Soft Light (blend mode)
Soft Light works like Overlay but much more subtly: it boosts contrast and color with a gentle hand. Dark gets slightly darker, light slightly lighter, without harsh transitions. It is the favorite for refined dodge & burn on skin.
Choose Soft Light when Overlay is too aggressive for you, for example in portrait retouching. On a 50% grey layer you paint with a soft black-and-white brush to subtly sculpt skin and shapes. The effect is mild, so you can build it up calmly without it standing out. Tip: combine a low brush opacity with Soft Light for the most natural dodge & burn.
Related terms
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The presets on this site set these adjustments up for you as a starting point, which you then fine-tune to taste.