http://opticalenquiry.com/nuke/index.php?title=Merge_Blend_Modes
| Blend name | Short description | Real-world use | Use rating |
| atop | 'Cookie-cuts' the BG by the FG. | Sometimes useful for combining mattes. | * |
| color-dodge | Lightens the BG according to FG colors. Does not affect BG black. | A soft, light-colored radial placed over the background will add a vivid highlight. Beautiful for landscape effects. An example of this is the second set of images on this page. | *** |
| color-burn | Darkens the BG according to FG colors. Does not affect BG white. Kinda the opposite of color-dodge | Good for making things appear burned. | * |
| conjoin-over | A bit like over, but ignores the transparency of the FG. | Good for 'thickening up' fire. | * |
| difference | Shows the difference between the BG and FG. | Good for comparing frames and also can be used as a difference matte. | ** |
| disjoin-over | If both the FG and BG have mattes and the two mattes are 'oposite' of each other (like jigsaw puzzle pieces) then the edges of the mattes are not fringed. | Good for compositing CG output where each element has a different hold-out matte. | * |
| hypot | Lightens the BG according to the values of the FG. | Good for adding reflections. | * |
| in | 'Cookie-cuts' FG by BG. | Good for combining mattes. | * |
| mask | The oposite of in. | Good for combining mattes. | * |
| max | Compares FG with BG and shows the brightest. | Very good for combining mattes. | *** |
| min | Compares FG with BG and shows the darkest. | Very good for combining mattes. | *** |
| multiply | Multiplies FG and BG together. | The clasic shadow blend mode. Good for combining the CG shadow pass with a background. | *** |
| over | The default merge operation. | Lays FG over BG according to matte of FG. Cant live without it. | **** |
| overlay | Darkens and lightens the BG according to the values of the FG. | Good for adding texture and general ambient contrast. | ** |
| plus | Lightens BG according to the values of the FG. | Good for adding light-sabre lights. | ** |
| screen | Lightens BG according to the values of the FG. | Good for adding light-sabre lights. | ** |
| under | Places the FG under the FG. | Good for straightforward compositing in instances where the primacy of the B feed needs preserving. | *** |
