Studio 21.1.1
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FUSION & COMPOSITING

How to combine two images with a Merge node

DaVinci Resolve Studio 21.1 · Original practical guide

Merge places a foreground over a background. Knowing the input roles makes a Fusion flow much easier to diagnose than connecting nodes by trial and error.

Before you begin

Use a short test clip and open Fusion. Keep MediaOut connected to the final result.

ACTUAL RESOLVE INTERFACEView full size ↗
Fusion Merge Inspector: foreground transform and blend controls
Fusion Merge Inspector: foreground transform and blend controls Reference example from the DaVinci Resolve 21.1 manual, page 1707. Software screenshot © Blackmagic Design. The demonstration media and selected settings may differ from your project.

Step by step

  1. Bring the foreground and background into the Fusion composition as separate MediaIn nodes or other image sources.
  2. Add a Merge node. Connect the background to its yellow input and the foreground to its green input.
  3. Connect Merge to MediaOut and load the Merge result into a viewer. Check that the foreground has useful transparency if it should reveal the background.
  4. Adjust foreground placement or Merge Blend as needed, then play the composition and inspect the actual MediaOut result.

Check your result

The correct image sits over the background and the same composite reaches the Edit timeline.

If it doesn’t work as expected

The blue input is an effect mask, not another picture layer. If the composite behaves strangely, verify input roles before adding more nodes.

BUILD THE UNDERLYING SKILL

Fusion: think in nodes

Go deeper with the course’s explanations, exercises, and knowledge checks.

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Technical reference: DaVinci Resolve 21.1 Reference Manual, Blackmagic Design, September 2026. Screenshot page numbers refer to that manual. Independently written guidance; specific controls may vary by platform and build. Authorship & image credits.