Everything you need to know about Halftone
Halftone simulates the classic printing technique where images are reproduced using dots of varying sizes. Darker areas have larger dots, lighter areas have smaller dots or no dots at all. This creates the iconic look of newspaper photos, comic books, and pop art prints.
Parameters
- Cell Size
Controls the size of the halftone grid cells in pixels. Smaller values (2–10) create fine, detailed dot patterns. Larger values (30–120) produce bold, graphic dots with a more stylized, pop-art appearance. - Angle
Rotates the entire dot grid. Traditional print halftones often use angled screens (e.g., 45°) to reduce visual interference patterns. Adjust to find the most pleasing orientation for your image. - Contrast
Controls how strongly brightness affects dot size. Low values (0.5–1.0) produce a softer range of dot sizes. Higher values (2–4) create more dramatic contrast between large dots in dark areas and small dots in light areas. - Mix
Blends the halftone result with the original image. At 0, no effect is visible. At 1.0, you see the pure halftone pattern. Intermediate values create a subtle textured overlay.
How It Works
The filter divides the image into a grid of cells, samples the average brightness at each cell center, then draws a circular dot sized according to that brightness. Dark areas get large dots that nearly fill the cell; light areas get tiny dots or none at all.
Tips
- Use cell size 8–16 for realistic newspaper/magazine print simulation
- Large cell sizes (40–80) work great for bold pop art or comic book effects
- Try a 45° angle (≈0.79 radians) for classic print screen appearance
- Increase contrast for more dramatic, graphic results