Shades of Halftone - The Blog of Maxime Heckel
Hacker News
February 10, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
The blog post by Maxime Heckel dives into the fascinating world of halftone shaders in GLSL, exploring how this classic printing technique has evolved into a versatile digital tool for creating artistic effects. Heckel highlights the growing interest in pattern-based post-processing effects, driven by tools like Paper, Efecto, and Unicorn Studio that make shaders accessible to both designers and developers. While originally developed as a workaround for printing limitations, halftone is now celebrated for its ability to add texture and depth to digital outputs, offering endless creative possibilities.
Heckel delves into the technical aspects of implementing halftone effects, starting with the fundamental building blocks: rendering individual dots using GLSL’s UV coordinates. By calculating distance fields and applying masks, he demonstrates how to create circles that can be adjusted for softness or sharpness. The next step involves creating a grid pattern using the `fract` function in GLSL, which allows for repeated dot patterns across a surface. This grid can then be manipulated in various ways—such as overlapping at angles to produce Moiré effects, blending colors for dynamic visuals, or animating the displacement of dots for engaging animations.
The post also explores the broader significance of halftone beyond its technical implementation. Heckel emphasizes how these effects, rooted in optical illusions and trompe l’oeil techniques, can mimic textures like woven fabric or glass, adding an extra layer of realism to digital designs. By experimenting with different variants of halftone—such as ink splatters, broken grids, and animated patterns—Heckel showcases the potential for self-imposed constraints to drive creativity in design. His approach not only makes these techniques more accessible but also highlights their versatility across various media, from static images to interactive 3D scenes.
For tech enthusiasts and developers interested in blending art and programming, Heckel’s work offers a compelling example of how shaders can be used to push the boundaries of visual design. By democratizing access to these effects, tools like those mentioned by Heckel empower creators to experiment with unique textures and patterns, opening up new avenues for creative expression in
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Originally published on Hacker News on 2/10/2026