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Manga Screentones Tutorial: Master Shading Without Color

Learn to use screentones effectively in manga. Master dot patterns, gradients, and texture tones for professional black-and-white comic shading.

Screentones transform black-and-white manga from simple lineart into richly shaded illustrations. These dot patterns create the illusion of gray values without actual gray—a technique developed for print reproduction that remains essential to manga’s distinctive look.

This guide covers screentone fundamentals, from understanding tone values to applying them effectively in your manga pages.

What Are Screentones?

Screentones are patterns—usually dots, but sometimes lines or textures—that create the appearance of gray when viewed at normal reading distance. Up close, you see individual dots; at reading distance, your eye blends them into smooth values.

Traditional vs. Digital

Traditional screentones: Physical adhesive sheets rubbed onto artwork. Cut to shape with craft knives. Professional but expensive and unforgiving.

Digital screentones: Applied in software as layers or effects. Infinitely adjustable, undoable, and free once you have the tools. Modern manga production is almost entirely digital.

This guide focuses on digital techniques, though principles apply to traditional work.

Why Not Just Use Gray?

You might wonder why not simply use gray fill. Reasons include:

Print tradition: Older printing couldn’t reliably reproduce gray; screentones were the solution.

Aesthetic consistency: Screentones have become part of manga’s visual language. Gray feels different.

Detail visibility: Dot patterns allow lineart to remain visible through shading.

Stylistic choice: The patterned look is beloved by readers and creators.

Understanding Tone Values

Screentone darkness is measured in percentages or LPI (lines per inch).

Percentage Values

  • 10-20%: Very light, subtle shadows or highlights
  • 30-40%: Medium tones, general shading
  • 50-60%: Darker mid-tones, strong shadows
  • 70%+: Very dark, approaching black

Most manga uses tones between 10-60%. Going darker than 70% often just becomes muddy.

Dot Density (LPI)

LPI describes how many dots fit per inch:

  • Low LPI (30-40): Large, visible dots. Stylized look.
  • Medium LPI (50-60): Standard manga look. Dots barely visible at reading size.
  • High LPI (70-85): Very fine dots. Appears smoother but can cause printing issues.

Standard manga tone is typically 55-65 LPI.

Combining Values and Density

A 40% tone at 60 LPI looks different from 40% at 30 LPI. Lower LPI creates more visible patterns; higher LPI creates smoother gray appearance. Choose based on your style preferences and print requirements.

Types of Screentones

Dot Tones

The standard screentone. Dots arranged in grids or sometimes random patterns. Used for:

  • General shading
  • Skin tones
  • Clothing
  • Backgrounds

Gradient Tones

Dot density transitions from light to dark across the tone. Used for:

  • Skies and atmosphere
  • Soft lighting effects
  • Blushes and subtle transitions
  • Dramatic backgrounds

Line Tones

Parallel lines instead of dots. Used for:

  • Rain effects
  • Speed and motion
  • Dramatic atmosphere
  • Stylized shadows

Texture Tones

Patterns mimicking materials:

  • Wood grain
  • Fabric patterns
  • Stone and brick
  • Foliage
  • Clouds

Use sparingly—too many textures become visually noisy.

Effect Tones

Special patterns for specific uses:

  • Sparkles and stars
  • Hearts and flowers (common in shojo)
  • Speed lines
  • Impact patterns
  • Background patterns

Setting Up Digital Tones

Clip Studio Paint

The industry standard for manga. Built-in tone system:

  1. Create a tone layer (Layer > New Layer > Tone)
  2. Set LPI and density
  3. Paint with selection tools or brushes
  4. Adjust settings non-destructively

CSP includes hundreds of pre-made tones and allows custom creation.

Procreate

No native tone layer, but workarounds exist:

  1. Create tone patterns as brush stamps
  2. Use halftone filters on gray layers
  3. Import CSP-style tone brushes
  4. Apply halftone effects in post-processing

Krita

Similar approach to Clip Studio:

  1. Use halftone fill layers
  2. Adjust pattern settings
  3. Mask for selective application

Photoshop

Use bitmap mode or halftone filters:

  1. Work in grayscale
  2. Convert to bitmap with halftone screen
  3. Or use third-party screentone plugins

Applying Tones: Basic Workflow

Step 1: Complete Your Lineart

Toning comes after inking. Ensure lineart is:

  • Fully inked with clean lines
  • On a separate layer from white background
  • At final print resolution (minimum 600 DPI for tones)

Step 2: Plan Your Values

Before applying tones, decide:

  • Where is your light source?
  • What value will each major area be?
  • Where are the darkest and lightest points?

Sketch a quick thumbnail showing value distribution if helpful.

Step 3: Apply Base Tones

Start with large areas:

  1. Select area (magic wand or lasso)
  2. Apply appropriate tone value
  3. Work from lightest to darkest
  4. Create separate tone layers for different values

Step 4: Add Shadow Tones

Layer darker tones over base tones in shadow areas:

  • Core shadows get darker tones
  • Cast shadows typically darker than form shadows
  • Avoid putting shadows everywhere—leave some areas light

Step 5: Add Detail Tones

Apply specific tones for:

  • Hair highlights and shadows
  • Clothing folds
  • Background elements
  • Special effects

Step 6: Clean Up

Review and refine:

  • Check tone edges align with lineart
  • Ensure no gaps between tones
  • Remove any stray tone dots
  • Verify values read correctly at print size

Toning Specific Elements

Skin Tones

Keep skin relatively light to separate from hair and clothing:

  • Base skin: 10-20% tone
  • Light shadow: 20-30% tone
  • Deep shadow: 30-40% tone

Add blush with gradient tones or slightly higher values on cheeks.

Hair Tones

Hair usually provides strong value contrast:

  • Black hair: Leave white highlights, use 50-60% for most of hair
  • Dark hair: 30-40% base, 50%+ shadows
  • Light hair: 10-20% base or no tone, 30% shadows

Show hair direction with tone placement—leave highlight streaks following hair flow.

Clothing Tones

Clothing value depends on intended color:

  • White clothing: Minimal tone, shadows only
  • Medium colored: 20-30% base
  • Dark colored: 40-50% base

Use tone to show fabric folds—darker in creases, lighter on raised areas.

Backgrounds

Backgrounds often use:

  • Gradient tones for sky
  • Texture tones for surfaces
  • Lower overall values to push characters forward
  • Atmospheric perspective (lighter values for distance)

Advanced Toning Techniques

Layering Tones

Overlap different tone values for varied effects:

  • 20% over 30% doesn’t make 50%—it creates moiré patterns
  • Use this intentionally for texture
  • Or carefully mask to avoid overlap

Scraping Highlights

In digital, use erasers on tone layers to create:

  • Hair shine streaks
  • Light rays
  • Reflective surfaces
  • Dramatic lighting effects

Traditional artists scraped physical tones; digital artists erase.

White Areas

Strategic white space is as important as tones:

  • Leave white for brightest highlights
  • White provides visual rest
  • High contrast moments need white + dark tone
  • Don’t tone everything—let areas breathe

Tone Reduction

Some artists deliberately limit tone values:

  • Two-tone work: Just one gray plus black/white
  • Single tone: All grays are the same value
  • High contrast: Only very light and very dark tones

Constraints create distinctive styles.

Common Screentone Mistakes

Mistake: Moiré Patterns

Problem: Overlapping tones create ugly interference patterns Fix: Don’t layer same-angle tones. Use masking to prevent overlap. Rotate additional tone angles.

Mistake: Wrong Resolution

Problem: Tones look blurry or pixelated Fix: Work at 600 DPI minimum. Apply tones at final resolution. Don’t scale art after toning.

Mistake: Too Many Values

Problem: Page becomes muddy and hard to read Fix: Limit yourself to 3-4 distinct values per page. Create clear value hierarchy.

Mistake: Ignoring Light Source

Problem: Shadows point multiple directions Fix: Establish light source before toning. Keep shadows consistent throughout the page.

Mistake: Flat Toning

Problem: Even tone application without considering form Fix: Think of tones as shading—they follow the form. Curved surfaces get graduated toning.

Mistake: Tone Meets Line Poorly

Problem: Gaps between tone and lineart, or tone bleeding over lines Fix: Expand selections slightly before filling. Clean edges after application.

Tones and Visual Hierarchy

Focal Points

Use tone to direct attention:

  • Characters lighter than backgrounds
  • Important objects have higher contrast
  • Points of interest break toning patterns

Depth

Create depth through tone values:

  • Foreground: Full range of values
  • Midground: Medium values
  • Background: Lighter, lower contrast

Mood

Tone distribution affects emotional read:

  • High contrast: Drama, tension
  • Low contrast: Calm, peace
  • Dark heavy: Ominous, sad
  • Light heavy: Bright, cheerful

Toning for Different Manga Styles

Shonen Manga

Action-oriented toning:

  • High contrast for impact
  • Speed line tones common
  • Bold, graphic approach
  • Tones enhance action clarity

Shojo Manga

Emotional and decorative toning:

  • Softer gradients
  • More texture tones
  • Sparkle and flower effects
  • Screentones as mood enhancement

Seinen/Josei Manga

More realistic toning:

  • Careful value studies
  • Subtle gradations
  • Environmental detail
  • Tones support mature themes

Building Tone Efficiency

Create Presets

Save commonly used tone settings:

  • Your standard value steps (10%, 20%, 30%, etc.)
  • Favorite gradient configurations
  • Custom texture tones

Batch Processing

When toning many pages:

  • Establish value map for entire chapter
  • Tone same elements across pages in batches
  • Maintain consistency through session

Reference Sheets

Create reference showing:

  • Character skin tone values
  • Hair values for each character
  • Common clothing values
  • Background value ranges

Platforms like Multic can help teams share toning standards, ensuring consistent screentone application across collaborative projects.

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Value Strips

Create strips showing your tone values at 10% increments. Label them. Reference these when toning.

Exercise 2: Sphere Study

Tone a simple sphere with:

  • Consistent light source
  • Highlight (no tone)
  • Light side (light tone)
  • Shadow side (medium tone)
  • Core shadow (darker tone)
  • Cast shadow (gradient tone)

Exercise 3: Full Page Toning

Take a completed lineart page and tone it completely. Time yourself. Identify bottlenecks in your process.

Exercise 4: Style Study

Find a manga page you admire. Analyze:

  • What tone values are used?
  • How many distinct values appear?
  • Where are tones placed?
  • What effects are used?

Recreate the toning approach on your own lineart.

Related: How to Make Manga and Digital Inking Techniques