Dot shape lab · every pattern tied to a mesh and LPI
Halftone pattern generator for screen print films
Pick a dot shape from the gallery and watch the same tone ramp, the loupe and the shirt redraw at your real LPI and angle. A halftone dot generator for screen printing, not a wallpaper filter.
Your artwork or a worked example — load one, then change anything
Design file streetwear-gradient-logo
Print simulation
Free · made in your browser
Pro film pack · screen-ready files
Unlock screen-ready film positives
- 1:1 film PDF, one page per plate, with registration crosshairs, plate headers and a 10-step exposure strip
- 600 DPI 1-bit transparent PNG films with 0 grey edge pixels, including the choked white underbase
- Plate-grouped true vector SVG: real circle, path and polygon dots at print size
- Unlimited designs while your pass is active
Desktop RIP software runs $199–$495. The 7-day pass is $4.99.
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Recommended · Mesh ÷ 4.5 = 34.7
Emulsion and print size
Shadow clip
Knock-out threshold
WASH-OUT SAFE Min Dot Diameter: 146 μm Limit 96 μm = 1.5 × 64 μm thread
- Mesh
- Screen Mesh: 156T
- Output
- Output LPI: 35 LPI @ 22.5°
- Thread
- Thread: 64 μm · Opening: 99 μm
- Emulsion
- Emulsion: Dual-cure
- Risk
- Risk zones: 0 cells
- Vector nodes
- Vector Nodes: 0 dots
- Knock-out
- Knocked out: 0% of artwork
- Output size
- 11.00 × 13.75 in · 6600 × 8250 px @ 600 DPI
600 DPI 1-Bit · Grey pixels: 0Vector SVG ready
Free vs Pro, file by file
- Proof PNG Free
- Opaque shirt mockup up to 1000 px, stamped CLIENT MOCKUP PROOF ONLY — NOT FOR SCREEN EXPOSURE
- Settings TXT Free
- Mesh, LPI, angle, gain and clips to pin next to the press
- 1:1 Film PDF Pro
- One page per plate with crosshairs, plate header and a 10-step strip
- 600 DPI PNGs Pro
- Transparent 1-bit films with 0 grey edge pixels
- Vector SVG Pro
- Plate-grouped circle, path and polygon dots at print size
Settings sheet preview
Settings appear here.
How it works
From artwork to film in four steps
- 01
Start from a gradient.
The Streetwear Gradient Brand Logo carries a fade to 1% and a 0–100% ramp, so every shape shows its highlights and shadows.
- 02
Click a shape swatch.
Round, elliptical, Euclidean, line or diamond. The swatch sets the dot shape and both canvases redraw at once.
- 03
Match the angle.
Elliptical and line screens want 22.5°; round and diamond usually sit at 45°. Use the angle chips in step 2.
- 04
Check the loupe.
Zoom to 800% on the smallest dot to see how each shape sits across the mesh threads before you export the film.
Shape behavior
When each dot shape holds on press
All five shapes print the same tone; they differ in where neighboring dots meet, and that is where prints band or plug.
| Shape | Midtone behavior | Best for | Angle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Dots touch all four neighbors at 79% | Logos, highlights, everyday single color | 45° |
| Elliptical | Chains form near 47%, gaps close near 94% | Portraits, skin, soft gradients | 22.5° |
| Euclidean | Checkerboard exactly at 50% | Photographic midtones | 45° |
| Line | No dots; line width carries the tone | Vintage, engraved, coarse mesh | 22.5° |
| Diamond | Corners meet at 50%, holes above | DTF breathable fills, bold graphics | 45° |
Line screens
Why line screens suit vintage prints
A line screen trades dot size for line width, which changes how the stencil holds.
On a 110 or 125 mesh a 30 LPI line screen holds better than round dots at the same LPI, because a line bridges many threads along its length even where it is thin. The print reads as engraving or old newspaper. Keep the angle at 22.5° so the lines cross the threads.
The catch is the highlights. A 5% line at 30 LPI is only about 42 μm wide, close to a single 70 μm thread, so set the highlight clip at 8–10% for line screens on coarse mesh and let the shirt carry the lightest tones.
Pitch
Pattern pitch and LPI
LPI is the number of cells per inch along the screen angle. The cell pitch is 25.4 ÷ LPI millimeters.
| LPI | Cell pitch | Cells per in² | Cells in a 10 × 12 in print |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 1.016 mm | 625 | 75,000 |
| 35 | 0.726 mm | 1,225 | 147,000 |
| 45 | 0.564 mm | 2,025 | 243,000 |
| 50 | 0.508 mm | 2,500 | 300,000 |
| 55 | 0.462 mm | 3,025 | 363,000 |
| 65 | 0.391 mm | 4,225 | 507,000 |
The Vector Nodes readout counts only cells that actually carry a dot, so a logo with lots of empty space has far fewer nodes than the full rectangle in this table.
Where it fits
Jobs this page is built for
Soft gradients on light shirts
Elliptical dots join in chains around 47%, which hides the jump where round dots touch at 79%.
Back to the main halftone generatorVintage and distressed looks
A coarse line screen at 25–35 LPI reads as engraving and survives a 110 or 125 mesh.
Pair it with a black shirt knock-outBreathable DTF fills
Diamonds above 50% leave clean diamond holes, the shape the DTF breathable mode cuts into solid glue.
Open the DTF halftone generatorCutter and laser patterns
Each shape exports as a real circle, path or polygon in the Pro SVG, at true size.
See the vector node count
Shop questions
Frequently asked questions
Which dot shape gives the smoothest gradient?
Elliptical. Its dots first join into chains along one axis near 47%, and the gaps between the chains only close near 94%, so the midtone jump is spread out instead of happening all at once. Round dots touch all four neighbors together at 79%, which can show a band.
When should I use a Euclidean dot?
When the art has a lot of 40–60% midtones. Euclidean dots are round in the highlights, square at exactly 50% (a checkerboard) and inverted round in the shadows, so the midtone transition is symmetrical.
Is a line screen still a halftone?
Yes. The line width carries the tone instead of the dot size. A 30% tone is a line 30% of the cell pitch wide. It holds well on coarse mesh and suits engraved or vintage looks, but avoid running the lines parallel to the threads.
Why do diamonds work for DTF?
Above 50% a diamond dot leaves a clean diamond-shaped hole at each cell corner. In DTF breathable mode every solid cell is capped at 80%, so those holes stay open and the transfer stays soft.
Does the pattern change with LPI?
The shape stays the same, but the cell pitch is 25.4 ÷ LPI millimeters, so the dots shrink as LPI rises. At 50 LPI a cell is 0.508 mm wide; at 25 LPI it is 1.016 mm. The swatches redraw at the LPI in step 1.
Can I make a decorative pop-art background?
That is not what this tool is for. Every pattern here is screened at a real LPI and checked against the mesh thread, so it prints. For pure decoration with huge dots, a general image editor is the better fit.
What angle should line screens use?
Use 22.5° or 67.5°. At 0° or 90° the lines run along the warp or weft threads and either sit on them or fall between them, which makes the print stripe.
Do different shapes need different dot gain?
Slightly. Elliptical and Euclidean dots have more edge per area once they join, so they can gain a little more in the midtones. Keep the same compensation, print the step wedge, and adjust by 2–3%.
Same engine, other jobs