One of the hard thing to accomplish in transmitter example is a halftone , which is a way of reproduce a monochrome prototype using only dots of varying sizes . Halftones are specially important for pictorial artist working with a limited identification number of color ( in bill poster or t - shirt aim , for example ) , because they give refinement to otherwise flat artwork . Moreover , transmitter halftones can be scaled to any size without showing pixelation .

In this tutorial , I ’ll show you how to create a grayscale object and turn over it into a transmitter halftone . These step are written for Adobe Illustrator CS5 , but the cognitive process is very exchangeable for previous versions of Illustrator .

Step 1: Prepare your document

It ’s important that your new document has a large canvas . prefer File - > New . Once the New Document windowpane appears , enter an appropriate name ( i.e. Halftone Object ) . select Web from the New Document Profile pop - up carte du jour and then lend in a width and height of 1800×1800 px . Now click very well to produce the document .

You ’ll need to tweak one more mise en scene before you could lead off , though . take Effect - > Document Raster Effects preferences . Under solvent , snap Other and enter 288 ppi . Illustrator habituate the standard screen metric function of 72 ppi , and by choose a raster setting that is a multiple of 72 , you ’ll get better solution when trace . To go on , click OK .

lay a comparatively high solvent for the document ’s raster effects allows you to get good results when tracing your halftone .

Setting a relatively high resolution for the document’s raster effects allows you to get better results when tracing your halftone.

Setting a relatively high resolution for the document’s raster effects allows you to get better results when tracing your halftone.

Step 2: Create your object

You ’ll now take to produce a simple-minded object with a greyscale gradient . This can be accomplished in a number of ways — stock gradient , gradient mesh and blend — but for now , get ’s create a blend with a wizard - shaped aim .

Choose the Star Tool from the toolbar — you’ll find it in the same place as the Rectangle Tool — and create a star shape that fills most of the document . ( Or , prefer the Star Tool and click the center of the canvas . This calls virtuoso configurations windowpane . Enter Radius 1 : 800 , Radius 2 : 420 and Points : 5 , and then cluck OK . )

take the star and then prefer File - > Copy , followed by File - > Paste in Place . This glue a transcript of the star on top of the subsist lead , and for the moment , it ’ll look as though there is still only one star on your canvas . take Object - > Transform - > Scale . A exfoliation window appears , allow you to incisively scale the physical object you ’ve just pasted . Click Uniform , enter 25 % and then click OK . You ’ll see a lowly principal sitting atop the original big one .

Once you’ve set the colors for each star, you can create a soft gradient between the two using Blend.

Once you’ve set the colors for each star, you can create a soft gradient between the two using Blend.

Now you ’ll need to correct to color for each star . prefer Window - > Color to call up the fill and stroke people of color control board . You ’ll see two boxes in the top leave behind , which symbolize the color of the filling ( the solid square ) and the stroking ( the square with the square hole in it ) . Clicking either square toes brings it to the front , provide you to change the color of that dimension . take the small lead , bring the stroke solid forward ( if necessary ) and then remove the fortuity by clicking the white box with the violent line through it , constitute in the bottom left of the coloring jury . Now bring the filling square forward and set the filling color to a dark grey ( for good example , enter an RGB note value of R=77 , G=77 , B=77 ) .

Repeat this process for the large star , removing its stroke but this time setting the fill color to white ( RGB R=255 , G=255 , B=255 ) . When you tap the canvas , the large whizz will vanish — no indigence for concern .

take Select - > Select All , followed by Object - > Blend - > Make . Instantly , you ’ll see a subdued gradient seem between the two mavin .

Applying the Color Halftone filter changes your object to a black-and-white halftone—but for the moment, it’s a bitmap.

Applying the Color Halftone filter changes your object to a black-and-white halftone—but for the moment, it’s a bitmap.

Once you’ve set the colors for each star, you can create a soft gradient between the two using Blend.Step 3: Apply Color Halftone filter

Once you ’ve got a object with a smooth gradient , you could convert it into a halftone . At this point you ’ll actually convert the transmitter artwork into a bitmap , but do n’t interest , you ’ll bring it back to transmitter mode before you ’re done .

Select the star and choose Effect - > Pixelate - > Color Halftone . The first subject field in the Color Halftone window ask you to opt the maximal r , a setting that controls the proportional size of the halftone Zen . Enter 96 into this field . The next four field demand you to set the the screen angle for four different channel . come in 128 in each field . Click OK to continue .

The conversion to halftone is a processor - intensive undertaking and may take few second and you will see a progress bar . Once it ’s complete , you ’ll see that the physical object is now composed of black dots . If you are n’t glad with the size of these halftone dots , choose undo and repeat the process . go in a different number for maximal radius : a larger number yield you large dots , and a small number stand for smaller dots .

The completed vector halftone can be changed into any color you wish.

The completed vector halftone can be changed into any color you wish.

use the Color Halftone filter changes your object to a black - and - white halftone — but for the moment , it ’s a bitmap .

Step 4: Trace your halftone object

In orderliness to turn your novel halftone graphics into a transmitter object , you ’ll require to use Illustrator ’s Live Trace .

Select the halftone artwork with the Object Selection Tool and choose Object - > Expand Appearance . pick out Object - > alive Trace - > Tracing Options .

In the top left of the Tracing Options window , you ’ll see a pop up - up menu for Presets . Choose Simple Trace and then clack Trace . The trace process may take up to a minute , calculate upon the density of the halftone engraving dot .

When the trace is complete , choose Object - > Expand . A down - up window will tender you a few options for the procedure , but you do n’t demand to transfer anything . Click OK , and you ’ll see that your halftone has indeed been turned to vector . ( The tracing process yields slightly weak circles , but they ’re for sure sufficient for a photoengraving . )

you’re able to change your new halftone to any colour you bid — just select the physical object and piece a coloration !

The complete transmitter halftone can be changed into any color you wish . you’re able to now use your slick new halftone object in a t - shirt design or poster , knowing that it will descale to any size without degrading . You ’ll chance this halftone engraving technique works well on grayscale photos , too — give it a try !

[ Chris McVeigh is an source , illustrator and miniature photographer who hold up in Halifax , Nova Scotia . ]

Illustrator CS5