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marcbjango
marcbjango
Known Participant
March 31, 2011
Under Review

P: Add options for softer anti-aliasing for Vector Masks/Shape Layers

  • March 31, 2011
  • 49 replies
  • 2063 views

*** If this is important to you, please comment below. ***

Vector Masks in Photoshop have sharper anti-aliasing than shapes created other ways. Quite often, I find that the results are too sharp. This is especially true for very small shapes, making it an issue for icon creation.

It’s interesting to note that vector Smart Objects that have been pasted from Illustrator have vastly different anti-aliasing to Shape Layers that have been pasted from Illustrator. The Smart Objects are far heavier and the anti-aliasing seems posterized.

I don’t really have a solution for this, except a suggestion that the Shape Layer/Vector Mask rendering is very close to ideal for me, but I’d prefer slightly softer anti-aliasing. I don’t know how this could be implemented while keeping legacy support. I guess there’s three ways it could be done: A global change or preference, where all documents get the new rendering (breaking legacy rendering), a per document setting or a per object/layer setting. The first breaks compatibility, the second and third add UI and file bloat.

Steps to Reproduce — Create a circular marquee selection at a smallish size, say 9x9 pixels and fill it with white. Create a pixel snapped vector circle that’s the exact same size (you may have to use the rounded rectangle tool with a large radius and Snap To Pixel turned on). Compare the results—the marquee selection bitmap layer is smoother.

Workaround — None. Only really crazy, silly stuff that I’m not usually willing to do because it removes editability.


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If you'd like to see the original files, grab them here: antialiastest-597642.zip

View an animated comparison between the various methods.

*** If this is important to you, please comment below. ***

    49 replies

    Show previous replies
    nefaurk_khanacademy
    nefaurk_khanacademy
    Participant
    August 26, 2015
    This is causing issues for our team as well. Our team has a workflow where we design icons for our mobile app in Illustrator, and then place a linked version of that file in Photoshop, where we use Adobe Generator to export all of our assets from this PSD.

    The results in Illustrator are pixel-aligned, whereas the results in Photoshop are not. See the attached example.



    These results are unacceptable for us because we want to export pixel-aligned assets. Our current options are to either use Illustrator to export all of our assets (which does not have Adobe Generator support) or to rebuild all of our icons in Photoshop using shape layers.
    O
    oscarlosan
    Participating Frequently
    July 6, 2014
    http://feedback.photoshop.com/photosh...
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    December 21, 2012
    First, find out the actual resolution of the printer.
    Then render at that resolution, without antialiasing.
    Then try with antialiasing and compare.
    P
    Phazemaster
    Participant
    December 21, 2012
    OK, so what can be done to make vector shapes print with high resolution, without jagged edges? Or is Illustrator really the only viable option then?

    Type doesn't print with jagged edges. Why should vector shapes?
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    December 21, 2012
    Actually, the halftoning could make your shapes worse. At high res, you render without antialiasing.
    P
    Phazemaster
    Participant
    December 21, 2012
    Thanks for the explanation. I was using a Brother color laser set to monochrome at 2400 dpi. Surely the halftoning would take care of the pixel displays of gray?

    And it would still be very helpful to have the antialiasing just like with type, in a drop-down menu.
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    December 21, 2012
    Printing is a completely different issue.
    You may get resampling depending on the actual resolution of the printer. And most printers only have black and white (or CMY vs White) "pixels" to work with.

    Antialiasing can actually cause more problems on many printers (because the printer tries to render the gray values, and can't).
    P
    Phazemaster
    Participant
    December 21, 2012
    This proposed feature is over a year old? And it still hasn't been implemented? It's totally a no-brainer.

    No, the antialiasing is not fixed, although it may be better than previous versions.

    I created some original fonts in photoshop, using vector shapes at 300ppi. Even the large letters (36pt or so) printed out with jagged edges, with no option to soften the edges. I had to finally export all vector shapes into Illustrator and print from there, but I shouldn't have had to.
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    October 15, 2012
    The antialiasing of vector shapes and vector files already improved greatly in Photoshop CS6.

    And the complaints we've seen about bad AA in Photoshop either have a mistake in their understanding, or are referring to things already fixed.
    45634563545
    45634563545
    Inspiring
    October 15, 2012
    A global anti-aliasing switch, just like Illustrator, for Photoshop, would be great!

    This way, using a combination of Nearest Neighbor interpo and having all vector AA turned off would provide low-fi workers a great benefit.

    Really though, looking at the OP's post - that banded, or "posterized" anti-aliasing should simply NEVER happen. But it's been this way for as long as I can remember.

    I wonder if PS's dev's are aware that Photoshop has a reputation for handling AA very poorly in many circumstances. It's a shame. Wish it would improve.
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