Halftone Printing

Halftone is a screen printing technique that simulates shading through the use of dots. Commonly used in traditional printing like newspapers, brochures, and informational fliers, halftone printing in apparel simulates a continuous tone, or gradient, using one color.

RushOrderTees uses halftone printing to print photographic, or multi-tonal artwork with fewer ink colors. This process uses one ink color to produce a detailed image and is available on request.

How Does Halftone Printing Work?

Halftone printing creates an optical illusion; the size, shape, and spacing of the tiny dots are blended into a continuous tone by the human eye. The result is an image with a softer, more complete visual appearance.

Halftone Printing Examples

What’s the Benefit of Using Halftones?

The biggest strengths of halftone printing are:

• Reduced Cost - The cost of screen printing is impacted by the number of colors used. Therefore, the fewer colors, the lower the cost.
• Creative Flexibility - Not only can halftone printing offer creative options when limited to one ink color, but manipulating the size, shape, and spacing of the dots can produce interesting effects.

Tips for Using Halftones

RushOrderTees’ design team works with halftone printing on a daily basis and we suggest the following:

• Darker Ink on a Light Colored Shirt (e.g. Black Ink, White Shirt)
• LIghter Ink on a Dark Colored Shirt (e.g. White Ink, Black Shirt)
• Use High-Resolution Photos (TIFF Format, 300 DPI)

Using Halftone Printing Versus Alternatives

Halftone printing is an excellent way to customize apparel. Not only does it offer creative flexibility, but it also saves money. When planning the customization of your next piece of apparel, consider the use of halftones.

Need some additional help or guidance? Contact our team of experts at 1-800-620-1233 or sales@rushordertees.com