# Worked examples

Concrete settings for the generic engine in `03-dither-engine.md`. Use these as
starting points, not gospel — every source behaves a little differently.

All assume a **dark subject on a light background** in the source, hence
`invert: true`. If your source is light-on-dark, flip it.

---

## Airy editorial — warm paper

The default look. Delicate, atmospheric, keeps the artwork's own colour.

```
pixelSize 10, spacing 0.46, dotScale 0.78, levels 6, contrast 25
brightness -4, floor 0.02, invert true
colour: sampled, colorMix 1.0, saturation 1.5
ground #F4F1EA
```

Type: an old-style serif for the headline, neutral sans for body. Use
`mix-blend-mode: multiply` on the type — it works beautifully on this light
ground.

---

## Jewel tone — dark ground, warm dots

Dramatic. The scheme colour dominates while the subject keeps its structure.

```
pixelSize 9, spacing 0.46, dotScale 0.80, levels 6, contrast 28
brightness -4, floor 0.02, invert true
colour: blended, colorMix 0.22, saturation 1.5, foreground #E8B44A
ground #07333A
```

Note `invert` is still `true` even though the page ground is dark — inversion
depends on the *source*, not the scheme. Skip the multiply blend here; rely on
contrast.

---

## Duotone poster — risograph

Loud and graphic. No sampled colour at all.

```
pixelSize 12, spacing 0.40, dotScale 0.88, levels 3, contrast 34
brightness -4, floor 0.02, invert true
colour: duotone, foreground #2430C9
ground #F7E96B
```

At only 3 levels this dither is dense enough to swallow body text. Put a solid
backing panel behind any centred copy block.

---

## Hard 1-bit — brutal

Maximum contrast, no gradation, coarse cells.

```
pixelSize 14, spacing 0.42, dotScale 0.86, levels 2, contrast 36
brightness -4, floor 0.02, invert true
colour: duotone, foreground #0B0B0B
ground #EDEDE8
```

Use square cells rather than dots for a more mechanical, printed feel.

---

## Pastel — high key

Soft and light. The low `colorMix` is what keeps it from reading as a dirty wash.

```
pixelSize 10, spacing 0.46, dotScale 0.80, levels 6, contrast 28
brightness -4, floor 0.02, invert true
colour: blended, colorMix 0.12, saturation 1.1, foreground #7A63E0
ground #FBEDF0
```

A high `colorMix` here would let the source's browns muddy the pastel. Keep it low
so the scheme colour wins.

---

## Small canvas

If the dither sits in a panel rather than full-bleed, go finer or the subject
stops reading:

```
pixelSize 6, spacing 0.40, dotScale 0.80, levels 6
```

The same rule applies at narrow viewports — consider dropping `pixelSize` under a
media query.