CMYK Halftone Generator

Halftone dots are a classic print technique that turns continuous tones into a field of tiny circles. The result feels editorial, tactile, and instantly “designed”, making it perfect for posters, hero backgrounds, album covers, and brand assets that want a premium print vibe. This CMYK Halftone Generator creates tileable, production-ready SVG halftone patterns using Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (Black) dot layers. Because the output is vector-based, it stays crisp at any size and exports cleanly for web, Figma, Illustrator, InDesign, and modern CSS workflows.

How it works

The tool builds a repeating halftone tile in SVG. Each CMYK channel is rendered as a grid of dots, then rotated to a traditional screen angle to reduce moiré and create a familiar print texture. You can control the tile size, spacing, dot radius, layer opacity, and a deterministic seed so you can reproduce the same pattern later. When you click Generate, you get a live preview plus the raw SVG code and a downloadable SVG file.

Channel screen angles

In classic printing, each ink screen is rotated to a different angle. This generator follows that idea and lets you fine-tune it. Even small changes can shift the perceived grain and depth, so you can match the style of a magazine halftone, risograph look, or a subtle background texture.

Key features

• Vector SVG output: scalable, sharp, and easy to edit in design tools.
• Tileable patterns: build seamless backgrounds without visible edges.
• CMYK layers: independent color + opacity controls per channel.
• Seeded randomness: keep results consistent across revisions.
• Instant preview: see the texture before exporting.
• Copy-ready code: copy the SVG markup or embed it as a data URL.

Use cases

Hero backgrounds for products and SaaS

Add visual depth behind a headline without heavy images. A halftone texture feels premium and prints well in marketing PDFs while staying lightweight on the web.

Posters, covers, and editorial graphics

Create a bold print-inspired base layer, then place typography and photography on top. Because the pattern is SVG, you can recolor or mask it cleanly inside Illustrator or Figma.

Brand systems and templates

Keep a consistent “print grain” across social templates, pitch decks, landing pages, and packaging mocks. Use the seed and preset naming to standardize assets for your team.

UI accents and section dividers

Halftone tiles work as subtle separators, card textures, or background panels. Reduce dot radius and opacity for a gentle, non-distracting finish.

Optimization tips

• Keep tiles moderate: tiles between 400–1200px are flexible for web and print.
• Balance spacing and radius: tighter spacing increases ink coverage and contrast; larger radius increases boldness.
• Use opacity for subtlety: for backgrounds, try 10–30% opacity per channel to avoid overpowering text.
• Watch moiré in photos: when overlaying on photography, reduce contrast or use fewer channels.
• Export variants: keep “soft”, “medium”, and “bold” presets for quick switching across layouts.

If you plan to print, test at final size. Very small dots can disappear on certain papers, while very dense patterns can fill in. Because the output is vector, you can always adjust dot size and regenerate without losing quality.

FAQ

 Is the SVG seamless and safe for repeating backgrounds? 

Yes. The generator creates a repeatable tile with dots positioned inside the tile bounds. You can repeat it in design tools or export it for web usage as a repeating background pattern.

 How do I use the output on a website? 

You can download the SVG and reference it as a background image, or copy the raw SVG markup and convert it to a data URL. For best performance, keep the tile size reasonable and compress the SVG if needed.

 Can I match traditional CMYK halftone angles? 

Yes. The tool starts with common screen angles and lets you adjust them. Small changes can create noticeably different textures, so it is worth testing a few presets.

 Why use SVG instead of a bitmap? 

SVG stays crisp at any resolution, is easy to recolor, and compresses well. It also integrates cleanly with modern design tools and supports precise alignment in print layouts.

Why choose this tool

This generator is built for fast, repeatable production work. Instead of hunting for stock textures, you can generate a clean halftone base that matches your brand colors and export it immediately. The deterministic seed, copy-ready output, and seamless tiling make it ideal for teams that need consistent design assets across web, social, and print.