Techniques / Printing
Halftone Printing
Unlock the full spectrum of grayscale and spot-color range. Halftone converts continuous-tone images into dots and lines of varying size and spacing — reproducing intricate shades with a depth and texture that flat process printing can't touch.
The technique is ideal for black-and-white photography and fine-art reproduction, where tonal range is everything — and as a *visible* design element, where the dot pattern itself becomes the aesthetic. Enlarged halftones over foil or on colored stock give artwork a graphic, screenprinted energy.
Duotone pushes further: two contrasting ink colors overlaid for a stylized, emotionally rich result — one of our favorite looks for posters, book plates, and album-art-adjacent work. Run through offset with hand-picked PMS inks (including fluorescents), the combinations are effectively unlimited.
Where halftone shines
- Black-and-white photography — posters, book plates, and portrait cards with real tonal depth.
- Duotone editorial — two-ink spreads with the emotional register of a film still.
- The visible dot — enlarged halftones as the design itself, screenprint energy on press.
- Fine-art reproduction — intricate shades held through the whole run.
Halftone printing samples
FAQ
What is halftone printing?
Continuous-tone images converted into dots and lines of varying size and spacing — how ink on paper reproduces a photograph's full tonal range.
What is duotone?
The same image run in two overlaid ink colors — usually a dark and a hue — for a stylized, emotionally rich result. One of our favorite looks for posters and art books.
What file should I supply?
The highest-resolution continuous-tone original you have. We handle the halftone conversion, screen choice, and ink pairing on our end.
Can halftones run in specialty inks?
Yes — halftones and duotones print in hand-picked PMS inks, fluorescents and metallics included.