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NachoShaw
NachoShaw
Participant
January 6, 2018
Answered

Linear Halftone (Good)

  • January 6, 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 11514 views

Hi

I am trying to get a good linear Half tone but I'm not getting very far. I have attached 2 images. One image shows the linear halftone cut in black vinyl from a distance and the other image is a close up. In the closeup, the larger parts are about 4mm thick. Whats important is that the halftone is smooth like the image, not the jagged edges that photoshop give me.

Given what I am trying to achieve, what is the best way to achieve it?

Photoshop or Illustrator? (ultimately it will end up in illustrator as I need it as vector)

How can I get the desired effect so that I can trace it?

How can I get the best quality Linear halftone pattern?

What is the best image size? Mine will end up being cut out of a 12" x 12" piece of vinyl on this occasion.

Thanks

Nacho

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Semaphoric

    What method are you trying now? I usually do it like this: Starting with a grayscale image, I first run Image > Adjustments > Curves to flatten the contrast of the mid-tones. Then I scale up the image to a high resolution, like 2400 ppi, with resampling checked. I then convert to Bitmap mode, with the resolution set to the same as what I had scaled it to, using Halftone Screen with the Line option, using a low lines per inch value, like 8. Finally, I convert back to grayscale mode.

    It looks like this (at 100%)

        

    The problem is the image is now very large. I don't know how well it might work in Image Trace in Illustrator. You might want to try asking in the Illustrator Scripting Forum, Illustrator Scripting.

    A couple of other possibilities are this site, HalftonePro - Vector Halftone Pattern Generator , which say it will output .SVG files (I haven't tried it), or Scriptographer, https://scriptographer.org/​  which is a plugin for Illustrator, but unfortunately, development stopped after CS5, but if you have an older version of Illustrator available, it looks like it would do the job.

    2 replies

    c.pfaffenbichler
    Community Expert
    c.pfaffenbichlerCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    January 7, 2018

    Another option is using a Pattern Layer of a blurred line pattern set to Blend Mode Hard Mix and Gaussian Blurring the image underneath it.

    This could be done at higher resolution, converted to a Smart Object as a whole and that then downsampled as necessary.

    Semaphoric
    Community Expert
    SemaphoricCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    January 6, 2018

    What method are you trying now? I usually do it like this: Starting with a grayscale image, I first run Image > Adjustments > Curves to flatten the contrast of the mid-tones. Then I scale up the image to a high resolution, like 2400 ppi, with resampling checked. I then convert to Bitmap mode, with the resolution set to the same as what I had scaled it to, using Halftone Screen with the Line option, using a low lines per inch value, like 8. Finally, I convert back to grayscale mode.

    It looks like this (at 100%)

        

    The problem is the image is now very large. I don't know how well it might work in Image Trace in Illustrator. You might want to try asking in the Illustrator Scripting Forum, Illustrator Scripting.

    A couple of other possibilities are this site, HalftonePro - Vector Halftone Pattern Generator , which say it will output .SVG files (I haven't tried it), or Scriptographer, https://scriptographer.org/​  which is a plugin for Illustrator, but unfortunately, development stopped after CS5, but if you have an older version of Illustrator available, it looks like it would do the job.

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