diff --git a/src/drawer.js b/src/drawer.js
index bad89a69..f4ed36a6 100644
--- a/src/drawer.js
+++ b/src/drawer.js
@@ -369,10 +369,11 @@ $.Drawer.prototype = /** @lends OpenSeadragon.Drawer.prototype */{
      * @param {Float} opacity The opacity of the blending.
      * @param {Float} [scale=1] The scale at which tiles were drawn on the sketch. Default is 1.
      *   Use scale to draw at a lower scale and then enlarge onto the main canvas.
-     * @param OpenSeadragon.Point} [translate] A translation vector that was used to draw the tiles
+     * @param {OpenSeadragon.Point} [translate] A translation vector that was used to draw the tiles
+     * @param {String} [options.compositeOperation] - How the image is composited onto other images; see compositeOperation in {@link OpenSeadragon.Options} for possible values.
      * @returns {undefined}
      */
-    blendSketch: function(opacity, scale, translate) {
+    blendSketch: function(opacity, scale, translate, compositeOperation) {
         if (!this.useCanvas || !this.sketchCanvas) {
             return;
         }
@@ -383,6 +384,9 @@ $.Drawer.prototype = /** @lends OpenSeadragon.Drawer.prototype */{
 
         this.context.save();
         this.context.globalAlpha = opacity;
+        if (compositeOperation) {
+            this.context.globalCompositeOperation = compositeOperation;
+        }
         this.context.drawImage(
             this.sketchCanvas,
             position.x,
diff --git a/src/openseadragon.js b/src/openseadragon.js
index 8613d2a8..a129f083 100644
--- a/src/openseadragon.js
+++ b/src/openseadragon.js
@@ -206,6 +206,11 @@
   * @property {Number} [opacity=1]
   *     Default opacity of the tiled images (1=opaque, 0=transparent)
   *
+  * @property {String} [compositeOperation=null]
+  *     Valid values are 'source-over', 'source-atop', 'source-in', 'source-out',
+  *     'destination-over', 'destination-atop', 'destination-in',
+  *     'destination-out', 'lighter', 'copy' or 'xor'
+  *
   * @property {String|CanvasGradient|CanvasPattern|Function} [placeholderFillStyle=null]
   *     Draws a colored rectangle behind the tile if it is not loaded yet.
   *     You can pass a CSS color value like "#FF8800".
@@ -1067,6 +1072,7 @@ if (typeof define === 'function' && define.amd) {
 
             // APPEARANCE
             opacity:                    1,
+            compositeOperation:         null,
             placeholderFillStyle:       null,
 
             //REFERENCE STRIP SETTINGS
diff --git a/src/tiledimage.js b/src/tiledimage.js
index 05ca8848..dadeb5de 100644
--- a/src/tiledimage.js
+++ b/src/tiledimage.js
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@
  * @param {Number} [options.minPixelRatio] - See {@link OpenSeadragon.Options}.
  * @param {Number} [options.smoothTileEdgesMinZoom] - See {@link OpenSeadragon.Options}.
  * @param {Number} [options.opacity=1] - Opacity the tiled image should be drawn at.
+ * @param {String} [options.compositeOperation] - How the image is composited onto other images; see compositeOperation in {@link OpenSeadragon.Options} for possible values.
  * @param {Boolean} [options.debugMode] - See {@link OpenSeadragon.Options}.
  * @param {String|CanvasGradient|CanvasPattern|Function} [options.placeholderFillStyle] - See {@link OpenSeadragon.Options}.
  * @param {String|Boolean} [options.crossOriginPolicy] - See {@link OpenSeadragon.Options}.
@@ -132,7 +133,6 @@ $.TiledImage = function( options ) {
         _midDraw:       false, // Is the tiledImage currently updating the viewport?
         _needsDraw:     true,  // Does the tiledImage need to update the viewport again?
         _hasOpaqueTile: false,  // Do we have even one fully opaque tile?
-
         //configurable settings
         springStiffness:        $.DEFAULT_SETTINGS.springStiffness,
         animationTime:          $.DEFAULT_SETTINGS.animationTime,
@@ -147,7 +147,8 @@ $.TiledImage = function( options ) {
         debugMode:              $.DEFAULT_SETTINGS.debugMode,
         crossOriginPolicy:      $.DEFAULT_SETTINGS.crossOriginPolicy,
         placeholderFillStyle:   $.DEFAULT_SETTINGS.placeholderFillStyle,
-        opacity:                $.DEFAULT_SETTINGS.opacity
+        opacity:                $.DEFAULT_SETTINGS.opacity,
+        compositeOperation:     $.DEFAULT_SETTINGS.compositeOperation
 
     }, options );
 
@@ -585,6 +586,21 @@ $.extend($.TiledImage.prototype, $.EventSource.prototype, /** @lends OpenSeadrag
         this._needsDraw = true;
     },
 
+    /**
+     * @returns {String} The TiledImage's current compositeOperation.
+     */
+    getCompositeOperation: function() {
+        return this.compositeOperation;
+    },
+
+    /**
+     * @param {String} compositeOperation the tiled image should be drawn with this globalCompositeOperation.
+     */
+    setCompositeOperation: function(compositeOperation) {
+        this.compositeOperation = compositeOperation;
+        this._needsDraw = true;
+    },
+
     // private
     _setScale: function(scale, immediately) {
         var sameTarget = (this._scaleSpring.target.value === scale);
@@ -1313,7 +1329,9 @@ function drawTiles( tiledImage, lastDrawn ) {
         drawDebugInfo( tiledImage, lastDrawn );
         return;
     }
-    var useSketch = tiledImage.opacity < 1;
+    var useSketch = tiledImage.opacity < 1 ||
+          (tiledImage.compositeOperation && tiledImage.compositeOperation !== 'source-over');
+
     var sketchScale;
     var sketchTranslate;
 
@@ -1405,7 +1423,7 @@ function drawTiles( tiledImage, lastDrawn ) {
     }
 
     if ( useSketch ) {
-        tiledImage._drawer.blendSketch( tiledImage.opacity, sketchScale, sketchTranslate );
+        tiledImage._drawer.blendSketch( tiledImage.opacity, sketchScale, sketchTranslate, tiledImage.compositeOperation );
     }
     drawDebugInfo( tiledImage, lastDrawn );
 }
diff --git a/src/viewer.js b/src/viewer.js
index 723a4b65..16d5cfa1 100644
--- a/src/viewer.js
+++ b/src/viewer.js
@@ -1207,6 +1207,7 @@ $.extend( $.Viewer.prototype, $.EventSource.prototype, $.ControlDock.prototype,
      * (portions of the image outside of this area will not be visible). Only works on
      * browsers that support the HTML5 canvas.
      * @param {Number} [options.opacity] Opacity the tiled image should be drawn at by default.
+     * @param {String} [options.compositeOperation] How the image is composited onto other images.
      * @param {Function} [options.success] A function that gets called when the image is
      * successfully added. It's passed the event object which contains a single property:
      * "item", the resulting TiledImage.
@@ -1239,6 +1240,9 @@ $.extend( $.Viewer.prototype, $.EventSource.prototype, $.ControlDock.prototype,
         if (options.opacity === undefined) {
             options.opacity = this.opacity;
         }
+        if (options.compositeOperation === undefined) {
+            options.compositeOperation = this.compositeOperation;
+        }
 
         var myQueueItem = {
             options: options
@@ -1337,6 +1341,7 @@ $.extend( $.Viewer.prototype, $.EventSource.prototype, $.ControlDock.prototype,
                     clip: queueItem.options.clip,
                     placeholderFillStyle: queueItem.options.placeholderFillStyle,
                     opacity: queueItem.options.opacity,
+                    compositeOperation: queueItem.options.compositeOperation,
                     springStiffness: _this.springStiffness,
                     animationTime: _this.animationTime,
                     minZoomImageRatio: _this.minZoomImageRatio,