalSprite1); // 'normal' scene.addChild(normalSprite2); // 'normal' ``` 2 draw calls. Alternating order (`screen, normal, screen, normal`) would produce 4. ## Common Mistakes ### [HIGH] Not importing advanced-blend-modes extension Wrong: ```ts import { Sprite } from "pixi.js"; sprite.blendMode = "color-burn"; // silently falls back to normal ``` Correct: ```ts import "pixi.js/advanced-blend-modes"; import { Sprite } from "pixi.js"; sprite.blendMode = "color-burn"; ``` Advanced blend modes (color-burn, overlay, etc.) require the extension import. Without it, only standard modes (normal, add, multiply, screen) are available. The invalid mode silently falls back. ### [MEDIUM] Mixing blend modes across adjacent objects Different blend modes break the render batch. `screen / normal / screen / normal` produces 4 draw calls, while `screen / screen / normal / normal` produces 2. Sort children so objects with the same blend mode are adjacent. ### [HIGH] Using the v7 BLEND_MODES enum Wrong: ```ts import { BLEND_MODES } from "pixi.js"; sprite.blendMode = BLEND_MODES.ADD; // runtime error: BLEND_MODES is undefined ``` Correct: ```ts sprite.blendMode = "add"; ``` In v8, `BLEND_MODES` is a TypeScript type only (a union of string literals). There is no runtime enum export, so `BLEND_MODES.ADD` evaluates to accessing a property on `undefined`. Use the string form. ### [HIGH] Advanced blend modes without useBackBuffer Wrong: ```ts import "pixi.js/advanced-blend-modes"; await app.init({ /* no useBackBuffer */ }); sprite.blendMode = "color-burn"; // logs a warning, falls back ``` Correct: ```ts import "pixi.js/advanced-blend-modes"; await app.init({ useBackBuffer: true }); sprite.blendMode = "color-burn"; ``` Advanced modes read from the back buffer. On WebGL, the blend silently falls back if the back buffer is not enabled. WebGPU enables the back buffer unconditionally. ### [MEDIUM] Advanced blend modes clipped or scaled on high-DPI renderers Advanced blend modes are filter-based and use `Filter.defaultOptions`, whose resolution defaults to `1`. On a high-DPI render target the blended object can look clipped, scaled, or only partially applied. Wrong: ```ts import "pixi.js/advanced-blend-modes"; sprite.blendMode = "overlay"; // renders at resolution 1, can clip on retina ``` Correct: ```ts import { Filter } from "pixi.js"; import "pixi.js/advanced-blend-modes"; Filter.defaultOptions.resolution = "inherit"; // set before creating affected objects sprite.blendMode = "overlay"; ``` Setting `Filter.defaultOptions.resolution = "inherit"` makes advanced blend modes render at the render target's resolution. This costs more memory and runtime, so apply it where fidelity matters. ## API Reference - [Container.blendMode](https://pixijs.download/release/docs/scene.Container.html.md) - [OverlayBlend](https://pixijs.download/release/docs/filters.OverlayBlend.html.md) - [ColorBurnBlend](https://pixijs.download/release/docs/filters.ColorBurnBlend.html.md) - [ColorDodgeBlend](https://pixijs.download/release/docs/filters.ColorDodgeBlend.html.md) - [HardLightBlend](https://pixijs.download/release/docs/filters.HardLightBlend.html.md) - [SoftLightBlend](https://pixijs.download/release/docs/filters.SoftLightBlend.html.md) - [DifferenceBlend](https://pixijs.download/release/docs/filters.DifferenceBlend.html.md) --- Source attribution: pixijs Original project: https://github.com/pixijs/pixijs-skills/blob/83760c6f53462ca9cecd68055041f5a8c94758ce/skills/pixijs-blend-modes/SKILL.md License: MIT License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Mega AI Hub. ## Upstream license notice MIT License Copyright (c) 2026 PixiJS Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE. # Mega AI Hub resource metadata Creator / publisher: pixijs Original project: https://github.com/pixijs/pixijs-skills/blob/83760c6f53462ca9cecd68055041f5a8c94758ce/skills/pixijs-blend-modes/SKILL.md Attribution basis: Source repository record Fields of work: Development & Engineering Roles: Frontend Developer, Game Developer Specialties: API, Frontend Tools: Pixijs Country applicability: Country not specified Classification basis: Source catalog labels Instruction SHA-256: a6caea6766b1dd31efa35171ec2a29ec5ea4e0728f14d6847570804f71feb1a5