Editing Cel shading (section)

{{short description|Computer graphics rendering technique used to mimic the look of 2D animation}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2009}}

[[File:Toon-shader.jpg|thumb|312px|A representation of a spacesuit from ''[[The Adventures of Tintin]]'' comic ''[[Explorers on the Moon]]'' with a basic cel shader (also known as a ''toon shader'') and border detection]]
[[File:Toon Shading applied to seashell graphics complex in Mathematica.svg|alt=graphics complex of a seashell with toon shading modeled in Mathematica 13.1|thumb|Graphics complex of a seashell with toon shading modeled in Mathematica 13.1]]
'''Cel shading''' or '''toon shading''' is a type of [[non-photorealistic rendering]] designed to make 3D [[computer graphics]] appear to be flat by using less shading color instead of a [[Color gradient|shade gradient]] or [[tints and shades]].  A cel [[shader]] is often used to mimic the style of a [[comic book]] or [[cartoon]] and/or give the render a characteristic paper-like texture.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://docs.unrealengine.com/en-US/Resources/Showcases/Stylized/PostProcessing/index.html|title=Stylized Rendering Post Processing|website=docs.unrealengine.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-13}}</ref> There are similar techniques that can make an image look like a [[Sketch (drawing)|sketch]], an [[oil painting]] or an [[ink painting]]. The name comes from [[cel|''cels'']] (short for [[celluloid]]), clear sheets of [[acetate]] which are painted on for use in [[Traditional animation|traditional 2D animation]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Jennifer |last=Hachigian |url=http://www.celshader.com/FAQ.html |title=Celshader.com FAQ |access-date=August 2, 2005 |archive-date=February 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220223055516/http://www.celshader.com/FAQ.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>