The visual idea in one page
Halftone is a way to represent continuous tone with a pattern of marks. Instead of painting every shade as a smooth field, the image uses dots or another repeatable shape to make the eye perceive light, dark, and color.
The useful part
Large or closely packed marks read as darker. Small or widely spaced marks leave more of the background visible and read as lighter. At a distance, the eye blends the pattern into a tone; up close, the structure becomes the artwork.
The useful part
Photographic halftones, regular Ben-Day-style fields, stippling, and dithering can all look dotted, but they solve different visual problems. Compare the source, the mark, and the repeat before choosing a name for the effect.
The useful part
The home generator lets you change the dot geometry while the original image stays on your device. Use the compare view to see exactly which tonal information changes.
Made for seeing the difference
Every page on HalftoneDots pairs a clear explanation with something you can inspect, download, or make yourself.