Choose the image for the effect
Start with a subject that has a clear silhouette, distinct light and dark areas, and enough space around it. Portraits and bold shapes are easier to read than dense text or a busy crowd.
A pale image may produce very small marks and lose contrast. A dark image may merge into large filled areas. Adjust the source carefully and compare it with Original image before committing to the effect.
Tune one setting at a time
- Open the halftone tool and upload an image. Begin with classic black dots on white.
- Set the final poster width before judging the pattern. Physical mark spacing and the size of the poster work together.
- Try a small spacing for more detail, then a larger spacing for a more visible graphic pattern. Watch the eyes, mouth and narrow gaps.
- Compare the full poster with a close view. If the shape is not recognisable at the expected distance, simplify the crop or choose another image.
- Export and print a representative page at 100%. Paper and ink can make tightly spaced marks merge more than on screen.
Understand the export
Supported classic mark styles are drawn as vector shapes in the tiled PDF. A PNG export and image-based effects are raster images. Vector dots keep their edges sharp, but the subject they describe still depends on the original image.
The coloured-ink / CMYK effect is an on-screen and composite-print simulation. It does not provide separate CMYK press plates or a professional colour-managed press workflow.
When Original image is a better choice
For a classroom chart, small labels, a technical template or a detailed map, keep the original unless a trial confirms that the pattern preserves the needed information. Halftone is an aesthetic choice, not a way to restore unreadable source text.