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Units set to Inches, but Properties panel shows pixels

Enthusiast ,
Dec 29, 2016 Dec 29, 2016

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(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-

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

New Here , Jun 08, 2018 Jun 08, 2018

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

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Community Expert ,
Dec 29, 2016 Dec 29, 2016

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

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Enthusiast ,
Dec 29, 2016 Dec 29, 2016

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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?

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Community Expert ,
Dec 29, 2016 Dec 29, 2016

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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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Community Expert ,
Dec 29, 2016 Dec 29, 2016

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

Photoshop CCScreenSnapz001.png

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

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Enthusiast ,
Dec 29, 2016 Dec 29, 2016

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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.

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Community Expert ,
Dec 29, 2016 Dec 29, 2016

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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?

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New Here ,
May 26, 2022 May 26, 2022

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Correct Answer-Thanks Dan.

 

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Community Beginner ,
Feb 09, 2023 Feb 09, 2023

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This one worked for me. Thanks for the tip.

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New Here ,
Jun 08, 2018 Jun 08, 2018

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

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New Here ,
Aug 01, 2018 Aug 01, 2018

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Thank you so much!

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New Here ,
Aug 10, 2018 Aug 10, 2018

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Came here with the same issue, and not only solved it... this sped up a daily process of mine.

Thanks!

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New Here ,
Oct 11, 2018 Oct 11, 2018

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YAAAS! This worked. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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Explorer ,
Oct 10, 2019 Oct 10, 2019

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My properties panel doesn't have any of those options. All it shows is Document Properties, width, height, and position with none of the options yours seems to have.

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Explorer ,
Dec 06, 2019 Dec 06, 2019

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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!

Screen Shot 2019-12-06 at 11.13.34 AM.png

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New Here ,
Sep 10, 2020 Sep 10, 2020

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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!

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Explorer ,
Sep 20, 2020 Sep 20, 2020

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

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New Here ,
Nov 24, 2021 Nov 24, 2021

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This worked for me, too (trying all the solutions above it in this thread didn't). Something's definitely broken in Illustrator, but grateful Nicole0D44 solved it.

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Explorer ,
Dec 18, 2020 Dec 18, 2020

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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.  

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Community Beginner ,
Sep 16, 2021 Sep 16, 2021

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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.

 

nicks3609780_0-1631838818348.png

 

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New Here ,
Jul 20, 2023 Jul 20, 2023

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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!!!

 

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Explorer ,
Feb 22, 2024 Feb 22, 2024

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Yes, the Control Click on Macs on the Units in the 1) Properties Window, 2) the New Shape dialog, and the 3) top bar that is shown when a vector shape is active, like a rectangle or ellipse, all allow you to change the units. I also find that the unit change remains with my PS settings and is not specifically linked to the document. 

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