On the phase response of the error diffusion filter for image halftoning

Conventional error diffusion halftoning uses a causal error filter. We propose the iterative error diffusion algorithm by extending the error diffusion to accommodate noncausal error filters. We realize the importance of the phase response of the error filter in the error diffusion halftoning method, and demonstrate it using examples. Iterative error diffusion is able to realize a zero phase error filter. We also trace a drawback of error diffusion to the shape of the error filter, and provide a remedy. The results obtained using a zero phase error filter in the iterative error diffusion algorithm are, in our opinion, superior to the error diffusion halftones.