diff --git a/src/Drivers/Gd/Encoders/PngEncoder.php b/src/Drivers/Gd/Encoders/PngEncoder.php
index 3e4fdec8..b4600a83 100644
--- a/src/Drivers/Gd/Encoders/PngEncoder.php
+++ b/src/Drivers/Gd/Encoders/PngEncoder.php
@@ -53,12 +53,8 @@ private function prepareOutput(ImageInterface $image): GdImage
         // clone output instance
         $output = Cloner::cloneEmpty($image->core()->native());
 
-        /**
-         * Decode configured blending color
-         *
-         * @var Color
-         */
-        $blendingColor = $this->driver()->handleInput($this->driver()->config()->blendingColor);
+        // Decode configured blending color
+        $blendingColor = $image->blendingColor();
 
         // allocate blending color with slighty different alpha value
         // to avoid "overwriting" pixels with the same color in the
diff --git a/src/Interfaces/ImageInterface.php b/src/Interfaces/ImageInterface.php
index 726c5207..efd9e221 100644
--- a/src/Interfaces/ImageInterface.php
+++ b/src/Interfaces/ImageInterface.php
@@ -254,7 +254,6 @@ public function pickColors(int $x, int $y): CollectionInterface;
      * Return color that is mixed with transparent areas when converting to a format which
      * does not support transparency.
      *
-     * @deprecated Use configuration options of image manager instead
      * @throws RuntimeException
      * @return ColorInterface
      */
@@ -264,7 +263,6 @@ public function blendingColor(): ColorInterface;
      * Set blending color will have no effect unless image is converted into a format
      * which does not support transparency.
      *
-     * @deprecated Use configuration options of image manager instead
      * @param mixed $color
      * @throws RuntimeException
      * @return ImageInterface