blend level question

[Marielle Lange]

Just wondering... any chance this could be done programmatically by  
adding a gray rectangle behind the picture and playing with the ink  
values? If you put two rectangles in a group, a bright colored one, a  
gray shaded one. You set the blend level of the group to 50.Then you  
take one of two rectangles and you play with the ink values.  
blendHardLight seems to give some results in that direction.

A *very cheap* alternative is rather than blend the stack, is add a  
black rectangle right behind the image (which is then moved onto the  
top layer) and change the blend of that rectangle. You won't get  
exactly the same effect of a pure blend in the sense that you won't  
see what is behind your interface in a semi transparent rendering.  
However, this solution may be closer to what you want to achieve  
(nice semitransparent effects like you find in drops).

> But I see two ways:
> 1. Work your image in PhotoShop to increase hue and saturation and  
> decrease luminosity (modifying HSL values):
> Grope your way along with these settings and you will be able to  
> make your image appear almost 'normal' :-)