Halftone

The method of representing a shade or colour using a pattern of dots or lines.

Described as a percentage, it indicates the coverage simulated by the areas of solid colour in relation to the substrate allowed to show through the pattern. Halftones are used in printing processes where continuous tone is impossible to achieve, yet shading is required.

Typical Halftone patterns include round, elliptical, geometric (lines), euclidean (round in the shadows and highlights and square in the midtones) and stochastic (a random pattern of dots, similar to diffusion dither).