Photoshop Tutorials: Create A Burnt Edge Effect

Step 8: Change The Layer Blend Mode For Different Variations

You can also change the blend mode of the Curves adjustment layer for different variations on the effect. To do that, simply go up to the blend mode options in the top left corner of the Layers palette, click on the down-pointing arrow to the right of the word "Normal" and select a different blend mode from the list. Here's the effect with the Curves adjustment layer set to Overlay (I've set my Opacity value back to 100%):

Which gives me dark, saturated colors around the edges:

Here's another variation, this time with the blend mode set to Color:

Which, despite the name, actually removes all the color from the edges, leaving them black and white, with the color fading in towards the center of the photo:

Finally, let's see how to now use this Curves adjustment layer to quickly add the exact same effect to a different photo. We'll do that next.