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michael_9329
Participant
November 19, 2024
Answered

Pen Tool Snapping to (Seemingly) Inactive Grid

  • November 19, 2024
  • 1 reply
  • 547 views

The Pen Tool in InDesign keeps snapping to a grid I did not activate. 
1. Turned off Smart Guide
2. Turned off Snap to Guide 

3. Snap to Document Grid is Turned off

Still, the pen tool kept snapping to some sort of grid (made sure by making approximated clicks, and sure enough got a square without pressing Shift). 

I solved it temporarily by changing the horizontal and vertical Units of the file to Picas (as mentioned in a post came across), but it is incredibly tedious to have to change the Units back and forth each time I use the pen tool. 

Please help if you can 😞 
Thank you in advance.  

Correct answer Peter Spier

Are you working for screen?

Personally, I would probably draw the path in Photoshop, or perhaps use image trace in Illustrator, understanding that no smooth vector path will exactly follow any pixel edge except a true horizontal or vertical line.

But again, if you need to be working with pixels, but also need to avoid snapping to the pixel grid, switching the ruler dimensions to Points should allow you to do that with no numeric changes -- one-to-one correspondence between the units, only the name of the unit will change.

1 reply

Peter Spier
Community Expert
Peter SpierCommunity Expert
Community Expert
November 19, 2024

Sounds like you are working in Pixels.

InDesign defines a pixel as being 1/72 inches, or exactly the same as 1 pt, so try changing the ruler units to Points instead of Picas and it should work for you.

That said, if you are working in pixels it implies the destination is for screen, and you actually do want to work with snapping to the pixel grid -- screens don't split pixels. If you are not working for the screen, don't use pixels for measuring.

    M
    michael_9329Author
    Participant
    November 22, 2024

    Thank you so much for your detailed response. 

    Just to add on (if I may)...
    What if I have an image, and I need to use the pen tool to trace the exact outline of that image? 

    Peter Spier
    Community Expert
    Peter SpierCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    November 22, 2024

    Are you working for screen?

    Personally, I would probably draw the path in Photoshop, or perhaps use image trace in Illustrator, understanding that no smooth vector path will exactly follow any pixel edge except a true horizontal or vertical line.

    But again, if you need to be working with pixels, but also need to avoid snapping to the pixel grid, switching the ruler dimensions to Points should allow you to do that with no numeric changes -- one-to-one correspondence between the units, only the name of the unit will change.

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