Halftone Pro

A professional vector halftone CEP extension for Adobe Illustrator. 4 mode tabs - Spots, Lines, Stipple, Image - with live canvas preview, 25 one-click presets, and fully editable vector output.

Overview

Halftone Pro is an Adobe CEP extension (HTML/JS panel) that generates fully editable vector halftone patterns directly inside Illustrator. Every dot, line, and stipple mark is a native vector path - no rasterization, no live effects, no third-party dependencies.

Built and maintained by Petra-dot.

What's new in v4.0

CEP Panel replaces the old ScriptUI dialog - dockable, resizable, with smooth UI
Live canvas preview - see your pattern update in real time as you adjust sliders
4 mode tabs - Spots, Lines, Stipple, Image, each with independent settings
25 one-click presets - expanded from 15 to cover all 4 tabs, each carefully tuned
Wavy and cross-hatch lines - smooth Catmull-Rom to Cubic Bezier curves with luma-modulated amplitude
Cross-hatch perpendicular sources - multi-pass lines with configurable per-pass source directions for rich shadow density
Image import - drop any image, the engine generates dots from its luma or color data (256×256 grid)
Custom symbol capture - select any path in Illustrator and use it as a dot shape
Stipple mode - high-scatter random dot distribution for organic, hand-drawn effects
Per-tab state memory - switching tabs preserves each tab's unique settings
Safe recursive-descent JSON parser - no eval, no arbitrary code execution
Sequential command queue - reliable grid transfer + generate pipeline with error handling
8 blend modes - normal, multiply, screen, overlay, soft/hard light, darken, lighten

Preview

Spots	Lines	Stipple	Image

Features

4 Mode Tabs

Spots - classic halftone dots with 6 shape types and configurable grid
Lines - straight, wavy, and cross-hatch lines with variable-width strokes, multi-pass angles, and perpendicular sources
Stipple - high-scatter organic dot distribution with random size, rotation, opacity, and flip
Image - import an image and generate dots from its luma or color data, with aspect-ratio-preserving preview

6 Dot Shapes

Circle, Square, Triangle, Hexagon, Diamond, Custom (capture any path)

3 Line Modes

Straight - single clean strokes with luma-driven variable width
Wavy - smooth Bezier curves with luma-modulated sine-wave amplitude
Cross-hatch - multi-pass overlapping lines with configurable pass angles, per-pass sources (diagonal, perpendicular, perpendicular-reversed), and wavy/straight per-pass selection

25 One-Click Presets

Spots (10) - Classic Newspaper, Fine Art Screen, Coarse Pop-Art, Gradient Wash, Hex Honeycomb, Diamond Editorial, Risograph, Scatter Pop, Radial Burst, Micro Texture, Offset Press
Lines (5) - Banknote Engraving, Cross-Hatch Shadow, Ribbon Lines, Blueprint Grid, Poster Hatch
Stipple (5) - Stipple Portrait, Brutalist Scatter, Ink Splatter, Grit Texture, Pointillism
Image (5) - CMYK Print, Duotone Dream, Posterized, Watercolor Edge, Neon Glow

Luma Sources for Dot Sizing

Uniform, Diagonal, Linear, Linear Rev, Radial, Image (tab 3)
Gamma correction with adjustable midpoint
Invert toggle

Color Modes

Flat (cMode 0) - single solid color across all dots
2-Color (cMode 1) - gradient between two colors based on luma
Gradient (cMode 2) - 2 or 3-stop gradient sampled at each dot's canvas position, 6 directions (horizontal, vertical, diagonal, radial)
Image color (cMode 3) - pixel-perfect color sampling from imported image (tab 3 only)

Dynamics

Random rotation with min/max angle range
Random opacity with min/max percentage range
Random horizontal/vertical flip
Random dot size mode
Scatter jitter for organic placement
Configurable per-dot randomness for stipple effects

Output Controls

Clip mask to selection or artboard bounds
Keep or remove source shape after generation
Group all shapes or keep individual paths
8 blend modes + opacity control
Named output layer with shape count

Live Canvas Preview

Real-time rendering with 250ms debounce
White, black, or checkerboard background
Automatic artboard bounds detection
Aspect-ratio-correct image overlay for Image tab
Cross-hatch and wavy line rendering matches engine output

Requirements

Software	Version
Adobe Illustrator	CS6 or later (CC 2019 through CC 2025)
OS	Windows 10/11 or macOS 10.15+
CEP	CSXS 11.0+ (built-in since Illustrator CC 2019)

Installation

Windows

Run install-windows.bat as Administrator
Restart Adobe Illustrator
Go to Window > Extensions > Halftone Pro

The installer enables PlayerDebugMode for CSXS.11-15 and copies the extension to:

%APPDATA%\Adobe\CEP\extensions\com.petradot.halftonepro

macOS

Open Terminal and run:

chmod +x install-mac.sh && ./install-mac.sh

Restart Adobe Illustrator
Go to Window > Extensions > Halftone Pro

The installer enables PlayerDebugMode and copies the extension to:

~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions/com.petradot.halftonepro

Manual Install

Copy the com.petradot.halftonepro folder to your CEP extensions directory:

Windows: %APPDATA%\Adobe\CEP\extensions\
macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions/

Then enable PlayerDebugMode:

Windows: run reg add "HKCU\Software\Adobe\CSXS.11" /v PlayerDebugMode /t REG_SZ /d 1 /f
macOS: run defaults write com.adobe.CSXS.11 PlayerDebugMode 1

How to Use

Fill the Artboard

Open an Illustrator document
Open the panel: Window > Extensions > Halftone Pro
Choose a tab (Spots, Lines, Stipple, or Image)
Adjust settings or pick a preset from the dropdown
Click Generate

The halftone fills the active artboard and is automatically clipped to its boundary.

Fill a Selection

Draw any shape (rectangle, circle, custom path, compound path)
Select it with the Selection Tool
Open the panel and click Generate

The halftone fills the selected shape's bounding area and clips to it. The source shape is removed by default (uncheck Keep source shape to keep it).

Use a Preset

Open the panel
Select a preset from the dropdown at the bottom
All settings load instantly
Tweak any value you want
Click Generate

Wavy and Cross-Hatch Lines

On the Lines tab:

Straight - uniform strokes with luma-driven width taper (top-to-bottom). Adjust Min and Max weight for the taper range.
Wavy - smooth sine-wave lines with adjustable frequency and amplitude. Luma modulates amplitude - light areas have larger waves, dark areas have smaller waves.
Cross-hatch - multi-pass overlapping lines. Configure the number of passes, angle offset per pass, and per-pass source directions. Use "diagonal" sources for wavy cross-hatch, or "perp"/"perp-rev" sources for straight variable-width cross-hatch (dense shadow buildup).

Stipple Mode

The Stipple tab uses high-scatter dot placement for organic, hand-drawn effects:

Scatter controls how far dots drift from their grid position (0–100%)
Random size creates varied dot weights throughout the pattern
Random rotation with min/max angle range adds directional variety
Random opacity with min/max range creates depth through transparency
Random flip H/V mirrors individual dots for asymmetrical texture
Low cell size with high scatter produces dense, chaotic stipple - ideal for portrait and texture work

Import an Image

Switch to the Image tab
Drop an image onto the dashed drop zone (or click to browse)
The preview updates with the image overlaid
Adjust cell size, gap, min/max scale, and gamma
Rotate the grid angle to change the dot pattern orientation
Check Place source image on artboard to include the original image in the output
Click Generate

The halftone respects the image's aspect ratio (contain scaling) and uses the image's luma for dot sizing. With Color mode set to Image color, dots sample the image's actual pixel colors. The engine downsamples to a 256×256 grid for performance.

Capture a Custom Dot Shape

Draw any path in Illustrator
Select it with the Selection Tool
In the panel, click Use Selected Path as Dot
The custom shape appears in the preview and is used for all dots
Click Clear to revert to the standard shape

The custom shape is normalized to a -0.5 to 0.5 bounding box and is remembered across sessions.

Panel Reference

Spots Tab

Section	Controls
Shape	Circle, Square, Triangle, Hexagon, Diamond, Custom
Grid & Spacing	Cell size, Gap %, Min scale %, Max scale %, Angle, Random dot size
Dot Size Source	Uniform, Diagonal, Linear, Linear Rev, Radial, Invert, Gamma, Midpoint
Color	Flat, 2-Color, Gradient (2 or 3-stop, 6 directions)
Dynamics	Random rotation (min/max), Random opacity (min/max), Random flip H/V, Scatter jitter
Output	Clip mask, Keep source shape, Group shapes, Blend mode, Opacity

Lines Tab

Section	Controls
Line Mode	Straight, Wavy, Cross-hatch
Grid	Spacing, Angle, Min weight, Max weight
Wavy / Cross-hatch	Frequency, Amplitude, Number of passes, Pass angle
Darkness Source	Uniform, Diagonal, Linear, Linear Rev, Radial, Invert, Gamma
Color	Flat, 2-Color, Gradient (2 or 3-stop, 6 directions)
Dynamics	Random line width, Random opacity, Scatter jitter
Output	Clip mask, Keep source shape, Group shapes, Blend mode, Opacity

Stipple Tab

Section	Controls
Shape	Circle, Square, Triangle, Hexagon, Diamond, Custom
Grid & Scatter	Cell size, Gap %, Min scale %, Max scale %, Angle, Scatter %
Dot Size Source	Uniform, Diagonal, Linear, Linear Rev, Radial, Invert, Gamma, Midpoint
Color	Flat, 2-Color, Gradient (2 or 3-stop, 6 directions)
Dynamics	Random rotation (min/max), Random opacity (min/max), Random flip H/V, Random dot size
Output	Clip mask, Keep source shape, Group shapes, Blend mode, Opacity

Image Tab

Section	Controls
Image Import	Drop zone, image name, Clear, Place source image on artboard
Dot Settings	Shape (Circle, Square, Triangle, Hexagon, Diamond), Cell size, Gap %, Min scale %, Max scale %, Angle
Brightness	Invert, Gamma, Midpoint
Color	Flat, 2-Color, Gradient (2 or 3-stop, 6 directions), Image color (cMode 3)
Dynamics	Random rotation (min/max), Random opacity (min/max), Random flip H/V
Output	Clip mask, Keep source shape, Group shapes, Blend mode, Opacity

Shared: Dynamics

Control	Description
Random rotation	Rotate each dot by a random angle between min and max degrees
Random opacity	Set each dot's opacity to a random value between min and max percent
Random flip H	Horizontally mirror individual dots randomly
Random flip V	Vertically mirror individual dots randomly
Random dot size	Multiply each dot's scale by a random 0.5–1.5 factor
Scatter jitter	Shift each dot from its grid position by a random offset (0–100% of cell)

Shared: Color Modes

Mode	Description
Flat (cMode 0)	All dots use a single color
2-Color (cMode 1)	Two colors: dots transition between them based on luma
Gradient (cMode 2)	2 or 3-stop gradient sampled at each dot's canvas position. 6 directions: horizontal, vertical, both diagonals, radial
Image color (cMode 3)	Each dot samples the actual pixel color from the imported image (Image tab only)

Presets Reference

Spots (10 presets)

Preset	Description
Classic Newspaper	45° diagonal screen, multiply blend, tight spacing - the traditional newsprint halftone
Fine Art Screen	Fine 30° screen with subtle gradient wash for high-detail reproduction
Coarse Pop-Art	Bold uniform red dots with 80% min scale - classic Lichtenstein-style pop art
Gradient Wash	3-stop color gradient (gold → teal → dark) across diagonal diamond grid at 30°
Hex Honeycomb	Uniform golden hexagons at 15° with multiply blend
Diamond Editorial	22° diamond screen with two-tone (charcoal → red) editorial color
Risograph	2-color lo-fi duplicator print with moderate scatter and 80% max scale
Scatter Pop	4-color random scatter with varied opacities - Ben-Day dot feel using diagonal gradient
Radial Burst	Radial gradient from gold to dark, invert on - dramatic radial burst effect
Micro Texture	Dense micro-dot at 35% opacity for subtle paper texture
Offset Press	Classic 45° offset plate simulation with blue ink at 50%

Lines (5 presets)

Preset	Description
Banknote Engraving	Fine wavy lines at 30° with deep navy, 8 waves/line - currency-style engraving
Cross-Hatch Shadow	3-pass cross-hatch (30°/60°/90°) with perpendicular sources for dense shadow buildup, gamma 0.6
Ribbon Lines	Bold wavy ribbon lines at 45° with 45pt amplitude, 2-color gradient (pink → yellow), screen blend
Blueprint Grid	True 0°/90° cross-grid with fine precision strokes - technical blueprint aesthetic
Poster Hatch	Bold 30°/120° cross-hatch with 14pt spacing and gentle 10pt wave - poster-style hatching

Stipple (5 presets)

Preset	Description
Stipple Portrait	Heavy scatter (80%) diagonal dots, gamma 1.4 for organic portrait stipple
Brutalist Scatter	Large spaced squares with full scatter (70%), random rotation 0–180°, uniform distribution
Ink Splatter	Full scatter (100%) dual-tone with random size and rotation - chaotic ink spray effect
Grit Texture	Dense micro-diamond dots at 50% opacity with 40% max scale - subtle film grain texture
Pointillism	Full scatter (100%) with gamma 1.6, color mode 3 for natural pointillist dispersion

Image (5 presets)

Preset	Description
CMYK Print	4-color CMYK simulation using circle dots at 10pt cell with multiply blend
Duotone Dream	2-color duotone (charcoal → orange) with diagonal source, 12pt cell
Posterized	High-contrast (gamma 2.5) squares at 16pt cell - crushed black/white poster effect
Watercolor Edge	Diamond dots at 45°, 14pt cell, dual-tone (teal → light blue), 80% opacity
Neon Glow	Fine 8pt circle dots with pink/cyan gradient, screen blend, gamma 1.8 - glowing neon effect

Architecture

com.petradot.halftonepro/
  index.html            Panel UI (HTML)
  CSXS/manifest.xml     CEP extension manifest
  icon.png              Panel icon (32x32, orange + halftone dots)

  js/
    CSInterface.js      Adobe CEP host bridge
    halftone-math.js    Shared pure math (luma, color, gradients, grid coords)
    preview.js          Canvas preview renderer
    main.js             Panel controller, state management, presets, event wiring

  jsx/
    engine.jsx          ExtendScript engine (ES3, runs in Illustrator)

  css/
    style.css           Dark theme matching Illustrator UI

Data Flow

Preview path: Slider change → schedulePreview() → Object.assign({}, state) → Canvas render (250ms debounce)
Generate path: Generate click → config payload built from state (grid/docBounds keys stripped) → sendGridsThenGenerate() pushes grid tasks (if needed) + generate task onto runEvalChain() → sequential evalScript calls → grid data sent via setImageLuma/setImageColors → generateWithUndo called with compact payload
State persistence: Per-tab snapshots via saveTabState/restoreTabState on tab switch. Custom shape persists across sessions via localStorage.

Key Design Decisions

Grid data is sent separately from the generate payload to avoid CEP's ~200 KB evalScript string limit. Luma and color grids (~82 KB each) go through their own evalScript calls before generate.
Shared math library (halftone-math.js) is loaded by both the preview (CEF/JS) and the engine (ExtendScript via $.evalFile), ensuring identical luma and color calculations.
No eval - the ExtendScript engine uses a recursive-descent parser for JSON, preventing arbitrary code execution from malformed input.
Per-tab snapshots replace brute-force zeroing on tab switch. Each tab remembers its own line/spot/stipple/image settings independently.

Tips

Gradient across the whole halftone after generation

The gradient Color mode samples per-dot positions - each dot gets a solid color. If you want a continuous gradient wash across all shapes, draw a rectangle over the output group, fill it with your gradient, and set its blend mode to Multiply.

Performance

For large artboards, increase cell size or line spacing to reduce shape count. The preview automatically debounces at 250ms. The engine has no upper shape limit but generation time scales with count. For the Image tab, the engine uses a 256×256 luma grid - large artboards with small cells produce the most shapes.

Editing the result

All output is standard vector paths in a named group on a named layer. Ungroup to access individual dots. Use Select > Same > Fill Color to select all dots of a specific color. Lines are stroked paths - adjust stroke weight, color, or cap style after generation.

Stipple for texture

Use the Stipple tab with low opacity, small cells (4-6pt), and high scatter to create subtle paper grain or noise textures. Combine with Multiply blend for layered texture effects.

Cross-hatch shadow density

For dense shadow areas with Cross-Hatch Shadow, use 3 passes with perpendicular sources. The perp mode draws stacked variable-width lines that build density without overlapping - ideal for engraved illustration.

Debug mode

Double-click the "v4.0" label in the panel header to reveal the raw engine response for troubleshooting.

Changelog

Version	Changes
4.0	Complete rewrite: CEP panel with HTML/CSS UI; 4 mode tabs (Spots, Lines, Stipple, Image); live canvas preview; 25 presets (expanded from 15); wavy and cross-hatch lines (Catmull-Rom to Cubic Bezier); perpendicular cross-hatch sources; image import with luma/color halftone (256×256 grid); custom symbol capture; stipple mode with full dynamics; per-tab state snapshots; safe JSON parser (no eval); shared math library; sequential command queue; 8 blend modes; dark theme; installers for Windows and macOS
3.1	Window title branding; version constants
3.0	Shapes outside bounds fixed; auto-clip to artboard; source shape removal timing fixed; color mode radio preset bug fixed
2.0	Gradient color map; gap/spacing slider; keep/remove source shape; CS6 compatibility
1.0	Initial release - 6 shape types, 15 presets, flat/multi/gradient color, dynamics

License

See LICENSE. SECURITY.md covers installer behavior and CEP extension security.

Contributing

Found a bug or have a feature request? Open an issue or submit a pull request at github.com/petra-dot/halftone-pro.

Please include:

Your Illustrator version and OS
A description of the issue or suggestion
Screenshots if applicable

Author

Made by Petra-dot

If this extension saves you time, a star on the repo is always appreciated.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
com.petradot.halftonepro		com.petradot.halftonepro
images		images
.gitignore		.gitignore
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
SECURITY.md		SECURITY.md
install-mac.sh		install-mac.sh
install-windows.bat		install-windows.bat

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