Four-plate CMYK print simulation
Full-color print is an illusion built from four single-color dot screens — cyan, magenta, yellow and black — each rotated to its own angle and overprinted so the dots interleave into a rosette. This tool actually separates your photo into those four plates and rebuilds it that way.
You can set each plate's color and screen angle, the dot pitch and ink opacity, and watch the overprint do its thing. It's the honest version of a 'print' filter — real channel separation, not a sepia wash.
From open to export
- Upload a photo with decent color and contrast.
- Set the pitch and dot size for a fine print or coarse newsprint screen.
- Adjust each plate's angle if you want to chase or avoid moiré.
- Tune ink opacity, then export PNG.
Common uses
- newsprint and comic print looks
- screen-print and poster art
- retro process-color treatments
- print-education and demo visuals
FAQ
Why does it look like overlapping colored dots up close?
Because that's how process printing works — four single-color screens at different angles overprint into a rosette that your eye blends into full color from a distance.
What do the plate angles change?
They set each color screen's rotation. The classic angles (roughly 15/45/75/0) minimize moiré; deliberately misaligning them creates visible interference patterns.
Is this a real CMYK separation?
It separates the image into C, M, Y and K channels and screens each — a faithful simulation of the process, rendered on screen as RGB.
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