Screentone

Screentone is a technique for applying textures and shades to drawings, used as an alternative to hatching. In the conventional process, patterns are transferred to paper from preprinted sheets.^[1] It is also known by the common brand names Zip-A-Tone (1937, now defunct^[2]), Chart-Pak (1949^[3]), and Letratone (1966, from Letraset^[4]).

Three shapes overlaid with different screentone patterns

A dry transfer screentone sheet, sometimes informally known as a "tone", consists of a flexible transparent backing, the printed texture, and a wax adhesive layer. The sheet is applied to the paper, adhesive down, and rubbed with a stylus (also called a burnishing tool) on the backing side. The backing is then peeled off, leaving the ink adhered to the paper where pressure was applied.

See also

• Ben Day dots
• Dithering
• Grayscale
• Halftone
• Hatching, the representation of color by patterns of lines.
• Stippling