Skip to content

How can we improve Illustrator (desktop)? Vote or share a new idea — one request per entry, please.

← Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests

Vector Halftones Effect (within AI and without third-party plugins)

I would like AI to integrate a feature that can convert raster images and/or vector elements (gradients, sketches, shapes, anything..) into a perfectly shaped round dots Halftones Effect.

As a matter of fact, it is already possibile to get something similar by applying the raster halftones Effect to the element and then Live Tracing it. But the result is something uneven made of irregular circles or shape. So it is not a precise function to take into consideration.

The effect should be achieved without any third-party plugins or anything which is not already included in the full AI software release (like many already are).

Although it isn't the most important one, it would make life easier to many of us. Besides, the same function has been already integrated in Corel Draw (Pointillizer extension) and there are many plugins or web sites that can do the job pretty well. So why such a company like Adobe can get the job done..
I reckon many designer still use this kind of effect and rely on the smoothness of the vector result.

So, I just thought it was about time such a simple feature could be definitely added to this powerful tool we all designers use and love to work with. (i. e. Adobe Illustrator).

Hope you will find the feature useful and reasonable enough to start working on it (I also know there may be other suggesting the same; but since I haven't found it developed in the CC 2019 release, I thought I might as well give it a refresh....)

Thank you all for you attention,
and thanks for your work and support.

Best regards,
Alex

198 votes

We're glad you're here

Please sign in to leave feedback
Signed in as (Sign out)
Close
Close

We’ll send you updates on this idea

Alex shared this idea  ·   ·  Report…  ·  Admin →
How important is this to you?

We're glad you're here

Please sign in to leave feedback
Signed in as (Sign out)
Close
Close

We're glad you're here

Please sign in to leave feedback
Signed in as (Sign out)
Close
Close
Submitting...
An error occurred while saving the comment
  • Ken Lustig commented  ·   ·  Report

    Here are a few cases where Effect -> Pixelate -> Color halftone cannot solve the problem:
    1) Sending a file from illustrator and having it randomly render inaccurately in a PDF file in a RIP system when it's sent to press without it being flattened.
    2) Using an enlarged halftone pattern as the basis for a knockout or mask.
    3) Using a gradient halftone as the foundation of a white overprint on transparent graphic vinyls and acrylic.
    4) Being able to resize the halftone to a specific LPI or density without modifying it in the appearance tab and guessing or mathing out the correct size setting. This can get entirely infeasible with Freeform Gradient and raster images when working with oversize retail graphics and vehicle wrap designs.
    5) Being able to use the halftone as a Z Map or cut path control for several types of commercial production machines.
    6) Assigning a color managed Spot Color that matches brand graphics.

    There are others, this is just six from design projects in the last two months.

  • Graeme Luey commented  ·   ·  Report

    The result from Effect > Pixelate > Color halftone does not result in the halftone dots being vector circles, and the live trace to make them as such doesn't result in circles, but weird blobs.

  • Jotham commented  ·   ·  Report

    @Archit Mathur

    The color halftone effect is not vector, but raster. If you try and convert it to vector by live tracing it like the OP stated it comes out as irregular shape dots in the vector tracing process.

    We need the ability to generate halftone dots by frequency and DPI relative to the color swatch or gradient being used in vector, so that we can expand the shape if needed and adjust if needed. The current color halftone effect does not work like that and requires numerous additional steps to get it into a semi usable vector format as the dots are not perfect.

    This is currently provided by other third party plug ins and has been available for years. Here is just one example of how it works. Something like this would be leaps and bounds better than the color halftone effect as its live editable and can be converted to vector if needed.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehGIVHzMF8w

  • Giulio commented  ·   ·  Report

    If you read this carefully, you will understand that it is talking about a VECTOR halftone effect, like Corel Draw's Pointillize does. And, I must add, I find it sad and ridiculous that an application as powerful as Illustrator still can't do this!

  • Alex York commented  ·   ·  Report

    Hi Archit, the current halftone effect you refer to is a raster effect.

    This post supports an effect that would essentially do the same thing using vectors. Using a vector effect would be much more usable and more powerful than the current raster effect.

    A good example of what this might look like is the Astute Graphics Phantasm tool. Astute is the only plugin I know of that can do vector halftones.

    The need here is for a vector effect that can be scaled, edited, and recolored without needing to rasterize the artwork.

  • nick commented  ·   ·  Report

    Well for starters they are not vectors after using colour halftone, plus you can't change the shape of the dot (i.e ellipse etc.) and there's no option to chose the lpi frequency. If you take a look at Astute Graphics Phantasm Halftone option you'll see what we need without paying 100 dollars a year.

    All the best
    Nick

    (Edited by admin)
  • Pu commented  ·   ·  Report

    YASSS. why when have raster effects anyway. this is illustrator!

  • Aman Nischal commented  ·   ·  Report

    This and more was possible using scriptographer ( https://scriptographer.org/ ) in Illustrator 9 up untill Illustrator CS5 but then they stoped support for newer versions of Illustrator.

    Please make this happen

  • Jay commented  ·   ·  Report

    Please make this happen!

  • RY commented  ·   ·  Report

    Yes, some people are limited by their employers purchasing policies that for various reasons will not permit the purchase of third-party plug-ins.

  • Lisa Bambach commented  ·   ·  Report

    Parametric feature where you can specify geometric shape sizes with no irregularities from smallest to largest— Right now, we use Rhino to abstract a photograph into this style, layer the results into Illustrator, and then prepare the artwork for routing, laser cutting, or print.

  • Daniel Werneck commented  ·   ·  Report

    In "Color Halftone" we only have the option of setting one pixel size for the dots, that will later be applied to all 4 channels. However, in printing, it is common for each color channel to be printed with a different dot size, to prevent moiré and create more solid patterns. It would be great if in Illustrator one could set a different pixel size for each color, the same way it is possible to vary the angle.

    Also it would be amazing to have this setting done in LPI rather than pixel dot size.

Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests: Effects, Appearance, Graphic Styles

Categories

Feedback and Knowledge Base

(thinking…)