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Juniperf
Juniperf
Inspiring
February 17, 2023
Question

Artboards Shift Automatically, Cause Export Issues

  • February 17, 2023
  • 4 replies
  • 2982 views

Anyone who uses this software professionally definitely understands the importance of resolution. It's intuitive that the size of the artboard should directly reflect the resolution of the export. However, I'm finding that is consistently not the case in Illustrator, partircularly with smaller artboards. Worse still, any attempt I make to correct the issue is, without fail, always undone with every reopening of the file. It's infuriating!

 

I use illustrator to layout hundreds of ads of various sizes. These images need to meet the display ad specifications listed by Google Ads. If an artboard's position coordinates are a fraction off a whole number, the exported image will almost always not match the artboard size. A 300x600 artboard will export as 301x600, or 300x601. 

 

In response to this issue, I've taken steps to make sure all artboards positions are on whole numbers. But on reopening on the file, or duplication, the artboards needlessy shift, requiring a re-shifting of the hundreds of artboards scattered across dozens of files. To me it's insane this quirk hasn't bugged anyone else so I'm either missing a key feature the always snaps artboards to a whole number, exports artboards correctly, or this bug should be addressed immediately.

    4 replies

    T
    Tara242928221uja
    Participant
    February 23, 2024

    I'm infuriated with you. Why hasn't Adobe fixed this glitch? This is something major that I spend HOURS trying to adjust when exporting artboards. This was a year ago that you posted this topic! Adobe are you reading????

      Monika Gause
      Community Expert
      Monika GauseCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      February 23, 2024

      Did you read the answers in this thread?

      Can you share a file that has issues?

      Juniperf
      JuniperfAuthor
      Inspiring
      February 23, 2024

      Monika, there is no "answer" in this thread. There's exhausting workarounds to a meaningless bug. The fundamentals of the issue have not been addressed, in this thread or otherwise, by high level community members or adobe employees. It's reasonably frustrating.

      Ton Frederiks
      Community Expert
      Ton FrederiksCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      February 17, 2023

      Do you use Global Rulers or Artboard rulers? And are you measuring the artboards coordinates from the upper left corner?

      If artboard don't align to the pixel grid, you may want to try the rearrange artboards button in the Artboards panel.

        Juniperf
        JuniperfAuthor
        Inspiring
        February 17, 2023

        Artboard Rulers, and the origins are at the center. Changing the origin to the upper left does not resolve the export issue if the coordinates are offset from a whole number, however. Nor does it address the mysterious shifting that can occur after re-opening or duplicating the file.

        Rearranging does seem like a quick fix, but there are some other undesirable effects, particularly destroying the custom condensed layout of artboards with various sizing - which is preferable in situations where you're screen sharing or need to see many things at once. 

         

        Regardless, I see no case for the user expecting the export size to not match the artboard size. Seems like a bug to me. 

        Ton Frederiks
        Community Expert
        Ton FrederiksCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        February 17, 2023

        Artboard rulers can give the false impression that the artboard is aligned to the pixel grid.

        Always use Global rulers and measure from the upper left corner to avoid additional pixels.

        I am puzzled by the shifting after opening. Maybe you could share a simple Illustrator sample file?

        Met1
        Met1
        Legend
        February 17, 2023

        Are you exporting at 72dpi?

        Are you sure you do not have a 1pt stroke on items touching the artboard edges?

        The default max canvas size in Illustrator is 227 x 227 inches, or 16,383 pixels. You cannot extend the canvas in an existing file, but you can maximize the canvas size by creating a new file with artboard dimensions up to the max size. (Type in higher number it will default to the max permissible).

        Juniperf
        JuniperfAuthor
        Inspiring
        February 17, 2023

        I use "Export For Screens", the JPG 100 preset. Document Raster Effects are at 300dpi since we tend to use Photos in the ads. 

         

        The canvas is definitely at max size. Generally, there is no artboard at max size, with the exception of those files we'd like to be more compatible with After Effects. 

         

        Nothing has a stroke.

        Met1
        Met1
        Legend
        February 17, 2023

        If you are exporting at 300dpi, what size is your document?

        When I export a 300px x 600px file with Export for screens JPG 100 at 72dpi, I get exactly sized 300px x 600px jpg files, but when I export at 300dpi I get 1251px x 2501px jpg files...

        (Also, I've closed and quite Illy several times, reopened docs several times and all my 300px x 600px files are in exactly the same place.)

        Monika Gause
        Community Expert
        Monika GauseCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        February 17, 2023

        Is this perhaps a Large Canvas file?

        Juniperf
        JuniperfAuthor
        Inspiring
        February 17, 2023

        The canvas is quite large. The template file is compatible with After Effects in the sense artwork outside the Artboard can still be used in animation. This is more of an edge case, the canvas could generally be much smaller

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