Compatible with Clip Studio Paint Ver. 1.10.0

 

In this lesson, I will explain how to create and export manuscripts without moiré (interference patterns).

This lesson is for black-and-white comics for printing.

 

This is essential reading for anyone who illustrates and prints comics, especially those who are printing for the first time!

 

For users who draw webcomics or draw colored comics, there are tips on tone overlaying and converting images for webcomics too. You can just read the relevant sections.

• The explanations in this lesson are based on the Japanese manga production environment.

 

If you are making a comic manuscript for the first time, take a look at the following lessons for the basics on comic manuscripts.

 

 

[1] What is moiré?

To start with, I’d like to explain what moiré is.

 

The word “moiré” originally refers to a pattern created by overlaying regular patterns such as halftone dots, and does not originally have a negative meaning. However, it does have a negative meaning in comics.

 

For example...

This kind of pattern created by overlaying halftone dots strains the eyes. This is moiré, and it is hated among comic artists.

However, the intentional overlaying of patterns is not thought of as moiré but simply a pattern. Feel free to create and use these patterns whenever you want.

 

Moiré is caused by the inexact overlaying of tones, meaning that the screen frequency or tone angles do not match. Due to digital technology, the appearance of unintentional moiré has increased.

 

Unintentional moiré can appear when the method of creating a comic manuscript is slightly wrong.

 

[2] Preparing your manuscript to avoid moiré

I will introduce some methods to help you avoid moiré every time!

Tone is not the only cause of moiré. Moiré can also occur when you import the line art or the manuscript onto your computer using a scanner. It is really challenging to fix this problem after your manuscript is already completed, so let’s start with the perfect set-up!

 

 

 

■ 1. Settings when creating a new manuscript

 

Select [New] from the [File] menu to display the following dialog box.

 

• This is the dialog box displayed in CLIP STUDIO PAINT EX.

 

① Use of work

Set it to [Comic]. There are other settings for [Use of work], such as [Printing of fanzine], and [Show all comic settings], but the settings for these are roughly the same, so I will use [Comic] to explain.

 

② Binding (finish) size

The default size for most comic fanzines is B5 (18.2 × 25.7 cm).

(Some fanzines are printed in A5 and B6 size, but these are less common)

 

The [Commercial magazine] setting is used when submitting the manuscript to a magazine. However, in this case, the manuscript size will depend on the magazine or the publisher, and certain publishers do not accept digital manuscripts. Make sure that you check the application guidelines beforehand.

 

③ Set the resolution to 600 dpi.

The basic resolution for a black-and-white comic manuscript is 600 dpi.

The larger the resolution is, the more detailed and clean will it be.

 

You can choose between 600 dpi and 1200 dpi, but 1200 dpi is almost never used because the data is too large to handle.

• For colored manuscripts, the basic resolution is 350 dpi (rarely, some places accept up to 400 dpi).

 

④ Basic expression color “Monochrome”

Selecting the use of work as [Comic] sets the basic expression color (basic layer) to [Monochrome].

• Please read the following article to learn about expression colors.

 

⑤ In the case of multiple pages [EX only]

If you know the rough number of pages, type this and prepare enough files for the pages. This can be adjusted afterwards, so do not worry about putting the exact value.

• Please read the following article to learn about multiple page settings.

 

Just by using these settings, you can reduce moiré by about half!

 

 

 

• 2. Drawing on a monochrome layer and anti-aliasing

 

When the basic expression color as above is set to [Monochrome], the newly created layers will automatically become monochrome layers.

You cannot draw lines with anti-aliasing on these monochrome layers.

 

What is anti-aliasing?

Anti-aliasing is a technique to create a blurred gray (concentration) to display an image smoothly, but is not needed for black-and-white comics. The gray parts may make moiré more likely to occur.

 

The above images show two lines drawn in CLIP STUDIO PAINT on a 600 dpi canvas, zoomed in to 400%. The left line is without anti-aliasing and the right line is with anti-aliasing.

 

Without anti-aliasing, lines become jagged, which may worry beginners. However, for digital comic manuscripts, the jagged lines are better.

This is because they will not appear jagged when the manuscript is printed.

 

If you draw a line with anti-aliasing, the anti-aliasing (gray part) will change when printed.

The change can combine with toning to create moiré.

If you have seen fanzines where the lines have halftone dots, or the ends of the lines are cut in a strange way, the reason is anti-aliasing.

 

It is important to avoid anti-aliasing (gray parts) in a black-and-white comic manuscript!

Anti-aliasing can also be annoying when adding tones, so be careful of it.

 

In addition, if the basic expression color of ④ is set to [Monochrome], using a brush with concentration (such as the Airbrush tool) to erase a tone layer will not create anti-aliasing (The settings for the tone layer also change to monochrome).

 

However...

You might think that “It is useful because all created layers are monochrome layers, but find it hard to draw drafts without a soft line such as a pencil”. However, even if the basic expression color is set to [Monochrome], you can change the basic expression color for individual layers. By using the [Layer Property] palette, you can choose to change the basic expression color to grayscale or color for rough draft layers. Change the settings according to the purpose.

 

 

 

■3. When importing line art with a scanner

 

If you want to import a line art with a scanner, please refer to the following article.

 

If you are not careful while importing the line art, the lines or the entire image may end up with anti-aliasing (gray parts).

This lesson also explains how to adjust imported images. Make sure to read this if you scan images.

 

[3] Points to remember when overlaying tones

The biggest culprit of moiré! Here, I will explain about overlaying tones.

• Please read the following article to learn how to add tones.

 

 

 

1. What is tone overlaying?

 

You can add and overlay tones to create a three-dimensional effect on the screen.

For example...

The above graphic [A] has only one tone. The graphic [B] has another tone on top for a three-dimensional effect.

This called is tone overlaying. Can you see how it adds a three-dimensional effect?

 

 

 

2. Rules for avoiding moiré

 

In the above example, the tones were pasted in a way to avoid moiré.

 

To avoid moiré while overlaying tones, you must match the number of screen frequency and angles of the tones. By obeying this rule, moiré will not appear.

 

・[Screen frequency(L)]

The larger the value, the more detailed the tone will be. For example, many people use settings of 60.0 lines 10% density with the halftone dot material to represent human skin. In CLIP STUDIO PAINT, halftone dot materials can go up to 75.0 lines, but if you are not used to tones, please use 60.0 lines and consider this as the standard value when pasting tones. (60.0 lines is also used for other patterned tones.)

 

・[Density (%)]

The larger the value, the larger each individual halftone dot will be, making the pattern appear darker. The tones in the above illustration are all 60.0 lines, but their density is different.

 

・[Shape of pattern]

There are various shapes, but the most commonly used ones are “Circle (Dots)", “Line (Parallel line)" and "Noise".

 

・[Angle]

The initial settings of the angle is set to 45 degrees for all halftone dot materials.

 

Please do not alter the angles. If you need to change the angle, take care not to get moiré.

 

NOTE: When you move the angles…

You can completely change the look of the tone by changing the angle. Therefore, the angles of tone materials are not fixed. You can change them as you like.

 

The last rule for avoiding moiré is matching up the screen frequency. Therefore...

If you paste and overlay any of the tones in the red frame above (excluding the white tones), moiré will not appear.

• In the above figure, the tones are sorted by clicking the [60.0 line] tag at the bottom left.

 

 

 

3. Overlaying disappears when printed!?

 

When overlaying the same tone, you need to shift one of the tones.

This is because...

 

After overlaying the tones, it seems fine at 25.0% scaling in the figure above, but when you look at it with 100.0% scaling...

it looks like this. Where did the overlayed tones go? Actually, the tones are exactly on top of each other.

 

Therefore, you will need to shift one of the overlayed tone layers.

Then, set the scaling to 100.0% after you shift the tone to check that they aren’t aligned over each other!

(Don’t skip this step even if you overlay different tones. Make sure you always check after overlaying tones!)

 

 

 

4. How to shift tones

 

To shift the tone pattern, use the [Move layer] tool.

From the [Move layer] tool, choose the subtool [Move tone pattern].

 

Select the [Tone layer] to shift, and use the mouse or the arrow keys on the keyboard to shift the tone.

The shadow is now clearly visible!

You can shift the tone in any direction you like.

 

However, the shadow in the above graphic is a little bit too clear and seems too dark.

You can adjust the darkness of the tone by shifting the tone direction and distance between tones.

 

In the example on the right, the overlaying part is quite light, and there’s very little difference from the single tone.

You can create lots of different feelings even when overlaying the same tone by shifting it in different ways.

 

 

 

5. Intentional moiré

 

As I wrote at the beginning, artists tend to avoid moiré. However, the intentional use of moiré can be a good technique, so feel free to use it if you want to try something a little different to other people.

 

Creating moiré is easy.

 

If having the same the screen frequency and angle creates a clean tone overlay, using different values will create moiré.

For example...

If you combine tones with high and low line numbers, you can create quite beautiful patterns, like the bottom example.

 

[4] Exporting a manuscript without moiré

This section is based on the assumption that you intend to print your finished manuscript.

Therefore, unrelated parts are ignored.

However, there shouldn’t be any issues as long as you drew the comic according to the guidelines in parts [1] to [3]!

 

There are many ways to export the document, but here we will explain the settings on how to export one page at a time.

For EX version users, please try using helpful features such as "Export multiple pages".

 

From the [File] menu, select [Export (Single Layer)] → [.tiff (TIFF)].

• This lesson explains using the tiff format, which is frequently used in printing Japanese fanzines. However, the required data format may differ depending on the place you print your manuscript.

 

After the dialog box for adding a file name pops up, enter the file name.

• You can use any file name you like, but it is helpful to choose names such as “003” to indicate the page number. In addition, most printing vendors have guidelines for file names, such as asking for that the page number and file name match, or requesting file names such as “003” and “004”. Make sure you carefully check any requirements made by your printing vendor.

 

After entering a file name, the following [TIFF export settings] window will open.

 

⑥ Output image

Choose what you want to display in the printed document, from draft, crop mark, default border, text, story information, and folio.

Unchecked sections will not be printed.

“Default border” refers to the inner borders of the comic, so do not check this item when printing.

(You can check this option for for trial printing and to check if the words fit well)

 

Usually, you only need to check [Text (characters entered using the text tool)].

Some printing vendors may require you to add crop marks.

 

If you do not have the folio (page number) within the page, add the folio by going to [Story] → [Change basic work settings], then check the relevant option in this dialog box.

If you do not set the folio under [Story], it will not be printed even if you check the option in the export settings window.

If your manuscript does not have a folio, it may be refused by the printer.

 

⑦ Export range

Select [To offset of crop mark] for a manuscript for printing. This will leave an extra 3- to 5-millimeter border around the printing area in the exported document.

 

⑧ Expression color

Select between [Duotone (Threshold)] or [Gray]. [Duotone (Threshold)] is the best option, but some printers may only accept gray. Choose the appropriate setting according to the printer’s requirements.

 

⑨ Advanced settings of color

You can set the crop mark, default border, and the number of screen frequency when exporting images.

 

⑩ Scale ratio from original data

The data for comics is usually created in cropped border size (100%), but you might want to scale this down or change the size from B5 to A5 in a reprinted book. In that case, specify the value in this section.

An A5 sheet is approximately 81% of the size of a B5 sheet.

 

⑪ Process when scaling - For comic

There is also an explanation in the window, but when scaling the manuscript up or down, it will be processed to minimize the occurrence of moiré. Put a check in “For comic” when scaling the manuscript up or down.

 

⑫ Rasterize

If you selected “For comic” for the process when scaling, you can choose the quality of rasterization.

We recommend that you choose [Prefer quality]!

 

⑬ Crop mark/Default border

If you checked crop mark/default border in ⑥ [Output image], you can choose the color of the crop mark/default border to export. Choose between the three options of [Export with display color], [Export with cyan (blue)] and [Export with black].

If you are going to print with duotone or gray, you should choose [Export with black].

 

⑭ Number of screen frequency

・Depend on export scale: The number of screen frequency will change according to the output size in the [Export Settings] dialog box.

 

・Follow layer settings: The original image’s screen frequency for each layer will be maintained when exported.

 

⑮ Enable tone effect for layer

If this section is checked, the tone layer will be exported as a tone.

If you don't check this section, the tone layer will change.

Keep this option checked unless in exceptional cases.

 

In addition, if this option is not checked when selecting “Duotone (Threshold)”, the tone part will not be exported. The tone part will become completely black, so be careful.

 

In CLIP STUDIO PAINT, you can create a manuscript with a combination of halftone dots and gray.

However, as the software evolved and the number of functions increased, there became many methods for doing this. Therefore, allow me to omit that explanation from this lesson.

 

Beginners should not try to combine halftone dots and gray, as this dramatically increases the risk of moiré.

Before doing that, get used to making artwork using only the tone materials.

 

NOTE:

Even if exported in duotone, the tones may not be printed cleanly if they are expressed in fine dots, such as the pseudo posterization in Manga Studio which uses 1 dot units.

 

[5] How to export black-and-white manuscripts for posting online

In order to make art with halftone dots look beautiful online, convert all the toned parts to gray.

You only have to slightly change the export settings of the image, so it is easy to do!

 

As we mentioned at the end of [4], open the [Advanced settings of color] dialog box and uncheck [Enable tone effect for layer] to convert all the tone parts to gray. Now you can export the file.

Although this changes the effect significantly, moiré will not occur because the halftone dot effect is gone. Use this setting whenever you need.

This conversion method is suitable for e-books as well as webcomics.

 

Screens on e-readers, smartphones, and computers don’t display halftone dots very well.

However, the great thing about CLIP STUDIO PAINT is that you can use the same manuscript for printing as for e-books.

 

However, be aware that parallel lines and noise tones will also be converted to gray. so be careful if you have used them to create a special effect other than expressing shadows.

You can prevent these tones from being turned gray by rasterizing the tone layers with [Layer] menu → [Rasterize].

However, note that you will not be able to revert it back to a tone layer after rasterization.

 

Therefore, it is a good idea to create a copy of the tone layer before rasterizing, and click the eye mark on the [Layer] palette to hide it.

 

Summary

Export settings differ a lot between CLIP STUDIO PAINT PRO and EX. If you are currently using PRO to make your comic or fanzine, I recommend getting EX as it has useful features for managing pages and so on.

(Although, PRO is fine for guest works.)

 

Artist profile: Mirai Sahara

I’m Sahara from the ComicStudio course. I make explanations so that beginners to graphics software can understand it easily. I like to draw manga and play video games.