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Kar209
Kar209
Known Participant
October 9, 2012
Answered

Move/Nudge 1/2 a pixel?

  • October 9, 2012
  • 4 replies
  • 78418 views

Hey there                                                                                                              Level: Newbie   OS: Windows 7 64bit     Ps: Cs6

Is there a way I can move an object 1/2 pixel? Is there a modify key that I can use along with the arrow keys or something like that?

Thanx for your time!!

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer sudarshan.t

    A good question that is!

    Earlier versions of Photoshop used to do this depending on zoom level. If you're zoomed in at 100% on canvas, one nudge will be 1pixel relative to your current object position. 200% will be 0.5 pixel and so on all the way till 3200% which nudges 0.03125px.

    In Photoshop CS6, there is a handy little option that is (usually unnoticed) present in General Preferences.

    Go to Photoshop Preferences > General > Snap Vector Tools and Transforms to Pixel Grid - uncheck this option as shown in screenshot below:

    Once unchecked, Photoshop will behave like it did in earlier versions. Zoom level controls the nudge. 100% zoom is 1pixel nudge and 200% is 0.5pixel nudge.

    Note that this behavior will work only with 'Free Transform' (Cmd + T) or (Ctrl + T) on your object. A normal nudge with Move tool (V) will not nudge 0.5pixel.

    Trust this helps.

    -ST

    Message was edited by: Sudarshan Thiagarajan to add 'Free Transform' note

    4 replies

    Stephen Marsh
    Community Expert
    Stephen MarshCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 22, 2022

    Although a 10 year old topic, it still deserves a reply. Obviously 1px is the smallest "true" unit. That being said, with anti-aliasing one can fake a sub-pixel shift.

     

    There are examples using Photoshop's custom filter in this action set:

     

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/yvzlr1fuznyf8iw/Custom%20Convolution%20Kernels.atn?dl=0

     

      S
      sekuju1
      Participant
      August 16, 2021

      Bumping this for 2021. The pref for do not snap to grid no longer exists in the pref panel. Is there a new location for it?

       

        A
        AltWolf
        Participant
        February 22, 2022

          C
          Chup13
          Participant
          December 4, 2022

          Ive been trying to figure this out still. I have the snap vector tool unchecked, yet I still cant move anything by sub pixels, its still always full pixels and it is driving me nuts. I am using the free transfarm tool, and while I can set .1, or .5 or .6 or whatever in the X anf Y fields up top it makes no difference, the fractions dont do anything, 200.1, 200.3, etc, give the exact same result as just 200. 200.5 will round up to 2001. What am I missing and why is thisstill  not possible in 2022?

          PECourtejoie
          Community Expert
          PECourtejoieCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          October 9, 2012

          For Vector shapes, if you add one to their size, they will grow by half a pixel on either way (you might need to uncheck the snap, too)

          For pixel layers, another way is to double the size of your documents (from 300 to 600PPI), nudge, then downsample. You will get dithering, though.

            sudarshan.t
            sudarshan.tCorrect answer
            Inspiring
            October 9, 2012

            A good question that is!

            Earlier versions of Photoshop used to do this depending on zoom level. If you're zoomed in at 100% on canvas, one nudge will be 1pixel relative to your current object position. 200% will be 0.5 pixel and so on all the way till 3200% which nudges 0.03125px.

            In Photoshop CS6, there is a handy little option that is (usually unnoticed) present in General Preferences.

            Go to Photoshop Preferences > General > Snap Vector Tools and Transforms to Pixel Grid - uncheck this option as shown in screenshot below:

            Once unchecked, Photoshop will behave like it did in earlier versions. Zoom level controls the nudge. 100% zoom is 1pixel nudge and 200% is 0.5pixel nudge.

            Note that this behavior will work only with 'Free Transform' (Cmd + T) or (Ctrl + T) on your object. A normal nudge with Move tool (V) will not nudge 0.5pixel.

            Trust this helps.

            -ST

            Message was edited by: Sudarshan Thiagarajan to add 'Free Transform' note

              c.pfaffenbichler
              Community Expert
              c.pfaffenbichlerCommunity Expert
              Community Expert
              October 9, 2012

              Are you sure the OP is talking about Paths/Pathpoints? (It would not make a lot of sense otherwise, but still …)

              sudarshan.t
              sudarshan.t
              Inspiring
              October 9, 2012

              Paths as well as raster elements will nudge 0.5pixel if 'Snap Vector Tools..' is unchecked under General Preferences.

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