Use high resolution Image to trace pixel art?

Forum|Forum|9 years ago
December 27, 2016
2 replies
4152 views

Hi, I want to trace pixel art from a high resolution image but keep the high resolution images resolution high but actually draw on a 32x32 size document.

Is there any way to do this. If i were to scale down the image to fit in 32x32 it would lose so much detail tracing would not work. I want to practice making pixel art by tracing is there some way to force a image to overlay at high resolution while the document is only 32x32 pixels.

Thanks.

Correct answer D Fosse

A document can only have a single base resolution. Smart Object layers will retain their native resolution, however, they still display at the document's base resolution. You must work at high resolution for any tracing to make sense. This isn't about the application, it's how raster image editors work. You can't divide a pixel.

A vector trace is in itself resolution independent, but Photoshop is not vector-based, it's pixel-based. The vector tools are really just aids for making pixel selections. Trace or smart object - at some point you still need to rasterize down to the base document, and then 32 pixels is all you have.

This is much easier to do in Illustrator (a true vector application). There's even an automatic "Image Trace" function that is remarkably effective.

J

julian_2277

Participant

hi can i trace and make sonic the hedchog

Srishti Bali

Community Manager

Hi @julian_2277

I would love to help you with tracing and making Sonic the Hedgehog! Can you share a bit more about what you have in mind?

Are you thinking about tracing an existing image of Sonic, like creating an outline or vector version?
Or do you want to draw Sonic from scratch?
Maybe you're looking to create a digital image of Sonic in a specific style?

Once I understand what you are aiming for, I can assist you or create the image for you. What sounds best for you?

Regards,

Srishti

D Fosse

Correct answer

Community Expert

A document can only have a single base resolution. Smart Object layers will retain their native resolution, however, they still display at the document's base resolution. You must work at high resolution for any tracing to make sense. This isn't about the application, it's how raster image editors work. You can't divide a pixel.

A vector trace is in itself resolution independent, but Photoshop is not vector-based, it's pixel-based. The vector tools are really just aids for making pixel selections. Trace or smart object - at some point you still need to rasterize down to the base document, and then 32 pixels is all you have.

This is much easier to do in Illustrator (a true vector application). There's even an automatic "Image Trace" function that is remarkably effective.

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