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Halftone screen angles chart

Which angle to use for each ink, in offset, digital and screen printing — and why the right angles prevent moiré.

CMYK process angles

Ink	Offset / digital	Screen printing (shifted 7.5°)
Cyan	15°	22.5°
Magenta	75°	82.5°
Yellow	0°	7.5°
Black	45°	52.5°

C 15° — dot halftone example — Each CMYK plate at its standard angle.

M 75° — dot halftone example — Each CMYK plate at its standard angle.

Single-color and spot-color angles

Job	Angles	Notes
One color, paper	45°	Least visible angle for the eye
One color, screen printing	22.5° or 67.5°	Avoids moiré with mesh threads at 0°/90°
Two colors (duotone)	45° + 75°	Darker ink on 45°
Three spot colors, screen printing	22.5°, 52.5°, 82.5°	30° apart, all off the mesh
Simulated process	Same angle for all (often 22.5°)	Relies on tight registration; avoids rosettes

Angles to avoid

Two screens of similar frequency less than about 15° apart produce large, visible moiré bands. On mesh, any halftone near 0°, 45° or 90° can interfere with the threads. A square grid repeats every 90°, so 105° behaves like 15°; line screens repeat every 180°.

C15 M75 Y0 K45 — CMYK halftone example — Standard CMYK angles (left) versus cyan, magenta and black only 5° apart (right).

C40 M45 K50 — CMYK halftone example — Standard CMYK angles (left) versus cyan, magenta and black only 5° apart (right).

For the full explanation see CMYK halftone angles and moiré, or try angles live in the CMYK halftone generator.