Ma'anar ƙamus na "hotunan hoto" shine tsarin samar da farantin bugu tare da hoton hoto a kai, yawanci ta hanyar fallasa wani abu mai ɗaukar hoto zuwa haske ta hanyar hoto mara kyau ko tabbatacce. Wannan tsari ya haɗa da sanya hoton a kan farantin karfe, kamar tagulla ko zinc, ta hanyar amfani da sinadarai ko injiniyoyi. Za a iya amfani da farantin da aka samu don canja wurin hoton zuwa takarda ko wasu wuraren bugawa. An fi amfani da zanen hoto wajen buga littattafai, mujallu, jaridu, da sauran kayan bugu.