Hedcut Pro for DaVinci Resolve

Authentic WSJ Style Hedcut & Intaglio Engraving Effects for Video and Images.

Hedcut: The Timeless Art of Stippled Portrait Engraving

The term ‘hedcut’ comes from newspaper jargon—’hed’ for ‘headline’—reflecting these portraits’ prominence in editorial design. Since 1979, The Wall Street Journal has commissioned artists to hand-craft these meticulous stippled portraits, inspired by 19th-century woodcuts and currency engravings. Each portrait takes hours to create, using thousands of carefully placed dots and cross-hatched lines to build form and dimension.

Rooted in Intaglio Tradition

The hedcut technique draws its visual DNA from intaglio printmaking—a family of printing methods dating back to the 15th century where images are incised into a surface. Traditional intaglio techniques like engraving, etching, and stipple engraving were used to create everything from fine art prints to banknotes. The characteristic tonal gradations achieved through varying dot density and line weight in hedcuts directly echo these centuries-old craftsmanship methods.

Now bring this legendary aesthetic to your footage in real-time. Our implementation uses advanced algorithms and structure analysis to intelligently place stipples and hatching lines that follow facial contours and features—just like a skilled engraver would. The result: authentic hedcut portraits that maintain the hand-crafted quality of the original technique, with the speed and flexibility rendered in real-time directly inside DaVinci Resolve.

Perfect for editorial content, documentary work, title sequences, or any project that demands timeless sophistication.

Learn More:

Hedcut on Wikipedia — History and technique of the Wall Street Journal’s signature portrait style
Intaglio Printmaking on Wikipedia — The traditional engraving methods that inspired the hedcut aesthetic
Kevin Sprouls — Portfolio of the artist who pioneered the modern hedcut style at The Wall Street Journal

Authentic WSJ-Style Engraving
Recreates the timeless stippled portrait look made famous by The Wall Street Journal and fine art intaglio engraving effects like those on currency.

Adaptive Stippling Engine
Dot density and size automatically adjust to image tone with advanced dot handling for realistic engraved portrait texture across all tonal ranges.

Feature-Following Line Work
Fine engraved lines intelligently follow natural contours and facial features, giving your footage authentic hand-engraved charm.

Customizable Dot & Line Controls
Easily adjust pattern density, dot size, hatch thickness, and feature alignment to achieve styles from delicate stippling to bold cross-hatching.

Multi-Level Tonal Rendering
Multiple distinct rendering levels from deep shadow cross-hatching with offset dots to pure white highlights ensure smooth, natural gradations.

Advanced Artistic Controls
Fine-tune contour detail, line flow smoothness, edge contrast, and line sensitivity for complete creative control over your engraving style.

Flexible Color & Transparency
Custom line and background colors, colorize mode for tinted engravings, or transparent background for overlays and motion graphics.

Compatibility Across Pages
Works seamlessly across Edit, Fusion, and Color pages in DaVinci Resolve with real-time performance.