Smart objects incorrectly scaling on artboard after editing in Photoshop

[Hopz28]

Hi all,

When editing and extending the height of a smart object module, it will not maintain its correct proportions once closed and reintroduced back on to the artboard. In effect, it's vertically stretching/condensing out of proportion. The correct width is maintained (to both left/right edges of the artboard). We have to check the height of the actual smart object each time before closing, and then manually vertically scale to the correct dimension on the artboard, adding unnecessary time to each project.

This appears to be a recent 'glitch' that my team and I are all experiencing since updating to Photoshop 21.2.0 release. I'm hoping it's something obvious we're doing wrong!? We've searched the forums, delved through all of the pref settings, but to no avail.

If anyone can shed any light on this, I'd be very grateful.

Thanks!

[JJMack · Accepted solution]

You are Correct and it is not a glitch and not new in 21.2! It the way samrt object layers work.  If you want a different size  Object you need to delete the current smart object layers and create an new smart object layer with an object the size you want.  Once a smart object is created Photoshop hardens the object. Photoshop tools can not change the objects pixels.  So Photoshop records an Object transform for the smart object for the smart object layer pixels. Therefore, you can scale warp and filters the object. You can not change the smart object pixels.  You can open the Object and change the object pixels. However, you can not change the object size.  For if you  change it size in ACR, Ai or Photoshop where the object opened and commit the Changes.  All objects are not Photoshop objects Photoshop does not support camera RAW Files ACR converts them.  Photoshop does not support vector smart objects AI supports .svg and .ai files. Now in the document  you opened the object from Photoshop will see the work document file has been change and Photoshop will replace the object in the smart object layer. The problem is the smart object layer has an object transform that has not been changed. The Transform settings are for the original object size not the size of the replacement. The transform will not work correctly for replacement object size. Then  you may have also added warping into the objects transform it also would be  for the originals object aspect ration and size.   You can not change the size a smart object.  And you should be careful creating them with place.  Place will degrade your image if the document you place the image into does not have the same print resolution the image file has.  Make no sense  but that is the resizing place does.  The preferences resize during Place will only scale smart object that are created larger then the document canvas.  It does not resize the object. It just changes the smart objects layer's object transform settings. 

[Hopz28]

Hi JJMack,

Thanks for your reply, and thorough overview. At least I now know I'm not going (entirely) mad!

[GJC Artworker]

You can keep AI smart ojects always in the same place by 'placing embedded' and setting to media box or trim box. When you update it should stay in the same place. Except if you havent updated as some earlier versions did have a bug where it rescaled items when you saved or even just closed placed smart objects that were set to the default artwork bounds, but if you made a note of the scaling before updating you could reset it.