Effects — Print

Stipple effect

Build your photo from thousands of tiny dots, like a pointillist ink drawing. Set density and dot size, and choose ink and paper.

Status
Live
Category
Print
Settings
4
01

What is the Stipple effect?

Stippling is an illustration technique that uses dots alone to create tone: dense dots for shadows, sparse dots for highlights. It has long been used in scientific, botanical and tattoo-style illustration because it gives smooth shading without lines.

This effect converts the photo's tones into scattered dots. A high density with small dots reads like fine ink work, while large, sparse dots look bold and graphic.

02

Stipple settings

  • Density
  • Dot size
  • Ink
  • Paper
What each setting does →
03

Best photos for it

  • Portraits and animals
  • Botanical, product and macro photos
  • Tattoo-style or print illustrations
04

Tips for better results

  1. Tip 01

    Increase density before increasing dot size to keep detail.

  2. Tip 02

    Larger dots with lower density give a graphic poster look.

  3. Tip 03

    Use a pale paper colour so the dots stand out.

05

Common questions

How is stipple different from halftone?

Halftone uses a regular grid of marks whose size varies. Stipple scatters dots at random positions, which looks more organic.

06

Similar effects

Also searched as: Stipple filter, Dotwork effect, Pointillism-style effect.