Effects — Print
Halftone effect
Turn photos into the dot patterns of newspapers and comics. Choose CMYK or mono, dot, square or line shapes, plus cell size and screen angle.
- Status
- Live
- Category
- Settings
- 7
What is the Halftone effect?
Halftone is the printing technique that reproduces a continuous-tone photo using only solid ink. The image is broken into a regular grid of marks: large where the picture is dark, tiny where it is light. From a normal reading distance your eye blends them back into shades of grey or colour.
Traditional CMYK halftoning screens each ink at a different angle (commonly 15°, 75°, 0° and 45° for cyan, magenta, yellow and black) so the dots interleave into small rosettes instead of clashing into moiré. Mono mode uses a single ink for the classic one-colour newsprint or screen-print look.
Commercial halftone printing dates back to the 1880s, and the look remains a staple of pop art, punk posters, comics and editorial design.
Halftone settings
- Mode (CMYK or Mono)
- Shape (dot, square, line)
- Cell size
- Angle
- Gain
- Ink
- Paper
Best photos for it
- High-contrast portraits with clear light and shadow
- Bold graphic subjects such as street scenes and architecture
- Photos you plan to print as posters, flyers or stickers
Tips for better results
- Tip 01
Larger cells give a bolder pop-art look; smaller cells keep more photographic detail.
- Tip 02
Start with a high-contrast photo. Flat, low-contrast images turn into evenly sized dots with little punch.
- Tip 03
Try 45° for the classic look, or rotate the angle so the dots do not line up with strong lines in your photo.
Common questions
What is the difference between CMYK and Mono halftone?
CMYK mode builds the picture from four coloured screens (cyan, magenta, yellow and black), like a colour print. Mono mode uses one ink on paper for a classic one-colour look.
Why does my halftone look muddy?
Very small cells blend back into a continuous tone. Increase the cell size or start from a higher-contrast image.
Similar effects
- Ben-Day comic dotsRecreate classic comic-book dots with adjustable dot size, colour levels and angle, the look of vintage pop-art prints.Available
- Riso overprintImitate two-colour risograph printing with overprinting inks, misregistration and paper grain. Pick any two inks and a paper colour.Available
- Cross-hatchShade your photo with pen-and-ink cross-hatching. Adjust spacing, line width and angle for sketchbook and engraving styles.Available
Also searched as: Halftone filter, Dot screen effect, Newsprint dots.