Let’s look at some side-by-side comparisons of Atkinson (HyperDither) & Floyd-Steinberg (PhotoShop) dithering. Each image triplet is as follows:
- Source image
- Atkinson dithering (HyperDither)
- Floyd-Steinberg or “Error-diffusion” dithering (PhotoShop)
(Note: the Error-diffusion dithered images have had their contrast adjusted to match the contrast changes made by the Atkinson dithering.)
Finally, we’ve noticed that the Atkinson dithered images generally compress better (in GIF format) than do their Error-diffusion counterparts.
Original contrast, no sharpening. Note the fine delineation of the tree trunks and branches in the Atkinson dithered version.
Original contrast, no sharpening. Lots of fine details is captured in the dithered version.
High contrast, no sharpening.
High contrast, no sharpening.
Original contrast, no sharpening. Subtle gradations in mid-tone are retained in the Atkinson dithered version.
High contrast, no sharpening.