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Duotone Guide

A duotone is a halftone image created using two colors. To create a duotone in Photoshop: 1. Open an RGB image and size it appropriately for your output. 2. Hide all channels except green and copy the green channel to create your red separation. Repeat for the red channel to create your green separation. 3. (Optional) Adjust the brightness/contrast of each separation. 4. Apply a halftone and set the angle to 75° for red and 45° for green before outputting the separations to clear film for lithography or screenprinting.

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185 views1 page

Duotone Guide

A duotone is a halftone image created using two colors. To create a duotone in Photoshop: 1. Open an RGB image and size it appropriately for your output. 2. Hide all channels except green and copy the green channel to create your red separation. Repeat for the red channel to create your green separation. 3. (Optional) Adjust the brightness/contrast of each separation. 4. Apply a halftone and set the angle to 75° for red and 45° for green before outputting the separations to clear film for lithography or screenprinting.

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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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D U O T O N E G U I D E

A Duotone is a halftone image using two colours. It can be used in many


print processes; most comonly in Screenprint, Lithography and Riso.
Printmaking Centre There are Duotone presets in Adobe Photoshop under Image > Mode.
Bower Ashton However, starting with a RGB image often yeilds a more vibrant result.

1. Open a full colour image in Photoshop. In the top menu go to


Image > Mode and make sure it is in RGB.

2. Size your document. If you are using a laser printer the


maximum size is A3. Ensure the resolution is 300dpi.

3. In the top menu find Window > Channels. You can show and
hide each channel by clicking on the eyes. Hide everything except
the GREEN channel. This will become your RED ink!

4. Make sure you have only GREEN selected. Type cmd+A to select
everything in that channel and cmd+C to copy to the clipboard.

5. Go to File > New in the top menu and choose the clipboard
preset. Type cmd+V to paste your pixels into the new doccument.
Save this doccument as RED.jpg.

6. Go back to your RGB image. Now with only the RED channel visible, copy and paste the pixels
into a new doccument. This becomes your GREEN ink so save it as GREEN.jpg. If required you
can boost the contrast to one or both seperations under Image > Adjustments > Brightness /
Contrast. Now change both files to greyscale mode - these are known as Separations or Seps.

7. If you intend to print your Duotone using a Risograph printer your seperations are ready to
print. To use them in Screenprint or Lithography you need to add a halftone dot and output
them on clear film. This can be done in the Yellow Room Ground Floor F Block at Bower Ashton.

To apply the halftone go to Image > Mode > Bitmap > Halftone Screen... At UWE the maximum
frequency for Screenprinting is 75lpi and 133lpi for Lithography. The example below uses a large
dot of 17lpi. Set the angle for the RED.jpg seperation at 75° and GREEN.jpg at 45°. Your Seps can
now be printed onto clear film ready for Litho or Screenprinting. You don’t need to stick to RED
and GREEN ink at the print stage - as long as you use contrasting colours feel free to experiment!

Email [email protected] to book print or for further digital design support email [email protected].

+ =

Seperation 1 RED.jpg Seperation 2 GREEN.jpg Finished print

duotone guide.indd 1 19/01/2022 12:32

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