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psatt5
Participating Frequently
May 7, 2019
Answered

Canvas size not adjusting correctly

  • May 7, 2019
  • 5 replies
  • 30337 views

I'm working on a web page mock-up and between versions I'm having to update the artboard/canvas size, yet whenever I need to make the change, the canvas size gets larger. For instance, I started out with the dimensions of 1200 x 1800 and needed to change it to 1200 x 2100, and when I did that it updated the artboard to the correct dimensions but the canvas size to 2200 x 2274. I left it for a day, restarted Photoshop and checked for an update, and now the canvas size has updated to 1200 x 2274 (previously 2200 x 2274 when I left it) and again won't change. The artboard is displaying the correct dimensions, but when I export the layer comps the canvas size is about twice the size of the actual artboard, no matter how many times I go in and manually change it. Does anyone have any advice on how to change this?

Correct answer QINGCHARLES

I had these same issues with Canvas Size not working properly.

Here's how I solved it.

I didn't realize I had an Artboard set up in my Layer palette.

So:

  • Go to your Layer palette
  • Find the Artboard
  • Right-click on the Artboard and select Ungroup Artboard
  • Now go and try Canvas Size again and it should work as you expect

5 replies

New Participant
November 15, 2023

hello

I want to make a website that would attract my clients on my skill as a software programmer and make use of my potentials to advertise my hobbies and bussiness

QINGCHARLESCorrect answer
Inspiring
January 27, 2022

I had these same issues with Canvas Size not working properly.

Here's how I solved it.

I didn't realize I had an Artboard set up in my Layer palette.

So:

  • Go to your Layer palette
  • Find the Artboard
  • Right-click on the Artboard and select Ungroup Artboard
  • Now go and try Canvas Size again and it should work as you expect
New Participant
April 6, 2022

Hi  Kingcharles.one,

 

I've been annoyed by the same issue for months now. Thank you for the solution. It worked for me. Finally, I can adjust the page without losing hair. 

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

TanGlue

New Participant
February 23, 2021

Same issue on my end. I'm on my artboard and I'm trying to change the canvas size to reduce it. It does give me the alert that there will be some clipping, but nothing happens when I choose "Proceed". At one time, it increased the image size by double.

New Participant
March 7, 2021

Hi Mike5C76,

 

I have the same issue 😞 Did you manage to resolve it? I cannot find any solution to fix it and canvas size remains the same.

New Participant
September 8, 2020

I have a similar problem. Say for example I create a 8.5" x 11.0" canvas. I was wanting to change the size to be 8.75" x 11.25" and it created a huge canvas. I'm seeing the problem to be that the new values are default at zero and zero. I've found that if I were to only put in .25" x .25" it will add those values to the width and height, then the new canvas size will be 8.75" x 11.25".

I don't understand why now I have to do calculations to change my canvas size!?

I'm using version 21.2.2 on Mac. It was this way on the previous version, I just updated to see if it would address the problem.

 

Conrad_C
Adobe Expert
September 8, 2020

Your issue is slightly different, and it is not really a problem. In your Canvas Size dialog box, the Relative option is selected. When Relative is selected, it defaults to 0 (no relative change), and what you enter changes the canvas size relative to what it is now. So entering 0.25 means add 0.25, instead of set it to 0.25.

 

It sounds like at some point Relative was selected even if you did not intend to do that. To make it work so that the values you enter are absolute instead of relative, deselect Relative.

New Participant
October 16, 2020

Hi Conrad C!

I just updated to the most current photoshop and ran into this issue. I was freeking out but your explanation and suggestion totally worked!! Thank you!

davescm
Adobe Expert
May 7, 2019

When using artboards, the canvas size automatically expands to incorporate all artboards and content. That includes any content off the artboard i.e outside the artboard boundary. Do you have anything outside the artboard?.

Dave

psatt5
psatt5Author
Participating Frequently
May 9, 2019

I thought about that as well, but I don't have anything outside of the artboard. I just tried shifting the artwork to the top of the canvas and I was FINALLY able to resize it to the actual size of the artboard. That might have explained why it was adding whitespace at the top, but it was still adding space to the bottom. The most confusing part of this was it was changing the size of the canvas every time I was restarting photoshop. So who knows what was going on but at least it's fixed for the time being!

psatt5
psatt5Author
Participating Frequently
May 20, 2019

Follow up: The problem is happening to a new file. I've tried checking to see if there are any elements outside of the artboard boundary - nothing there. I've also noticed that the default for the artboard Y placement is at -457 px and every time I change that to 0 it goes back to -457 px or another random pixel amount once I try to adjust the canvas size.

I've attached some screenshots with some of the different occurrences that are happening. All with the height of the artboard, not (currently) with the width. Note that the placement should be at 0,0 and the height at 1950 px. Note, these screenshots were taken one right after another, each after adjusting the artboard placement or the canvas size, one right after another. 

If anyone has any other recommendations for how to fix it, let me know!