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bfcreativenyc1
Known Participant
March 14, 2014
Answered

Smart Object Pixelation Issues

  • March 14, 2014
  • 7 replies
  • 54944 views

Hi,

Why is it that some logos I bring into Photoshop as smart objects look fine while others look pixelated? Is there anything I can do to improve that?

Thanks!

      Correct answer Chris Cox

      Thanks, but it made no difference changing to these preferences.


      Select the Smart Object layer, start a Free Transform (dont actually change the transform), and in the options bar turn on antialiasing, then commit the transform (again, without changing anything but the antialiasing checkbox).

      7 replies

      P
      Pete5FE9
      New Participant
      June 1, 2024

      Hello, I knwo this is an old discussion, so I'm hoping someone will still see this and help out. PS updated just last night, and this is my first project since. I'm running 25.9.0. I opened a blank white canvas and placed an embedded smart object, a png file that I've used many times in other projects. It appears heavily pixelated regardless of how I do or do not resize it. When I place it and enter transform, the anti-alias box is greyed out. When I enter the settings, I've changed it from bicubic automatic and tried the other image interpolation settings. When I click to edit contents of the smart object, the edges look perfectly smooth as they always have. This is the first time I've encountered this with the same png I've placed as a smart object dozens of times, like I said. Why is it suddenly doing this? You can see the difference in the two screenshots and I can't make sense of why this would be occurring. TIA

      Apple Jay5FAE
      Apple Jay5FAE
      New Participant
      July 8, 2021

      Hi, do you know how i can turn on anti-aliasing while on Free Transform? 

      P
      peterw42236676
      New Participant
      November 19, 2015

      Hi Chris Cox,

      I feel like I never heard the answer to khemist000 re " ...This seems like it would fix the same issue that Im having as the original poster, HOWEVER, my Anti-Alias checkbox is greyed out and cannot be clicked. Am I missing a step?" I'm having the same problem Why is the anti-alias box greyed out?

        interactivemartin
        interactivemartin
        New Participant
        October 19, 2015

        For me as well.

        I created a group of objects, all vector, and with some type. All vector and scalable to whatever size without problems inside the group. But, if I turn it into an smart object, everything gets pixelated like if it was raster... pretty weird, And my "antialias" box is disabled, and greyed out.

        Can someone post a fix for this? This didn't happen before... I am using latest version of CC

        c.pfaffenbichler
        c.pfaffenbichler
        Community Expert
        October 20, 2015

        But, if I turn it into an smart object, everything gets pixelated like if it was raster... pretty weird

        No.

        You do not seem to understand what a Smart Object created in Photoshop is, it is a psb, so a vector Smart Object in the Smart Object is expressed as pixels in the containing document.

        interactivemartin
        interactivemartin
        New Participant
        October 20, 2015

        Ok.
        Understood. It's a shame though, I think.

        JJMack
        JJMack
        Community Expert
        March 14, 2014

        http://www.mouseprints.net/old/dpr/WM900x600.jpg

        JJMack
        JJMack
        JJMack
        Community Expert
        March 14, 2014

        Smart Object Layers are resized using interpolation even if the embedded object is a vector graphic.  Photoshop also  match the logo being place in to the document print resolution to maintain the size of the logo.   If you create your logo document large in print size with a high resolution DPI.  Your place logo should look sharp. If your default Photoshop interpolation is set to Bicubic Automatic or Bicubic sharper it may get over sharpened.    If you create your logo document small in print size with a low DPI like 72 when you scale it up onto a print size document the Logo will become soft to to point being out of focus.

        http://forums.adobe.com/message/3498406#3498406

        Smart object layer resized three ways and masked together

        http://www.mouseprints.net/old/dpr/3000x2000.jpg

        JJMack
        Chris Cox
        Chris Cox
        Brainiac
        March 14, 2014

        That's not a vector logo - that's a raster file.

        B
        bfcreativenyc1Author
        Known Participant
        March 15, 2014

        I know not what his AI created  logo is by the time he get it into to Photoshop. I know the op posted a png but have no idea of what was in the document the png was saved from. Only a few file types are displayed by browsers layered Tiff, PSD and PSB files are not.   My post show how Smart Object layers with all vector embedded object works in Photoshop.

        Smart Object layers are transform using interpolation like raster layer for its the pixels rendered for the layer that get interpolated by the transform by Photoshop .  However if you open the embedded object in Photoshop and resize the object using Image Size instead of transforming the Smart Object Layer the resize is done using vector graphics.  As my posted composite jpeg shows


        The AI has always been a vector smart object.

        However if you open the embedded object in Photoshop and resize the object using Image Size instead of transforming the Smart Object Layer the resize is done using vector graphics.

        I'm sorry but I don't understand why I would want to resize the smart object using image size. Wouldn't that degrade the image if it's scaled up?

        c.pfaffenbichler
        c.pfaffenbichler
        Community Expert
        March 14, 2014

        More information? Are the logos vector or pixel, what are their dimensions, …?

        What is your Image Interpolation setting?

        Could you please post screenshots to illustrate the issue?

          B
          bfcreativenyc1Author
          Known Participant
          March 14, 2014

          Hi,

          It's actually that logo you were helping me with in my other post aout trying to replicate effects.

          Thanks.

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