TONE APP ONLINE / FREE PRINT LAB / 01
Tone App Online is an independent web editor by ClawDaddy for making a risograph effect from any JPEG, PNG, or WebP. It separates a photo into one to three simulated ink layers, then lets you adjust halftone dots, screen angle, registration drift, paper grain, and framing in a live local preview. Export a watermark-free PNG up to 1200 pixels. Your photo stays in your browser.
Preparing the demo print...
ORIGINAL STUDIES / 04
COMMUNITY PRINTS / 19
These 19 pieces were shared in the original X conversation and earlier Tone posts. They show how the same risograph effect handles portraits, food, buildings, flowers, landscapes, and graphic compositions. Every image links back to its creator.
WHAT IT DOES / 02
A Risograph print is built from separate ink passes rather than a single full-color image. Tone App Online borrows that logic for the browser. It reads the tonal values in your photo, maps them into a small set of color layers, and blends overlapping layers with Multiply so two inks can create a darker third color. Midtones become visible halftone dots instead of smooth gradients.
The small print errors are yours to control. Move the simulated plates slightly out of register, change the paper color, add grain, or leave a border around the image. The risograph effect can resemble Riso, screen print, or old newsprint, but it cannot predict a print shop's exact ink or stock. Use the PNG as finished digital artwork or as an early color study before a physical test print.
The workflow and terminology were checked against photo-separation demonstrations by Kel Belter and a physical-process walkthrough by Olivia and Pindot.
CONTROLS / 04
Choose one, two, or three layers and give each layer its own color. One layer creates a stark monochrome print. Two layers expose overprint colors clearly. A third layer gives photographs more room for shadow, accent, and highlight information without recreating ordinary RGB color.
Dot spacing controls how coarse the pattern looks. Smaller spacing holds more detail; larger dots make the screen part of the composition. Screen angle rotates that pattern, while contrast decides how quickly highlights fall away and shadows fill with ink.
Registration drift moves color layers by 0 to 12 pixels. Keep it low for faces and fine architecture, or push it for louder color edges. Paper stock changes the base color, and grain adds surface variation without changing the source photo.
Export uses the exact browser canvas and saves a PNG up to 1200 pixels with no watermark. The source photo and its processed result stay in the browser throughout the workflow.
PROCESS / 03
Upload a JPEG, PNG, or WebP up to 10 MB. Tone App Online loads the image into your browser and creates a local risograph effect preview without sending the photo to a server.
Choose one to three ink colors, then adjust halftone dot spacing, screen angle, contrast, registration drift, paper grain, margin, and output frame while watching the canvas update.
Download the local preview as a watermark-free PNG up to 1200 pixels. Tone App Online processes the photo in your browser and never uploads it.
PHOTO CHOICE / 03
Simple photos usually separate better. A subject with a readable outline and broad areas of light and shadow will survive coarse dots and shifted layers better than a scene full of tiny, equally important details. Portraits, single buildings, flowers, food, and open landscapes are reliable starting points.
DIGITAL VS PHYSICAL / 05
Tone App Online copies the visual language of Riso, not the machinery. This distinction matters if you plan to send the result to a print studio.
| Detail | Tone Press | Physical Risograph |
|---|---|---|
| Color | One to three editable screen colors | Available ink drums at the chosen studio |
| Texture | Canvas halftone and generated paper grain | Ink deposited through a master onto uncoated stock |
| Registration | Repeatable drift from 0 to 12 pixels | Small pass-to-pass shifts that vary across sheets |
| Output | Local PNG up to 1200 pixels | A physical paper edition after setup and test prints |
FAQ / 6
Tone App Online reads the light and dark values in your photo, divides them across one to three simulated ink layers, and blends those layers with a Multiply effect. Halftone dots carry the midtones. Registration drift, paper color, and grain add the small irregularities associated with printed Riso work.
Yes. The browser editor, its print controls, and local PNG exports are free and do not require an account.
Start with a photo that has one clear subject, broad shapes, readable highlights and shadows, and limited fine detail. Two ink colors are often enough for portraits, flowers, buildings, and simple landscapes. Busy scenes can still work, but larger halftone dots and stronger contrast usually make them easier to read.
No. The live risograph preview and local PNG export stay inside your browser. Tone App Online does not upload or store your source photo.
No. Tone App Online simulates color separation, halftone screens, ink overlap, misregistration, and paper grain on a digital canvas. A physical Risograph uses ink drums and disposable masters on uncoated paper, so its color, texture, drying, and registration vary from each digital preview. Use Tone App Online as an effect or planning aid.
You may use the exported PNG without a Tone App Online watermark, including in commercial design work, as long as you own or have permission to use the source photo. Tone App Online does not claim ownership of your result. The built-in demo image is only for testing the editor and should not be redistributed.
MAKE A PRINT / NOW
Pick a preset, change the inks, and export the browser result as a PNG when it is ready.
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