Some variable names: C_out = some colour channel in the output C_bg = some colour channel in the background C_fg = some colour channel in the foreground A_out = the alpha channel in the output A_bg = the alpha channel in the background A_fg = the alpha channel in the foreground The normal alpha blending algorithm is used render a translucent object over another translucent object. The alpha blending algorithm is: C_out⋅A_out = C_bg⋅A_bg⋅(1 − A_fg) + C_fg⋅A_fg A_out = A_bg⋅(1 − A_fg) + A_fg libskrift expands this algorithm to allow the alpha channel of the foreground object to be applied unto the background, replacing the alpha channel, effectively cutting out part of the background and the adding the foreground, and it can do this partially, so that even if the background is opaque, the result can be translucent where the text is. This requires a new parameter for the foreground object (but not the background object): opacity (we will call this variable O). The new alpha blending algorithm (“dual-alpha blending”) is: C_out⋅A_out = C_bg⋅A_bg⋅(1 − O) + C_fg⋅A_fg⋅O A_out = A_bg⋅(1 − O) + A_fg⋅O This algorithm works as the normal alpha blending algorithm if the opacity is used instead of alpha, and alpha is set to 1, on the foregrund. However, since libskrift is a text drawing library, which subpixel rendering support, the opacity is multiply with the subpixel's value in the glyph, and they highest subpixel's value for the alpha channel (since it only support surfaces with per-pixel alpha and not per-subpixel alpha).