A reprographic technique that simulates continuous-tone imagery using a grid of dots varying in size or spacing. Because printing presses can only lay down solid ink or leave the paper blank, this optical illusion is necessary to reproduce photographs and gradients. The human eye blends the tiny dots into smooth shades of gray or color.
Check the halftone screens on that portrait, the dots are plugging up in the shadows.
A magnifying loupe will instantly reveal the rosette pattern of a printed color halftone.
Do not mix it up with
- Contone: A contone has true, unbroken gradients, whereas a halftone fakes them with a grid of solid ink dots.
Related terms
Contone
Describing an image that features smooth, uninterrupted transitions between shades or colors.
Color separation
The prepress process of dividing a full-color image into individual primary color channels for printing.
Line art
Artwork consisting entirely of solid lines or shapes with no continuous tones or shading.