![]() I created second and third patterns using hexagons and a dragon scale pattern (Figure 4), which were created with the artwork themes of some additional images in mind. You may end up with an image that is too flat or dark, or you may discover exciting and fresh results. This all can be slightly unpredictable depending on the pattern and how it works against any value areas in your image. With other patterns, the grayscale will process differently depending on how the areas in the pattern overlap the art. In the case of the wavy lines, they will become thicker or thinner depending on the image’s value. This means the areas that are shades of gray will become solid or white with respect to the image against which the pattern is being contrasted. When creating patterns for this type of process, the gray values in the pattern will become darker or lighter depending on the values in the source image. Initially, it didn’t align perfectly and I had to reduce the size of the shapes inside the square for them to line up. To test this, I duplicated the square and then moved it vertically and horizontally. The final step involved testing the pattern to ensure it was seamless, meaning that when stacked next to itself, the pattern would appear to merge and repeat without a noticeable seam. Then, I used the PowerClip tool to incorporate the resulting pattern into the square shape (Figure 3). Once the blend was created, I duplicated it and nudged it up until I had formed a vertical pattern within the square. Next, I created a blend from 100% black to white, and back to black. I made sure it was balanced and then aligned it within a square shape. In the example patterns, I started in CorelDRAW with a simple wavy line. You may have to create a dozen patterns to get one or two that consistently work well, so be patient. Remember, everything may not work perfectly the first time and there will be a learning curve. You can use Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator or CorelDRAW to do this. To create a completely original halftone, you must first create a unique pattern. With a simple process involving a Photoshop function, some time and willingness to experiment, you can create completely unique halftones using original shapes. ![]() Pushing the envelope and designing something extraordinary doesn’t have to be a hassle or expensive. This is good because they are easy to find and predictable, but bad because it is hard to create a one-of-a-kind look with these styles. Most screen printers are familiar with standard halftone patterns and square dots, and have access to them. The downside to this type of dot is that it gives most images a grainy appearance and can sometimes lack shadows and highlight areas. The advantages of this style are its random nature and uniform dot size, diminishing dot-gain issues on press and interference-pattern issues with screen meshes. This dot style also is called an index dot after the specific color mode and separation method that some printers use in Photoshop. This method is considered a frequency dot and differs from halftones in that the value represents how closely the dots are grouped (Figure 2). The most versatile are the round and ellipse shapes, although some printers occasionally use diamond or line halftones.Īnother method for creating value with dots in Photoshop is to use a square or stochastic dot (also referred to as diffusion dither). The standard choices are similar to those offered in most RIP software, such as round, diamond, ellipse, cross or line halftones (Figure 1). You can create halftones in the software anytime you convert a grayscale image into black-and-white (bitmap) mode. However, there are only a few options for creating halftones in Adobe Photoshop unless you buy plug-ins. So it makes sense to mix things up occasionally, especially if it could enhance your artwork. Different types of halftone dots create value ranges in unique ways that can influence the way artwork appears, and also in the way it prints.
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