Atkinson dithering: light, broken texture.

Make this look in three steps

1. Open the orbital Atkinson recipe and compare the processed image with the original.
2. Start at Scale 3. Increase it for a coarser texture, or reduce contrast if important light or dark detail disappears.
3. Export a PNG and inspect it at its final display size. Use the algorithm comparison below to decide whether the texture suits your image.

How Make distributes the error

Each sampled cell is reduced to a light or dark decision. One eighth of the difference is passed to each of six future neighbors: two to the right, three on the next row and one two rows below. Six eighths are distributed; the remaining quarter is not. Image boundaries also limit where error can go.

Where Atkinson works well

Try it on clear silhouettes, sculptural objects and portraits with controlled lighting. The orbital example has a smooth form and broad gradients, so you can see where the texture breaks apart and where it becomes solid. Treat this as an aesthetic choice, not a claim that Atkinson preserves every tone.

When to try a different algorithm

If subtle gradients or shadow detail matter more than broken texture, compare Floyd–Steinberg at the same scale and contrast. If you want an obviously repeating pattern, compare Bayer. Change one control at a time so the result tells you what the algorithm changed.