Get a retro look with halftone effects.

How to achieve a halftone filter effect in Adobe Photoshop.

Follow this quick and easy tutorial to add a halftone pattern in Photoshop.

1. Add your images.

Select the images you want to add a halftone effect to, and add them to Photoshop.

2. Find your Filter.

In the top navigation bar, go to the Filter drop-down menu.

3. Choose Pixelate.

From the options in the Filter menu, select Pixelate.

4. Select Colour Halftone.

Choose Colour Halftone in the Pixelate menu. From here, you can further adjust two other variables, radius and channel, to affect how the halftone texture appears.

Radius

The radius affects the size of the halftone dots and spacing in between. Adjust the sizes of the dots to change the gradient and blur of the colour and image. Smaller dots will look smoother and subtler, while larger dot sizes will evoke lower-gradient print matter like vintage comics, old advertisements or DIY grunge zines.

Channel

The Channel setting adjusts the way the dots are placed and how they overlap. Each Channel is controlled by a Screen Angle setting. The value is listed in degrees. Adjusting the value changes the angle at which the Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black dots are added to the pattern. Where the dots overlap, they can form new colours, depending on how they combine.

Using halftone effects in the digital age.

Halftone images are a staple of pop art, screen printing and graphic design, referencing printing styles of a bygone era. Give halftoning a try to evoke nostalgia, make something look aged or vintage or reference the first decades of printed colour.