posterization

[ poh-ster-uh-zey-shuhn ]

noun

, Printing.

1. a process for producing a posterlike, high-contrast color reproduction from continuous-tone art by using separation negatives of various densities.
2. Photography. a printing process in which all tone values of a negative are reduced to a few and the tonal separation negatives produced are printed at different exposure levels on a high-contrast film so that a set of flat tones results.

Word History and Origins

Origin of posterization¹

First recorded in 1945–50; poster ¹ + -ization