Illustrator exports 1 pixel more

Quick Fix: Why Illustrator Exports 1 Pixel More To Each Dimension

Quick Fix: Why Illustrator Exports 1 Pixel More To Each Dimension 1024 602 Nick Saporito

Today I’ll be addressing a rather frustrating glitch in Adobe Illustrator CC. For whatever reason, Illustrator exports 1 pixel more to each dimension of a PNG or JPG file. The fix is quite simple though.

Why Illustrator Adds That Extra Pixel

After doing a little digging around, I discovered (thanks to Pixel & Bracket on YouTube) that it’s because of the position of the artboard on the canvas as it relates to the X and Y axis.

Whenever the artboard is positioned in a location that includes a decimal value, Illustrator rounds up to the nearest pixel, meaning your exported document ends up being 1 pixel larger than the actual artboard on each dimension.

Changing the position of the artboard on the canvas

If you grab the artboard tool (shift + o) and select your artboard, you’ll see in the top toolbar where it’s positioned relative to the X and Y axis. The decimal values are highlighted in yellow. This is the culprit.

The Fix

The fix is quite easy. All you have to do is manually remove the decimal values from each axis and that should prevent Illustrator from exporting 1 pixel more.

Updated X and Y axis values

Once you’ve done so, be sure to re-center your design relative to the artboard. The position of it has now changed and will not export properly if you don’t, even if it’s just a slight decimal change.

Now try exporting your design again. It should export at the proper dimensions.

If any portion of these directions is unclear, be sure to watch the brief 2-minute video tutorial I put together at the top of the post.

Apparently this glitch has gone unaddressed by Adobe for a while because search queries for it date all the way back to 2013. I’m used to dealing with glitches like this when using Open Source software, but when it comes to industry-standard software that costs a lot of money, I expect better. Hopefully Adobe addresses this soon.

Learn To Master The Software

Gain a complete understanding of your favorite design apps with my comprehensive collection of video courses. Each course grants access to our private community where you can ask questions and get help when needed.

  81 Videos
  11 Modules

The Inkscape Master Class

Tutorials, quizzes and practice exercises for learning every tool & feature in Inkscape.

  Nick Saporito
Price: $17
  77 Videos
  7 Modules

Affinity Designer Master Class

Tutorials, quizzes and practice exercises for learning every tool & feature in Affinity Designer.

  Nick Saporito
Price: $17
  98 Videos
  7 Modules

Illustrator Master Class

Tutorials, quizzes and practice exercises for learning every tool & feature in Illustrator.

  Nick Saporito
Price: $17
  70 Videos
  9 Modules

GIMP Master Class

Learn how to use all of the primary tools and features in the GIMP application.

  Nick Saporito
Price: $17

View All Courses

Nick Saporito

Hi, I'm Nick— a Philadelphia-based graphic designer with over 10 years of experience. Each year millions of users learn how to use design software to express their creativity using my tutorials here and on YouTube.

All stories by: Nick Saporito
61 comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.