| Properties | ||
 |
Diffusion | Controls the softness of the glow as it spreads outwards from the dark parts of the layer. Range: 0 to 2; Default: 0.25 |
|
Threshold | A luminance threshold that controls which pixels emit the dark glow. Pixels with luminance under this threshold will have a dark glow; pixels with luminance over this threshold will not glow. Range: 0 to 1; Default: 0.3 |
 |
Color | A color to use instead of the original pixel color when rendering the glow. Default: |
 |
Blend | Controls the color of the glow. At 0% the original pixel color is used; at 100% the Color property is used. Values in between mix the original pixel color and glow color proportionally. The final mixed color is blended on top of the layer using the Multiply blending mode. Range: 0% to 100%; Default: 25% |
 |
Alpha | Controls the opacity of the glow. Range: 0% to 100%; Default: 75% |
Usage
Apply Dark Glow to any photo or video layer, then adjust Threshold and Diffusion as desired. It can be easier to see what you are doing when you adjust Threshold if you temporarily set Diffusion to zero first, then increase it after adjusting Threshold.
When adjusting Color, keep in mind that it is applied using the Multiply blending mode, so be sure to choose colors that are darker than the source media. For a more natural or subtle look, use a low value for Blend.
Use Cases
- Shadow Enhancement: Set Color to black, or to a very dark complimentary color to that of the prevalent color in the source media. Then set Diffusion and Threshold to zero, and gradually increase Threshold until you have the desired amount of definition in the shadows. Then increase Diffusion just enough to feather the edges of the shadows. Finally, adjust Alpha until you get the shadow strength you want.
- Ink Bleed Effect: Set Color to the ink color you want to use (for example, black), increase Alpha and Blend to maximum, reduce Diffusion, then use keyframe animation to animate Threshold (if the source material has a very hard edge between the dark and light parts, you might need to animate Diffusion instead of Threshold). This technique can also be used as a transition.