halftone
halftone — noun
- halftonesingular
- halftonesplural
1. a way of printing images by breaking a photograph or illustration into a grid of
a way of printing images by breaking a photograph or illustration into a grid of tiny black dots; the size and spacing of the dots create the look of different shades of gray or color when viewed from a normal distance
Bao noticed that the halftone image in the brochure used larger dots for darker areas.
halftone image + larger dots = darker tone
The art book reproduces Valentina's charcoal drawing as a halftone on textured paper.
reproduce as a halftone — printing output
Padma adjusted the halftone settings on the scanner to keep the shadow details clear.
Emma studied the halftone pattern under a magnifying glass for her design class.
The old newspaper photo was printed as a coarse halftone, giving it a gritty feel.
- halftone print
the physical output rather than the technique
- photoengraving
a broader term for any image reproduced through metal or plastic plates
- continuous tone
an image or print with smooth, unbroken gradations of tone, created without dots
文法句型
halftone of [image/subject]
as a halftone
用法筆記
Belongs to the technical vocabulary of printing, publishing, and digital graphics. In casual conversation, most speakers say 'a printed picture' rather than 'a halftone'.
2. the smallest interval between two notes in Western music, equal to the pitch gap
the smallest interval between two notes in Western music, equal to the pitch gap from one piano key to the very next key, whether white or black
Hamza practiced moving his fingers one halftone at a time along the guitar fretboard.
one halftone at a time — stepwise movement
Ryo noticed that a major and minor scale differ by one halftone in the third note.
Noa asked her teacher to explain the difference between a halftone and a whole tone.
For the music exam, Mark had to identify each halftone interval by ear.
Tunde played the melody a halftone higher so the singer could reach the high notes.
- whole tone
an interval twice the size of a halftone, equal to two piano keys apart with one key in between
- whole step
the American English term for a whole tone
文法句型
by halftones
a halftone interval
用法筆記
Now much less common than 'semitone' (British) or 'half step' (American). Modern musicians almost always say 'semitone' or 'half step' instead of 'halftone' for the interval.