Pin Light combines Lighten and Darken to selectively replace colors in the base layer. Depending on the brightness of the blending color, it keeps either the lighter or darker values, producing a much more abrupt result than either mode on its own.
The Math
Pin Light uses the brightness of the blending color to determine whether to behave more like Lighten or Darken.
Colors lighter than 50% gray use a Lighten-like effect, while colors darker than 50% gray use a Darken-like effect. Instead of smoothly blending the colors, Pin Light makes a selective decision about which values to keep.
Core Rules of Pin Light
Light colors lighten: When the blending color is brighter than 50% gray, darker values in the base layer are replaced by the brighter blending color.
Dark colors darken: When the blending color is darker than 50% gray, brighter values in the base layer are replaced by the darker blending color.
Mid-tones get flattened: Because Pin Light makes these selective replacements rather than smoothly blending the colors, it can remove subtle transitions and produce abrupt changes between tones.
The result can be harsh: Pin Light often creates patchy, posterized, or high-contrast results, especially with saturated colors.
When to Use It
Stylized effects: Use Pin Light for graphic, posterized, or intentionally harsh color effects.
Texture and color experiments: Try it with textures or unusual colors when you want to break up smooth shading and create unexpected color patterns.
Controlled contrast: Lower the layer opacity when you want the effect to influence the artwork without completely overpowering the original colors.