Tone separation is a photographic process that reduces the tonal range of an image to a very limited set of values. The result emphasizes strong highlights and deep shadows, with only a few defined intermediate tones, creating a striking and graphic visual effect. This process is also commonly referred to as posterization.
Photographers and digital artists use tone separation to achieve creative effects, emphasise shapes, or simplify images for artistic or print purposes. By controlling the number of tonal steps, tone separation allows for dramatic contrasts and stylized interpretations of photographic subjects.