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Question

Pixel Perfect Diagonal Lines and why Illustrator won't allow me to change size in transform box

Forum|Forum|8 years ago
January 11, 2018
6 replies
4955 views

Hi I am trying to design a pixel perfect envelope icon. That actually sounds pretty easy but Illustrator will not let me do it.

I am not able to create a simple diagonal line that would have an even number size, there is always something along the 20.607 px or 41.213px

When I am trying to resize it and input a number that I want into the transform box, Illustrator changes them, for example typing in 42px will change it to 41.99px

I am using Pixel grid and Pixel Perfect also have snap to pixel on.

Tried without all these options and had the same problem.

When i try to resize it by using direct selection tool and just move it around it will not allow me to have a full number there is always 42.123px or 42.005px

I've tried making a square and then changing it into the triangle to use in my envelope icon, and this did not work either.

I am using Illustrator CC 2017 on MacOS

This topic has been closed for replies.

S

sabinam53520970

Participant

Hi!

I've the same problem that you Jolievin, when diagonals lines I can't change the transform box into even numbers. Have you found any solutions for that apart of use an older version of Illustrator?

Many thanks

Monika Gause

Community Expert

sabinam53520970 schrieb
Hi!
I've the same problem that you Jolievin, when diagonals lines I can't change the transform box into even numbers. Have you found any solutions for that apart of use an older version of Illustrator?
Many thanks

Turn off any alignment to the pixel grid.

S

sabinam53520970

Participant

I've done it but I still can't set a whole number in the Transform box...

T

Test Screen Name

Legend

The person who wrote the article did not expect 29.999 instead of 30. Doesn’t mean the resulting raster will be wrong. You are trying to prove the software is wrong by quoting how-to advice, that doesnt fly. I am concerned about the larger errors.

Jolievin-qIHlRiAuthor

Participating Frequently

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Test+Screen+Name wrote
The person who wrote the article did not expect 29.999 instead of 30. Doesn’t mean the resulting raster will be wrong. You are trying to prove the software is wrong by quoting how-to advice, that doesnt fly. I am concerned about the larger errors.

Again, I am creating a vector icon, why on earth would I need a raster? I need it on the website as SVG so a vector. And just to show you how important are those numbers. Here is a screenshot of two vector icons.

The first icon on the left was made in Illustrator CC 2018. The values in the transform box of that icon are not whole and not even.

On the right we have the same icon altered in Illustrator CC 2014. The values in the transform box are whole and even.

The first icon saved as svg and inserted into a website looks blurry and pixelated. The second one inserted into a website is perfectly sharp and pixel perfect.

Can you see a difference now?

LEFT: Illustrator CC 2018 RIGHT: illustrator CC 2014 - whole and even numbers

not whole and not even numbers

Bigger version:

In Illustrator CC 2014 I am able to change the values of transform box and in CC 2018 I am not able to change it. As you can see the finished icon (CC 2018) does not look clean and sharp as the other icon made in CC 2014. I am not able to create nice and clean vectors in CC 2018 if this is not a bug then what is?

I am going to use Illustrator CC 2014 which does not have this transform box bug.

But I would like this to be reported as a bug, because it is a bug!!

Monika Gause

Community Expert

Jolievin schrieb
Again, I am creating a vector icon, why on earth would I need a raster? I need it on the website as SVG so a vector. And just to show you how important are those numbers. Here is a screenshot of two vector icons.

When creating vector icons, your pixel based screenshots don't matter. Rendering will be done in the browser based on the paths.

If you indeed want to output raster images, then the pixel preview matters and the numbers don't. Watch this beginning on the 5:40 mark. There you will see one of the Adobe icons (from the toolbar)in pixel preview (perfect) and in comparison the preview of it. You can hardl recognize it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6_teW4xl6Y

So you need to decide now: will you output vector files or pixel files?

T

Test Screen Name

Legend

Yes, I'm serious. A difference of 0.001 looks untidy but apart from that does it break anything?

So, 28px x 28 px turned it into 27.978px x 28px - seems perfectly fine.

20px 41.213 does not seem fine. Changing 20 to 20.607 does not seem fine either.

Jolievin-qIHlRiAuthor

Participating Frequently

I am trying to design pixel perfect icons to use on the website. I have read numerous articles and tutorials on designing pixel perfect icons and why you should design pixel perfect icons, and what it means.

All these tutorials said that when creating pixel perfect icons I should have my transform box open all the time and make sure that all numbers are even, and stay away from commas. When the numbers are not whole and even, they should be changed in the transform box into whole and even numbers. If they won't be whole and even numbers then the icon will be blurry on the website and I will not be able to scale it up and down properly.

So this is why it is so important.

Here are links to outside articles that all say the same about why numbers in transform box need to be whole and even:

http://iconutopia.com/how-to-design-pixel-perfect-icons/

https://blog.ginetta.net/i-set-out-to-create-pixel-perfect-icons-heres-what-i-discovered-along-the-way-4e46378932df

https://www.tutpad.com/tutorials/how-to-create-pixel-perfect-icons

All these articles mentioned how easy it is to change uneven numbers with comma in the transform box by simply changing it into an even number and I am the only person in the world that is not able to change that value and you do not think that it is a problem.

Monika Gause

Community Expert

Will those icons be output to raster files?

In that case nobody will ever see your numbers. All that matters is what shows in pixel preview mode.

Jolievin-qIHlRiAuthor

Participating Frequently

In case I did not make my problem very clear here it is outlined again:

I am not able to change the value of transform box into any even/whole number. Every single time i put an even number there it changes into a weird , not whole number.

I just installed Illustrator CC 2015 and it also does not allow me to change values of transform box into an even number.

Installed Illustrator CC 2013 and pasted there this icon I made in CC 2015 with a globe. In CC 2015 ( Picture below) transform box displays 44px x 44.001 px - And I am not able to change it.

After pasting the same icon to CC 2013 transform box displayed again a weird number but it did allow me to change it!!

In Illustrator 2013 I am able to input any number into transform box and it works!

Now some of you might tell me to create my icons in even number size in the first place so I do not have to change it. BUT THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I AM DOING.

Illustrator changes the size of the icon into a weird number right after I will rotate it or use a pathfinder.

T

Test Screen Name

Legend

What's so weird about 44.001 or 39.999? That should be near enough to 44 for any practical purpose, just normal calculation roundoff.

Jolievin-qIHlRiAuthor

Participating Frequently

Are you serious?

1. It is weird because I am not able to change the size of the icon that I am designing.

2. Illustrator changes those values by itself - and somehow it did not do that in CC 2013

3. It was not always 44.001 or 39.999 before it gave me 20.607px instead of 20px 41.213px instead of 42px. That is not close enough.

4. Using MAKE PIXEL PERFECT on an icon that was 28px x 28 px turned it into 27.978px x 28px

Besides I am trying to make pixel perfect icons, and this makes it impossible.

Omar.Fathy

Community Expert

you can deactivate the snap to grid command because it scale the object depending on the number of pixels so it can increase the size

a little bit.

- If you have old version you can deactivate it in the new doc window from the advanced section.

Jolievin-qIHlRiAuthor

Participating Frequently

Yes, I thought as well that it might be this snap to pixel thing, but unfortunately it does not work.

What is more when I make a perfect square transform box shows me two values

First one is Transform Box values which are: 30.012px x 30.012px

Second one is Rectangle Properties which are 28px x 28px - which is exactly what I made.

Why is this first value not an even number? I have noticed that this value is the size of the box with a Stroke aligned to centre. When I change stroke to be aligned to the inside transform box shows value of 28.022 px by 28px

and rectangle shows 28px x 28 px

I think that these two values should be exactly the same but they are not. When I change the transform box first value from 28.022 px to 28px it changes the first value of my rectangle box to 27.978px by 28px

This is something seriously wrong. What is more is that when I change the rectangle properties to a perfect square 28x28px my pixel preview shows this: