Dithering In Processing

dithering-experiments

To be honest, we’ve heard of dithering but that’s the extent of our knowledge on the topic. After looking through [Windell’s] post about using Dithering in Processing we can now say we’ve got a base of knowledge on the topic.

Dithering is used to produce an image out of two colors that our eyes can put together into something meaningful. The history of the algorithms goes back to monochrome displays. But now the hobby electronics we work with for fun have comparable computing power and perhaps it’s time to rediscover these techniques. [Windell’s] project implements the Atkinson dithering algorithm in real-time on your webcam. He’s doing this in Processing, which should make it pretty easy to port for your own purposes.

So why might you want to use dithering in your own projects? Because if it can be used to make very cool milled artwork there must be other undiscovered uses lurking around your workshop.

 

20 thoughts on “Dithering In Processing

  1. You can do this with Photoshop but why would you? I don’t know whats worse, seemingly smart people bringing back dithering or the NFL ditching the kickoff. Somebody save us!!!

    1. That is actually a problem compared to most examples of Atkinson dithering I’ve seen. I haven’t been able to track it down, might be the way Java handles integers or something…Atkinson usually makes little round squiggles and zigzags.

  2. Revisiting techniques from the old days is becoming a theme, I was messing with the idea of using 16-bit High Colour on my Christmas lights (RGB LED string and MSP430 Launchpad) to save memory, it was a lot of fun. I found that 16-bit (5 red, 6 green and 5 blue) works much better then 15-bit for making colors, but fading it without using float is hard as!!

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