Why did I receive a ‘Memory is Low’ message after being asked to watch an introductory video?

This message is incorrect, and you can simply touch the “Continue” button to proceed. To prevent this message from appearing in the future, select “Watch Video” the next time you’re prompted. This bug is fixed in version 1.8.1.

Why can’t I see the photo I just took with the built-in camera?

Unfortunately, our testing elves missed this bug in version 1.7. While version 1.7.1 fixes the issue, here are two ways to work around the problem:

• Take your photo using the built-in Camera app (or any camera app of your choice that saves to the album). Then, in Halftone, load the image from the photo album.
• Touch the settings gear in the upper-left corner of Halftone and turn “Image editing” to Off. You can now take photos using Halftone.

None of the buttons are enabled. How can I use Halftone?

This was an annoying bug in version 1.6.5 of Halftone that is fixed in version 1.6.6 (and later). To bypass the bug, close Halftone by following these steps from Apple:

1. Press the Home button to return to the Home screen.
2. Double-tap the Home button to display recent apps.
3. Tap and hold the affected app until the red minus appears.
4. Tap the red minus to quit the app.
5. Press the Home button, then restart the app.

Why is Halftone asking for permission to use my current location?

Starting with version 1.7, Halftone has a feature that can determine the date that an image was taken (so that it can be included in a caption). The “date taken” is stored along with other image metadata (EXIF data) that could also include a longitude and latitude. Because accessing any metadata could also reveal the image location, iOS automatically prompts you for permission. If you choose “OK”, you will have the option to include the “date taken” in a caption. If you choose “Don’t Allow”, the option will be unavailable.

If you change your mind later, you can always launch the Settings app on your device and look under Location Services.

Halftone crashed when working with full-size images. What gives?

Mobile devices have fewer resources (memory, storage, and processing power) than desktop or laptop computers, and there are challenges when working with large images. This is why most apps don’t support full-size photos. To free-up resources, follow these steps from Apple to restart the device or close the Halftone app. If the crashes persist, turn the “Full size” setting off.

Why can’t I turn on “Full size” and “Image editing” at the same time under settings?

Same as the prior answer. Image editing requires additional processing power, and it doesn’t currently work well with full-size images. We are investigating ways to improve this situation in future updates.

How can I work with “untouched” images?

Touch the gear icon in the upper-left to access settings, then turn off “Process original” and set “Dot size” to Off.

To remove the paper color and texture, touch the paper icon on the bottom toolbar and select Plain White.

What does the “Save camera” setting do?

When the Save camera setting is on, any image captured by the camera is automatically saved to the photo album. The image is saved directly from the camera, before any processing is done by Halftone. If this setting is unavailable, it’s because your device doesn’t have a camera.

What does the “Blend original” setting do?

The blend original setting blends a copy of the original image (which may have been edited or pre-processed with the “Process original” setting) with the Halftone output. This results in a pleasing image with a Halftone-style effect. See the Tips and Tricks section for a tip about producing a more “authentic” Halftone image.

What does the “Process original” setting do?

The Process original setting uses a combination of techniques to modify the original image, giving it an older, more vintage look. It is especially well suited for Halftone images. If an image appears to be washed out or overly bright, try setting this to Off.

What does the “Image editing” setting do?

When Image editing is on, any image that is brought into Halftone (from the camera, photo album, clipboard, or another app) can be modified using Aviary image processing tools. This includes special effects, cropping, rotation, brightness, contrast, saturation, colors, and sharpening. Note that editing happens prior to the “Process original” feature described above.

What does the “Face detection” setting do?

For devices with iOS 5 or later, the Face detection setting looks for faces in the image and uses that information to automatically place speech and thought balloons.

What does the “Dot strength” setting do?

The dot strength setting controls the transparency level of the dots as they’re placed on the image.

What does the “Dot gain” setting do?

The dot gain setting controls how much bigger (or smaller) the dots are in relation to their default size. Increasing the dot gain results in a darker image, while reducing the dot gain lightens the image. The term comes from the printing industry; when halftone dots are printed on paper, the ink can bleed causing the dots to expand which results in a muddier image.

Where can I choose TwitPic or yfrog as my Twitter image upload service?

In the Settings app from the home screen of your device (scroll down to the Halftone settings). Note that this setting only applies when the built-in iOS 5 Twitter feature isn’t available and Halftone uses its legacy Twitter functionality.

How to I logout of Facebook or Twitter?

Press the Cancel button in the upper-left corner of the Twitter or Facebook screens to logout.

Tips and Tricks

Here are some useful tips and tricks for using Halftone.

• If your image is too washed out or bright, turn off the “Process original” setting.
• To produce a more authentic Halftone image, turn off the “Blend original” feature, reduce the dot size, and bump-up the dot gain.
• To create a movable caption-like box, add a balloon with a square shape, then drag its tail “within” the box to hide it.
• You can double-tap a balloon to quickly change to the next shape.
• You can double-tap a stamp to quickly change to the next shape.
• While they can be difficult on a small screen, standard pinch/zoom gestures are another way to manipulate stamps.
• To experiment with a “blank slate,” turn off the “Blend original” setting, and turn the “Dot size” off to completely remove the original photo. To go one step further, select the Plain White paper and remove the border.
• Create a balloon with no text that can be filled-in later, either with another app or with a marker.
• For an abstract effect, turn off “Blend original” and crank up the dot size.
• For professional looking balloons, place the tip of the tail half-way between the speaker’s mouth (or head) and the balloon.