itlaw

Definition

Halftone is the reprographic technique that simulates continuous tone imagery through the use of dots, varying either in size or in spacing.[1] Halftone can also be used to refer specifically to the image that is produced by this process.[2]

Where continuous tone imagery (film photography, for example) contains an infinite range of colors or greys, the halftone process reduces visual reproductions to a binary image that is printed with only one color of ink. This binary reproduction relies on a basic optical illusion — that these tiny halftone dots are blended into smooth tones by the human eye.

References

  1. Alastair Campbell, "The Designer's Lexicon" (2000).
  2. Id.