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Placed PNGs difficult to select/move

Explorer ,
Jul 17, 2021 Jul 17, 2021

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Using Illustrator 25.3.1 on MacOS Big Sur 11.4. I am placing linked PNG illustrations on an artboard. At first, I can click anywhere on the PNG image to select or drag it . After some time the image will only be selectable by clicking on the border. I haven't been able to pinpoint a particular cause for the change, but it makes moving the placed PNG very difficult. I generally have to switch to outline mode to find the border. I've attached a screen recording of this anomoly. 

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Bug , Draw and design , Performance

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Adobe
Community Expert ,
Jul 17, 2021 Jul 17, 2021

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Make sure "Object Selection by Path Only" is unchecked.

MikeGondek_0-1626547382080.png

 

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Explorer ,
Jul 17, 2021 Jul 17, 2021

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Thank you. That option is unchecked, but the problem persists. 

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Guide ,
Jul 19, 2021 Jul 19, 2021

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Does it happen only with PNG files or any placed images?
Did you check if View > Show Edges is turned On?

Can you select the images using the Layers panel?

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Explorer ,
Jul 19, 2021 Jul 19, 2021

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I haven't experienced it with other file formats. I have used placed PNGs for a long time with no trouble and this is a recent occurance, so there is a chance it happens with other formats and I just haven't experienced it yet.

Edges are visible, but only when something is selected, so if it isn't selected and I am only able to select via the edge, then finding the edge is still a matter of clicking around or switching to outline mode.

Yes, I can select via layers panel, but in a situation with hundreds of layers, it makes more sense to select the image directly. 

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Guide ,
Jul 19, 2021 Jul 19, 2021

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Well, I still don't see what happens here, but I'd check 2 options in the View menu:

2021-07-19_22-43-39.png

1) Show/hide Edges (Ctrl/Cmd+H)

2) Smart Guides On/Off (Ctrl/Cmd+U)

Especially the second one. When it's turned On, the edges become highlighted on rollover:

2021-07-19_22-44-28.png

So, you will at least be able to see the image edges without jumping to the Outline mode.

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Explorer ,
Jul 19, 2021 Jul 19, 2021

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Thanks! While having smart guides on does help find the edge, the actual glitch is that the PNG randomly becomes selectable by only the edge whereas normal behavior is to click anywhere on the image to select it. 

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Guide ,
Jul 19, 2021 Jul 19, 2021

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Yes, I got it, but I still can't say anything about this strange AI behavior.

I would suggest spending 10 minutes to check other mainly used formats (JPG, TIF, PSD) and then describe the problem in the bug report on illustrator.uservoice.com.

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Explorer ,
Jul 20, 2021 Jul 20, 2021

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Thank you, I'll try that. I should also mention that even with smart guides on, PNGs affected by this issue do not show their borders on hover. 

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Guide ,
Jul 20, 2021 Jul 20, 2021

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This might be a strange question but:

What kind of PNG these images are? PNG8 or PNG24? What color modes, Index or RGB? In principle, these things mustn't affect the visibility and selection, but check them, for any case 🙂

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Explorer ,
Jul 20, 2021 Jul 20, 2021

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Here's the metadata from one of the PNGs.

File Size: 3.3 MiB
File Type: PNG
File Type Extension: png
Mime Type: image/png
Image Width: 3016
Image Height: 2512
Bit Depth: 8
Color Type: RGB with Alpha
Compression: Deflate/Inflate
Filter: Adaptive
Interlace: Noninterlaced
Pixels Per Unit X: 2835
Pixels Per Unit Y: 2835
Pixel Units: meters
Xmp Toolkit: Adobe XMP Core 6.0-c006 79.dabacbb, 2021/04/14-00:39:44
Creator Tool: Adobe Photoshop 22.4 (Macintosh)
Format: image/png
Color Mode: RGB
Icc Profile Name: sRGB IEC61966-2.1

 

 

 

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Guide ,
Jul 20, 2021 Jul 20, 2021

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Thanks.

And, for some more experiments, share please 1-2 of these PNGs, I would also try to look at them.

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New Here ,
Dec 02, 2023 Dec 02, 2023

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I;m also having this issue, and it has been like this since the new update. The PNG i'm having trouble with are those with transparent background. ;__;

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Adobe Employee ,
Dec 05, 2023 Dec 05, 2023

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Hello @Melinda3400367763zr,

Sorry to hear about this experience. Would you mind trying to run Illustrator under Safe Mode (Windows / macOS) and checking if it helps?

If the problem persists, kindly share more details, like the exact version of the OS/Illustrator, system config (CPU/GPU/Memory), a sample file (https://adobe.ly/3Rt4wIj), and a screen recording of the problem (https://adobe.ly/46Jv2l9), so we can investigate this further?

 

Looking forward to hearing from you.

 

Thanks,

Anubhav

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