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Image Newspaper Print Simulation And CMYK Converter

(Free & Supports Bulk Upload)

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The result will appear here...
You can edit the below JavaScript code to customize the image tool.
async function processImage(originalImg, lpi = 85, paperTintIntensity = 0.7, dotShape = 'round', inkSpread = 0.5, paperTintColor = '#f5f0e5') {

    // --- Helper Functions ---

    /**
     * Converts an RGB color value to a newspaper-style CMYK value.
     * This simplified model includes basic Gray Component Replacement (GCR)
     * to reduce total ink usage and a dot gain simulation.
     * @param {number} r The red channel (0-255).
     * @param {number} g The green channel (0-255).
     * @param {number} b The blue channel (0-255).
     * @returns {object} An object with c, m, y, k values (0-1).
     */
    const rgbToNewspaperCmyk = (r, g, b) => {
        // Normalize RGB to 0-1
        const r_ = r / 255;
        const g_ = g / 255;
        const b_ = b / 255;

        // Convert RGB to CMY
        let c = 1 - r_;
        let m = 1 - g_;
        let y = 1 - b_;

        // Calculate K (black)
        let k = Math.min(c, m, y);

        // If it's pure white, all inks are 0
        if (k === 1) {
             return { c: 0, m: 0, y: 0, k: 0 };
        }

        // Apply Under Color Removal (UCR) / Gray Component Replacement (GCR)
        // This makes blacks and grays use more K ink instead of a CMY mix.
        const gcrAmount = 0.8; 
        const gray = Math.min(c, m, y);
        c = (c - gray) + (gray * gcrAmount);
        m = (m - gray) + (gray * gcrAmount);
        y = (y - gray) + (gray * gcrAmount);
        k = k - (gray * gcrAmount) + gray;

        // Basic CMY calculation after removing black
        c = (c - k) / (1 - k);
        m = (m - k) / (1 - k);
        y = (y - k) / (1 - k);
        
        // Clamp values to handle potential floating point inaccuracies
        c = Math.max(0, c);
        m = Math.max(0, m);
        y = Math.max(0, y);
        k = Math.max(0, k);

        // Simulate Dot Gain (Tonal Value Increase - TVI)
        // A power function approximates the ink spread on absorbent paper.
        // A gamma of ~2.2 approximates the standard 26% TVI at a 40% tone.
        const gamma = 2.2;
        c = Math.pow(c, 1 / gamma);
        m = Math.pow(m, 1 / gamma);
        y = Math.pow(y, 1 / gamma);
        k = Math.pow(k, 1 / gamma);

        return { c, m, y, k };
    };

    /**
     * Returns a function that calculates a dot shape's intensity (0-1)
     * based on the offset from the cell center.
     * @param {string} shape The name of the dot shape ('round', 'diamond', 'line').
     * @param {number} step The size of the halftone grid cell.
     * @returns {function} A function that takes dx, dy and returns a threshold value.
     */
    const getDotDrawer = (shape, step) => {
        const halfStep = step / 2;
        switch (shape) {
            case 'diamond':
                return (dx, dy) => {
                    const val = (Math.abs(dx) + Math.abs(dy)) / halfStep;
                    return 1 - Math.min(1, val);
                };
            case 'line':
                return (dx, dy) => {
                    const val = Math.abs(dx) / halfStep; // Vertical lines
                    return 1 - Math.min(1, val);
                };
            case 'round':
            default:
                // Euclidean distance for a circular dot
                return (dx, dy) => {
                    const dist = Math.sqrt(dx * dx + dy * dy);
                    const val = dist / halfStep;
                    return 1 - Math.min(1, val);
                };
        }
    };
    
    /**
     * Blends a color with white to simulate tint intensity.
     */
    const getPaperColor = (tintHex, intensity) => {
        const tint = ((h) => {
            let r=0,g=0,b=0; 
            if(h.length==4){r="0x"+h[1]+h[1];g="0x"+h[2]+h[2];b="0x"+h[3]+h[3];}
            else if(h.length==7){r="0x"+h[1]+h[2];g="0x"+h[3]+h[4];b="0x"+h[5]+h[6];}
            return {r:+r,g:+g,b:+b};
        })(tintHex);

        const r = Math.round(255 + (tint.r - 255) * intensity);
        const g = Math.round(255 + (tint.g - 255) * intensity);
        const b = Math.round(255 + (tint.b - 255) * intensity);
        return `rgb(${r},${g},${b})`;
    };


    // --- Main Processing ---

    // 1. Prepare source canvas and pixel data
    const width = originalImg.width;
    const height = originalImg.height;
    const sourceCanvas = document.createElement('canvas');
    sourceCanvas.width = width;
    sourceCanvas.height = height;
    const sourceCtx = sourceCanvas.getContext('2d', { willReadFrequently: true });
    sourceCtx.drawImage(originalImg, 0, 0);
    const imageData = sourceCtx.getImageData(0, 0, width, height);
    const sourceData = imageData.data;

    // 2. Convert all pixels from RGB to our target CMYK model
    const cmykPixels = [];
    for (let i = 0; i < sourceData.length; i += 4) {
        cmykPixels.push(rgbToNewspaperCmyk(sourceData[i], sourceData[i + 1], sourceData[i + 2]));
    }

    // 3. Setup final canvas with paper color
    const finalCanvas = document.createElement('canvas');
    finalCanvas.width = width;
    finalCanvas.height = height;
    const finalCtx = finalCanvas.getContext('2d');
    finalCtx.fillStyle = getPaperColor(paperTintColor, paperTintIntensity);
    finalCtx.fillRect(0, 0, width, height);

    // 4. Halftone generation for each CMYK channel
    const channels = [
        { name: 'cyan',    angle: 15,  key: 'c', color: [0, 255, 255] },
        { name: 'magenta', angle: 75,  key: 'm', color: [255, 0, 255] },
        { name: 'yellow',  angle: 0,   key: 'y', color: [255, 255, 0] },
        { name: 'black',   angle: 135, key: 'k', color: [0, 0, 0] }
    ];

    // This determines the size of the dots. Higher value = smaller dots for a given LPI.
    const VIRTUAL_DPI = 300;
    const step = VIRTUAL_DPI / lpi;
    const dotDrawer = getDotDrawer(dotShape, step);

    for (const channel of channels) {
        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(() => {
            const channelCanvas = document.createElement('canvas');
            channelCanvas.width = width;
            channelCanvas.height = height;
            const channelCtx = channelCanvas.getContext('2d', { willReadFrequently: true });

            // Initialize channel canvas to white for 'multiply' compositing
            channelCtx.fillStyle = 'white';
            channelCtx.fillRect(0, 0, width, height);
            const channelImageData = channelCtx.getImageData(0, 0, width, height);
            const channelData = channelImageData.data;

            const angleRad = channel.angle * Math.PI / 180;
            const cosA = Math.cos(angleRad);
            const sinA = Math.sin(angleRad);

            for (let y = 0; y < height; y++) {
                for (let x = 0; x < width; x++) {
                    // Rotate the coordinate system to align with the channel's screen angle
                    const xr = x * cosA + y * sinA;
                    const yr = y * cosA - x * sinA;
                    
                    // Find the center of the grid cell this pixel belongs to
                    const cellX = Math.round(xr / step);
                    const cellY = Math.round(yr / step);
                    
                    // Un-rotate the cell center to find the corresponding source pixel
                    const gx = Math.round(cellX * step * cosA - cellY * step * sinA);
                    const gy = Math.round(cellX * step * sinA + cellY * step * cosA);

                    if (gx >= 0 && gx < width && gy >= 0 && gy < height) {
                        const inkValue = cmykPixels[gy * width + gx][channel.key];
                        
                        // Calculate the dot threshold for this pixel's position within the cell
                        const threshold = dotDrawer(xr - cellX * step, yr - cellY * step);

                        // If the ink value is greater than the dot threshold, print a dot
                        if (inkValue > threshold) {
                            const pixelIndex = (y * width + x) * 4;
                            channelData[pixelIndex]     = channel.color[0];
                            channelData[pixelIndex + 1] = channel.color[1];
                            channelData[pixelIndex + 2] = channel.color[2];
                            channelData[pixelIndex + 3] = 255;
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
            channelCtx.putImageData(channelImageData, 0, 0);

            // Composite this channel onto the final canvas using 'multiply'
            finalCtx.globalCompositeOperation = 'multiply';
            finalCtx.drawImage(channelCanvas, 0, 0);
            resolve();
        }, 0));
    }

    // 5. Simulate Ink Spread/Blur
    if (inkSpread > 0) {
        finalCtx.globalCompositeOperation = 'source-over';
        const tempCanvas = document.createElement('canvas');
        tempCanvas.width = width;
        tempCanvas.height = height;
        const tempCtx = tempCanvas.getContext('2d');
        tempCtx.drawImage(finalCanvas, 0, 0);
        
        finalCtx.filter = `blur(${inkSpread}px)`;
        finalCtx.clearRect(0, 0, width, height);
        finalCtx.drawImage(tempCanvas, 0, 0);
        finalCtx.filter = 'none';
    }

    // 6. Return the final canvas
    return finalCanvas;
}

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Description

The Image Newspaper Print Simulation and CMYK Converter tool allows users to simulate how an image would appear when printed in the newspaper, converting it from RGB to a newspaper-style CMYK color model. It includes customizable options like line screens per inch (LPI), dot shape, and ink spread simulation. This tool is useful for graphic designers and print professionals who want to preview print quality, adjust colors for better newspaper reproduction, or create a halftone effect that mimics traditional printing processes.

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