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Johnny Sokko
Johnny Sokko
Inspiring
December 29, 2016
Answered

Units set to Inches, but Properties panel shows pixels

  • December 29, 2016
  • 5 replies
  • 44227 views

(Photoshop CC 2017)

Hello, how can I get my Properties panel to display in inches, rather than pixels? I have set my rulers to inches under the Units & Rulers Preferences, but when I draw a rectangle (Rectangle Tool), and I want to numerically modify its size in the Properties panel, the panel fields display pixels. How can I change this to decimal inches? Thanks-

      This topic has been closed for replies.
      Correct answer sonnyho_whitewater

      Deselect everything on the layer panel, your "Properties" panel should have a document units drop-down menu. Change to your desired units.  Done.

      5 replies

      Barefoot22
      Barefoot22
      Inspiring
      December 19, 2020

      None of the above worked for me.  Pixel values changing to inches in my case.  The only solution I found was to delete the artwork which I'd imported from another project, which had dimensions set in inches.  Otherwise, even layers which had been created in pixels would change their values to inches in the properties panel.  

      N
      nicks3609780
      Participating Frequently
      September 17, 2021

      I have the same issue when adding a shape - everyhing is set to inches elsewhere, but when I add shape - PIXELS.

      I just found right click in the palette to change though.

       

       

        lgi-gfx
        lgi-gfx
        Participant
        July 20, 2023

        Right click over the "UNITS" get you access to change them when you are creating a new shape from scratch.

        Thanks for sharing nicks3609780

        Issue solved!!!

         

          K
          KeeleyMazurek
          Known Participant
          December 6, 2019

          Hey, my properties tab looks like this below. Im trying to make my shapes, rectangle in particular display in inches and its only showing in CM. Please help!

          N
          Nicole0D4417602341
          Participant
          September 10, 2020

          had same issue as keeley and then solved by accident.... create a shape with rectangle tool and once you deselect it, the "Document" option shows up in Properties Panel and then you can select the Units in dropdown. worked for me!

            C
            chelini&oeffling
            Inspiring
            September 20, 2020

            Addition note to Nicole0D44 -  I had to rasterize the rectangle shape before I could see the change from pixels to inches.

            sonnyho_whitewater
            sonnyho_whitewaterCorrect answer
            Participant
            June 8, 2018

            Deselect everything on the layer panel, your "Properties" panel should have a document units drop-down menu. Change to your desired units.  Done.

              C
              ChadSwee
              Participant
              August 1, 2018

              Thank you so much!

              Dan Rodney
              Community Expert
              Dan RodneyCommunity Expert
              Community Expert
              December 29, 2016

              As shown below, Right-click (or Control-click on Mac) on the measurement field and you can change the measurement type.

              Correction: While this works, sadly it doesn't stay when you leave and come back.

              — Adobe Certified Expert & Instructor at Noble Desktop | Web Developer, Designer, InDesign Scriptor
                Johnny Sokko
                Johnny SokkoAuthor
                Inspiring
                December 29, 2016

                Dan, I'm getting it to stick. Even when I close out of the doc, then re-launch it. If I click on a rectangle (made with Rectangle Tool) created in a previous session, the Properties panel remembers I set that rectangle for inches. Thanks for the suggestion.

                  War Unicorn
                  Community Expert
                  War UnicornCommunity Expert
                  Community Expert
                  December 30, 2016

                  Now, that's weird. When I set it to inches myself, it sticks. When I set it per Dan's tip and go to, say, choose another layer and come back, it resets to pixels. The same applies if I go to save, close, then re-open.  : /

                  Bug, maybe?

                  War Unicorn
                  Community Expert
                  War UnicornCommunity Expert
                  Community Expert
                  December 29, 2016

                  You can enter it yourself. (e.g., "7 in")    The unit of measurement should stick, too, until you decide otherwise.

                    Johnny Sokko
                    Johnny SokkoAuthor
                    Inspiring
                    December 29, 2016

                    Ok that's cool, I see how that can work, thanks, I didn't know I could do that. But now, if I deselect that rectangle, then re-select it, the Properties panel only tells me the value in pixels. Is there a way to set it to display in decimal inches always?

                    War Unicorn
                    Community Expert
                    War UnicornCommunity Expert
                    Community Expert
                    December 29, 2016

                    Weird. It should stick with that particular layer (at least it does with mine). Even when I close the document and re-open it, the unit of measurement sticks with what I had before.

                    ON EDIT: I'm using Photoshop CC 2017 as well but on a Windows 10 x64 system.

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