Halftone Generator
Turn a photo into printer’s dots at a real line ruling, with the dot shape and angle in your hands.
Halftone Generator breaks a picture into a grid of dots that grow with the tone, as a press prints a photograph in one ink. You choose the dot shape, the line ruling, the angle and the grid. The preview shows the result at full size.
You get a PNG at the sheet size you set, or SVG and PDF where every dot is a shape a printer can use. Set the ruling in lines per inch and the dots come out the right size on paper.
Real line rulings
Poster to fine art presets in lines per inch, or your own number, sized to the sheet you set.
Dot shapes and grids
Circle, ellipse, line, diamond and more, on square, hexagonal, spiral and ring grids.
Vector dots
SVG and PDF keep each dot as a shape, sharp at any size and editable in Illustrator.
Dot gain
Tell it your shop’s dot gain and the exported plates are lightened so the press lands on your tone.
How to use it
- Drop an image or video here The picture opens in the Halftone tab on the Poster screen: round dots at 12 lines per inch, black ink on white.
- Choose the Pattern Circle is neutral, Ellipse softer in the midtones, Line unmistakably graphic. The Pattern list has the shapes; Advanced has the grid they sit on.
- Set the Screen and Angle Pick a screen by process, from Poster to Fine art, or type a Line ruling. A single screen sits at 45° because the eye notices diagonals least.
- Set the sheet in Pre-flight The ruling is lines per inch on paper, so the sheet size decides how many dots you get. Set it before you judge the preview at 1:1.
- Export PNG at the sheet size, or SVG and PDF with every dot as a shape. Color Mode switches from one ink to CMYK, RGB or a palette.
FAQ
Is it free?
Yes. Every feature and every export is free, with no account and no watermark. An account is optional and only keeps your projects so you can reopen them on another device.
Are my files uploaded?
No. Everything runs in your browser and your files stay on your device. The only thing that leaves it is a project you choose to save to your account.
What is a halftone?
A way to print a photograph with one solid ink. The picture becomes a grid of dots, large in the shadows and small in the highlights, that the eye reads as gray.
What line ruling should I use?
Ask the printer. Newsprint runs coarse, coated stock fine, and risograph and screen printing coarser still. The Screen list names the usual ones by process.
Can I export the dots as vector?
Yes. SVG and PDF write each dot as a shape, so it stays sharp at any size and opens in a vector program.
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Risograph Separator
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Relief Print Simulator
Turn a picture into a woodcut or linocut.