Editing and changing images within a program can be slightly taxing, especially if you have never done it before. This includes changing the color of a PNG file in your Illustrator program. But can you even do this? Is it possible?

Yes! You can most definitely change the color of your PNG file in your Illustrator program. There are several ways you can do it, so you don’t have to stick with the same color if you don’t want to.

There are a few ways to change the color of your PNG file. Continue reading to find the easiest way and the steps you can follow.

Can You Change the Color of a PNG File in Illustrator?

Yes, you can! But some methods necessarily don’t change the entire color of the picture but more like changing the tone of it. It depends on the method you use to change the color and the file you are editing. But changing the color is possible, though. 

How To Change The Color Of A PNG File

Changing the color of your photos isn’t too difficult, but it does depend on what type of PNG file you are trying to edit. Low resolution or transparent photos will be a little easier than high-resolution photos. Here are the steps for both.

For Low Resolution Or Transparent Photos

For low-resolution or transparent photos, you may not be able to make intricate edits. This doesn’t mean you can’t change the color, but you may not be able to change the design or the colors in specific objects within the photo. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Open up the Illustrator program.
2. Go to “Create New.”
3. Select “Print” and then “Letter.” 
4. Then click on “Create.”
5. To bring in the PNG file, click on “Place” and then the file you want to edit.
6. Size the photo to what you want.
7. Click on the “Links” panel to ensure that the picture is embedded (there should be a symbol next to the file name in the Links panel).
8. If it is not embedded, click on the flyout or grid for more options, and click on “embed image(s).” Now the image should be next to the file name on this panel.
9. Click on “Edit” at the top of the program to open the drop-down menu.
10. Click on “Edit Colors” and then “Adjust Color Balance.”
11. Check the box that says “Preview” to see your live edits.
12. Once you find what you want, you can adjust the size of the photo, or you can click on “Object” then “Artboard” and “Fit to image size.” 
13. Then save the edited photos.

It is best practice to save the edited photo with something different than the original picture. This will allow you to reuse the original photo for future edits and keep the new ones. If you don’t, the new file will override the old one, and you won’t have access to the original file anymore.

For High-Resolution Photos

Changing the color within your high resolutions is a little more complicated in the Illustrator program than if you were editing a low-resolution image. You will need to convert an image to a vector with Image Trace. Here are the steps to changing your image:

1. Complete the first four steps for low-resolution images in Illustrator.
2. Click on the image(s) you want to edit and drag them into the new file.
3. Click on the image and click on the “image trace” button to convert the PNG to a vector.
4. Go to “Window” and then “Image Trace” to fix any blurriness or other picture defects to clean up the image.
5. You can now edit other settings through the “Image Trace” function.
6. Once you have completed your edits, save your file.

Many of the edit options under “Image Trace” are more detailed. You can change the brushes of the image, the colors, and so much more. You can even fill in colors where there normally doesn’t have color. 

Just remember that if you are using images from Google, these are protected and should not be used in your work. There are a few pictures that you can select that are not copyrighted, or you can use clip art given by the programs. You can also find make designs on Placeit.net, which is a user-friendly graphic design tool alternative.

Outro

The more you play around with your images within the Illustrator program, the more you can learn to edit. As you continue to test out different settings, you will get more comfortable with the program and can do more than just change these photos’ colors.

If you stream content on Twitch, you want to make sure your profile attracts current and potential viewers. With enough viewers, you’re able to design and upload your own custom Twitch emotes to provide a more unique form of communication. In doing this, however, you may not get the results you want. A common problem Twitch streamers have is correctly sizing their emotes. So, how do you make your Twitch emotes bigger?

Continue reading for a complete guide detailing how to make your Twitch emotes bigger. To appeal to your viewers, you may want your Twitch emotes to stand out more than others. By reading below, you can learn how to draw more attention to your Twitch emotes and make them all the more enjoyable for those interacting with your profile.

Select An Image For Your Emote

Twitch emotes are a feature on Twitch that allow you and your viewers to respond in the Twitch chat with personalized images created by you, the streamer. If you already have an emote uploaded that you want to enlarge, you do not have to worry about this step. Keep in mind, however, that you may have to re-upload an image to resize it.

If you have recently created your Twitch streaming platform, one way you can customize your profile after gaining a following is by uploading one or more emotes as PNG files between 112 x 112px and 4,096 x 4,096px to make your profile more interactive for subscribers and viewers. You will need to select the image you want to convert into an emote. After doing this, you can simply upload the image onto your profile as an emote.

See How The Emote Fits

When you upload your Twitch emote, you will have the choice to set the dimensions at 28×28, 56×56, or 112×112. Unfortunately, Twitch no longer offers fully customizable dimensions, so you have to choose between the three. Depending on the clarity and type of image you use, your emote might look better in a certain dimension measurement than it does in another.

After you upload your Twitch emote and select the dimensions, check out the way it looks when used in your Twitch chat. If it appears too small, you might consider making it bigger. If this is the case, it is a simple fix. Make sure you still have the PNG file of the original image used for the emote.

Enlarge The Emote Dimensions

Go to your Twitch profile and locate the dashboard. Find and click Viewer Rewards. You should see an option labeled “Emotes.” Select it, and turn off Auto-Resize Mode. When this is on, it will prevent you from being able to make your Twitch emotes bigger. When you have turned Auto-Resize Mode off, you are ready to enlarge emotes.

You will have to reupload the image you are using for your emote. Locate the PNG file of the image and reupload it to your Twitch profile. If you have turned Auto-Resize Mode off, it should give you the option to choose the dimensions of the Twitch emote. If it was originally set to 28×28, select either 56×56 or 112×112 to test how it will look when used by yourself and viewers in the chat.

If your emote was set to 28×28 and only seemed just a bit too small, test it with the 56×56 dimension. By choosing the middle measurement for an emote that was just barely too small, it will likely look much better in the new setting. Enlarging it to 112×112 may make it look too big and potentially too distracting when displayed in your Twitch chat.

On the other hand, if you upload an image for your emote and you cannot even make out what it displays at the 28×28 setting, it is probably best to change the dimensions to 112×112. Chances are that if the original PNG file was too small, the 112×112 option is going to be the only dimension that suits the emote.

Check The Emote Again

Perhaps it goes without saying, but if your Twitch emote appears too big in your Twitch chat, reducing the size of the emote involves the same process. Instead of choosing a larger dimension setting, however, you will choose the 28×28 or 56×56.

In any case, once you have set the new dimension for your Twitch emote, publish it to see how it looks. Publishing it does not mean you cannot make additional changes. At the most, you will have to reupload the PNG file once again and simply change the dimension setting. Before finalizing the emote size, however, publish it only to test how it looks.

As you will see shortly, you will likely have to wait a bit for Twitch to monitor the publication and approve the emote. After it has been approved, go to your Twitch chat and choose the emote to see how it looks when displayed in the chat. If you are satisfied with the size, you should be good to go. If it still seems too small after having set the dimensions to 56×56, you will need to repeat the upload process and select the 112×112 setting.

Finalize Your Newly Enlarged Emote

Once you have uploaded and customized your Twitch emote with the dimension setting that works best in your chat, you will publish it for the last time. When you publish an emote, it may take time for Twitch to review and approve the emote to ensure that it does not contain profanity or any other explicit content. 

When Twitch approves your emote, it will be good to go. You and your viewers can now interact and respond to each other with your emote, whether it be an image or words of something funny, witty, or is in any other way related to your profile and the type of Twitch streamer you are.

Use Placeit For Twitch Customization

Before completing the process of resizing your Twitch emote, check out Placeit for all of your graphic design needs. Placeit offers all types of templates designed specifically for Twitch. From banners to emotes, you can personalize your profile to make it more appealing to your audience.

Even outside of the Twitch streaming service, Placeit is a great software that offers thousands of designs options without requiring a software download or payments as a free member.

Takeaway

Making your Twitch emotes fit nicely in your Twitch chat is important for keeping your subscribers and viewers satisfied. Nicely designed emotes are great for interactions between streamers and viewers. If you need to make your Twitch emotes bigger, the process is extremely simple.

There is a lot that goes into computers today, and they change just as fast as the next big thing is finally understood. While some can get away without ever knowing what goes into their rig, others rely on it for more than web browsing and simple tasks. Graphic Designers and anyone else needing heavy programs such as Photoshop are always on the lookout for ways to make their work as efficient as possible.

Getting an SSD will improve Photoshop performance significantly. Not only will the program launch faster, but it will also run more smoothly despite still being extremely resource heavy.

Whether it be upgrading an existing rig to have an SSD, adding one in, or looking for a new computer entirely, an SSD is an optimal choice to improve the performance of everything from the operating system to resource heavy software like photoshop. Keep reading to learn more.

How Much Does an SSD Improve Photoshop Performance?

Photoshop is an extremely resource heavy program. It is pretty much expected to take a bit of time to load, and on older rigs, might even get a bit sluggish. Even a newer computer might have some trouble on more intensive projects, but thankfully, an SSD can help even older rigs get better performance.

Here are some improvements an SSD upgrade gives to Photoshop’s performance:

• 4x faster launch of the program itself
• 3x faster opening of large image files
• 10 second faster file opening compared to RAM only upgrades
• 30% faster file opening compared to an HDD
• Newer versions can be used productively

Additionally, not only does it launch Photoshop faster, but it has been observed that upgrading to an SSD improves the boot time of the entire system by 54%. If coupled with a RAM upgrade, an additional 2 seconds can be added to that as well. After being stuck with a slow machine for a while, this can feel like lightning in comparison.

How to Use Photoshop with an SSD

In an ideal setup, the computer should have at least one SSD if not both an SSD and an HDD. Saving the important programing to the SSD and then saving everything else on the HDD is best for launch speeds and keeps storage neat. However, not everyone has that kind of space since these setups are costly.

The most important thing to note about using Photoshop with an SSD is to save the program itself on the hard drive so that it can reap the benefits. If possible, save the files elsewhere such as external storage devices. An SSD typically doesn’t have as much storage as an HDD, and bulky programs such as Photoshop need that space.

Photoshop itself uses RAM to process the images, so it does need a good amount of that as well. If it has insufficient space, it will use the hard drive to process the information. It is faster to access information through RAM than it is off the drive, but if it has to fall back to the drive, having one that is up to the task is essential. In fact, using the SSD as a scratch disk — where it uses the hard drive to process information — and swapping from RAM to an SSD is significantly faster than with an HDD.

However, it is important to remember that an SSD does not have a lot of space compared to an HDD, so additional space may be necessary. Setting these up under the Performance preferences can make it so that Photoshop will use them without user intervention as well.

Why Use an SSD with Photoshop?

While both hard drives work fine for use with the Adobe suite, an SSD is definitely the way to go for a multitude of reasons. Some of the newer versions even strongly recommend the use of one for optimal performance. It is the pricier option compared to an HDD, but it is worth every penny.

Here are some reasons to use an SSD with Photoshop:

• Newer versions are often unusable and sluggish without
• Faster launch speeds
• Faster file opening and saving
• Longer life expectancy of the drive compared to the HDD counterpart due to no moving parts
• The entire machine stays cooler, allowing for the program to run without hinderance due to energy going towards cooling
• It is quieter and therefore less distracting
• The drive uses less power, so there is both more power going to Photoshop and more power going to the computer itself
• Voltage fluctuation resistance on most models to keep information intact even if the power supply is spotty
• Some even have battery backups to help in the event of an outage

There is nothing worse than spending hours on a project, realizing it hasn’t been saved, and then the whole system freezing as it tries to process all that data. An SSD is less likely to have this sort of failure, and some even have built in backups in the event of the unexpected. That sense of security is invaluable when it comes to big projects. It’s also far more robust than its HDD counterpart, meaning it isn’t going to need to be replaced as frequently. This in turn leaves more room in the budget for those reoccurring Creative Cloud/Suite fees.

Conclusion

While an HDD is a significantly cheaper alternative to an SSD, it does have some serious drawbacks. It might have more storage space than an SSD, but that’s about all it has to claim. If the intent is to use Photoshop, an SSD is almost a requirement. The boot speeds of the program become significantly faster, its use becomes smoother, and files open much more quickly than they do on an HDD. Some of the newer versions even strongly recommend the use due to the increased performance overall.

Smart Guides are essential to anyone who takes their InDesign work to the next level. Smart Guides bring your InDesign project to life with checklists, documentation, and more. Smart Guides are a great way to keep your InDesign work organized. But why is Smart Guides greyed out in InDesign?

You may have to make a change to your InDesign preferences if you want to see greyed-out smart guides in your document. To do so, open InDesign and go to File, Preferences, and General. Under the “Smart Guides” tab, uncheck the box next to “Show smart guides in document”.

If you are looking for the best solutions for designing logos, book covers, and other vector-based content, check out Smart Guides. Smart Guides is a set of online design software that allows you to create vector-based documents with a single click. But how can you get it to work?

Why Can’t I Enable Smart Guides in Indesign?

You can’t see Smart Guides in InDesign unless you’ve enabled them. You can enable smart guides by going to the “Preferences” menu in InDesign and selecting the “General” tab. Within this tab, you can check or uncheck the box that says “Show smart guides in document.”

Smart Guides are greyed out in InDesign because they are disabled by default. If you want to use Smart Guides, you need to make sure that they are enabled within your preferences menu. This is the simplest way to ensure that your document will have Smart Guides so that you can use them as needed.

How Do I Turn on Smart Guides in Indesign?

If you want to turn on smart guides in InDesign, you simply need to enable them. You can do this by following these steps:

1. Open up your preferences menu in InDesign.

2. Select the “General” tab and check the box that says “Show smart guides in document.” This will enable Smart Guides for your InDesign documents.

3. You can also enable or disable other options within the preferences menu for InDesign, including the ability to show rulers, snap to grid and snap to baseline grid. These are all helpful features for making sure that your designs are as accurate as possible.

How Do You Make Custom Guides in Indesign?

If you want to make custom guides in InDesign, there are two ways that you can do this. The first is to use the rulers and the second is to use the grid options. Let’s take a look at both options:

Using Rulers

InDesign allows you to create custom guides using rulers. To do so, open the “InDesign” application and select one of the three main views (Properties, Viewers, or Pages). From here, choose a ruler from the list on the right and click on its name to enter into Edit Mode. To make custom guides in InDesign using rulers, you need to go up to the top menu and select “View” then “Ruler” and then choose “Show Ruler.”

Now that your ruler is visible, you can choose whatever measurement units that you prefer for your document. You can choose from inches, centimeters or points. Just click on the ruler (or use your keyboard) and make your selection.

Once you have selected your measurement units, click on the ruler (or use your keyboard) and drag it until it lines up with where you want it placed on your document. You will see that a blue guide line appears on your document. You can use this guide to help you line up objects.

Using Grid Options

To make custom guides in InDesign using the grid, go up to the top menu and select “View” then “Grid” and then choose “Show Grid.”

Now that your grid is visible, you can choose whatever measurement units that you prefer for your document. You can choose from inches, centimeters or points. Just click on the ruler (or use your keyboard) and make your selection.

Once you have selected your measurement units, click on the ruler (or use your keyboard) and drag it until it lines up with where you want it placed on your document. You will see that a blue guide line appears on your document. You can use this guide to help you line up objects.

How Do You Unlock Guides in Indesign?

If you have guides that you do not want to be visible in your document, then you can unlock them. First, make sure that your guides are visible by going up to the top menu and selecting “View” and then “Guides” and then choosing “Show Guides.”

Then click on the ruler (or use your keyboard) and drag it until it lines up with where you want it placed on your document. You will see that a blue guide line appears on your document. You can use this guide to help you line up objects

How Do You Add Smart Guides to All Pages in Indesign?

Sometimes you need a guide on not just one layer, but multiple. If you want to add Smart Guides to all pages in your document, then follow these steps:

1. Select “View” from the top menu and choose “Smart Guides.” Your document will be zoomed in on your page.

2. By clicking on the ruler and dragging it until it lines up with where you want it placed on your document, you can place the ruler exactly where you want it. This way, a blue guide line appears showing how to place the Ruler.

3. Once you have selected your measurement units, click on the ruler (or use your keyboard) and drag it until it lines up with where you want it placed on your document. You will see that a blue guide line appears on your document. You can use this guide to help you line up objects.

Conclusion

By using the guides in Indesign, you will be able to make your layouts more precise and accurate. Although you may not have to use guides every time you work on a layout, you will find them useful for a variety of different uses. If you have difficulty getting your InDesign Smart Design online, you can always use template based graphic design software like Placeit.net to get your design done.

GIMP is an awesome open-source photo manipulation program akin to Photoshop. However, unlike Adobe’s king moneymaker, the folks at GIMP released it for free while allowing the community to modify it to their hearts’ content. With that, however, does involve some major variance in how the program will look comparatively to other users.

It also means that since there is such a focus on customizability, that it can also be a pain to figure out where something went that was there previously. Keep reading for some reasons as to why GIMP might not be all it was expected to be.

1. Check the Theme

GIMP has a lot of customizability to it, which can be a little startling to someone used to more locked in programs such as Photoshop. That means instead of being forced to look at the same drab preset that a corporation deemed necessary due to branding, it can reflect the user’s needs and wants.

If the overall look of the program is off or not quite like it looks on the tutorials, check out the theme along this path: Edit > Preferences > Interface > Theme/Icon Theme. It might just be that.

2. The Window Mode has Changed

In older versions of GIMP, the program would always open in Multi-Window Mode. This meant that all of the dockable widgets could be easily moved around freely all over the screen unlike Photoshop’s static one-window mode. In more recent updates, the default is a singular window mode with multiple tabs instead of a bunch of free-floating boxes.

Checking if the window mode has been accidentally changed, or to make it more to the user’s liking, simply click Window up on the taskbar and then the preferred mode from the dropdown menu.

3. Accidental Closing of the Widgets

One of the most annoying things is when those little dialogue widgets get closed out instead of swapped, collapsed, or something in them was meant to be clicked. Alternatively, sometimes just the right combination of hot keys can close them and that’s probably even more frustrating.

In order to find these again, go under the Windows tab up on the taskbar and then select Windows. If it was recently closed, it will appear under the Recently Closed Docks subheading. Any widget retrieved this way will be opened separately and need to be snapped back to the window it was in regardless of the Window Mode.

4. The Tab Key Was Bumped

It’s going to happen at least once while working in GIMP. Suddenly everything just disappears except for the Canvas. To make matters worse, it won’t come back if the whole program is closed and reopened. Thankfully, it is likely that the Tab key was bumped. This is the shortcut by default to Hide Docks, so hitting it again might just bring it back.

Otherwise, check the Windows tab and see if Hide Docks is checked. This will also show whatever hotkey is assigned to that function in case that was also changed at some point.

5. Preferences Were Messed With

GIMP is outrageously customizable, and not just for those with knowledge of the program from the inside out. The preferences are extremely easy to set, change, and play around with which can be a double-edged sword. When jumping around a handful of different projects or leaving the computer open around the resident prankster, those preferences can get moved around pretty fast.

Head over to Edit > Preferences and double check them, or even reset them all back to default in order to launch the program back to its original clean slate.

6. Plugins Aren’t Playing Nice

Part of the appeal of GIMP is that it is open source freeware. That means that anyone can go in there and make something for it and handle things themselves. With that also comes a huge community of users making and sharing these various plugins with each other.

Sometimes as cool or well-meaning as some of these are, they don’t play nice with others. Always be sure to check the notes of the plugins, keep them updated, and manage them in the event one breaks. It’s a lot like modding video games in that regard, where it can be cool when it works but they all have to be compatible with each other.

7. There Has Been an Update

GIMP is totally freeware. It will never demand money for any part of it, including any updates the developers themselves actually go through implementing. As anyone who has ever updated a software with a significant change knows, sometimes things will change as they update. While most GIMP updates are backend things that don’t do a lot of difference on the user side, sometimes they do. So, a change in the appearance might just be a different version of the program all together.

8. Something Has Been Corrupted

As with any software, things can become corrupted. There might be an error somewhere along the string of code, something got moved in the source files, or an update somewhere broke everything. The good news is that this is likely more of an annoyance than an actual issue.

Here are a few ways to solve potential corruption:

• Restart GIMP
• Restart the computer entirely
• Uninstall and Reinstall GIMP
• Always Eject external drives instead of just taking them out

GIMP is small enough that it can fit on flash drives and other external devices with ease, especially on the smaller version available just for that. Some people also only keep their programs on their computers and save the files on external devices. However, if the device was not actually safely ejected and rather just taken out of the computer’s port, there is a risk of corruption. This is actually one of the most common ways files become corrupted in the first place and might be the reason that GIMP or its file doesn’t look quite right.

Conclusion

GIMP is an amazing piece of open source freeware. It rivals the giant Photoshop in almost every way, and sometimes surpasses in certain aspects. One of these is customizability, which means that it might not always look like it does in the tutorials. That also means that accidents can happen, and they need to be fixed. Thankfully, it’s a rather user-friendly program and most reasons that it suddenly looks different are easily done.

There are so many different graphic design apps to try out there! From online options like Placeit.net to the tried-and-true Illustrator, you might find yourself trying different ones to see which fits your workflow best. One design program many people have problems with is Inkscape. Why does this application look and feel so bad?

Some people believe that Inkscape is a tool that is not worth the trouble. This is because the graphics quality can often be poor, and the user interface can be clumsy and difficult to use. There are other graphic design programs that may be better alternatives.

Inkscape is the perfect vector-drawing program. It’s fast, it’s lean, and it’s super easy to learn. However, as is the case with most software, Inkscape has its fair share of flaws that put many vector-drawing programs out of a job. In this article, we’ll explore the many reasons why Inkscape looks and feel so bad.

Why Designers Use Inkscape

The first reason why designers choose Inkscape is that it is free. In fact, Inkscape comes with a 30-day trial period, which allows you to try out the program without paying a penny. One of the major benefits of using a free tool is that it allows designers to experiment freely with new tools and techniques.

The second reason why designers use Inkscape is because they don’t have to deal with complicated licensing issues. A lot of vector design programs require users to pay for every copy of the software they sell. However, with Inkscape, there are no such issues: you can just download and install the software for free.

While these are great reasons to check out the app, the plethora of issues that designers have run into are cause for concern.

1. The Program is Slow

This may come as a surprise, as we often see people claiming that Inkscape is a breeze to use. However, in reality, it’s one of the slowest vector-drawing programs available.

This may come from the fact that Inkscape doesn’t use any of the advanced functionality of more advanced programs. This is fine for simple line work, but becomes an issue when trying to do more complex things like:

• Complex shapes
• Logos
• Complex text

2. Line and Curve Paths are Overkill

One of Inkscape’s strongest selling points is the ease with which users can create line art. However, this is not the case for all users, as some prefer curve paths. The problem with curve paths lies in the fact that when you press the curve path button, you’re actually creating a box that contains the path.

To create a complex path, you have to create a separate vector for each direction. This can be time-consuming, so if you’re trying to do a lot of vector work, you may have better luck with another program.

3. Colors are Hard

Colors in Inkscape are limited, with only six available, with two of them being user-defined. Of these six colors, three are surrounded by a 24-bit “saturation mask”. This is the most limiting aspect of Inkscape, as only three colors can be used in any combination.

The other three colors are meant for special effects, such as darkening a color for adding a classy tone to a document. This means that there’s almost no room for optimization, and users are stuck with the coloring provided.

4. There are Too Many Ways to do the Same Thing

Inkscape has a lot of tools, but most of them are not very good. There are some tools that work well, such as the various shapes and paths. However, there are also many options to do the same thing with a different tool.

For example, you may want to draw a rectangle around objects in an image. To do this with Inkscape, you have to use two different editing commands: one for drawing a rectangle and another for creating an outline of the shape.

This is a common problem in all vector graphics programs. The way they work means that it’s hard to do something simple once and then repeat it over and over again.

5. The UI is Unresponsive

This may come as a surprise, as we’ve all been brainwashed to believe that the UI (user interface) of a program is crucial to its usability. However, the truth is that the user interface of a vector-drawing program is actually pretty irrelevant to the speed and efficiency with which your work.

Unlike with other applications, where you have to decide between loading slowly or crashing, with Inkscape you have no way of knowing which path you’ll take and which you’ll end up loading. This leads to a ton of stress for pro users, who have to decide every time they want to create a new design whether or not to take the slow, pixelated path or the fast, clean path.

6. The Undo and Redo Buttons are Awkwardly Placed

Both the Undo and Redo buttons are located awkwardly against the bottom edge of the screen. This is probably the most complained-about UI error, as it leads to users accidentally hitting the Undo and Redo buttons, creating mistakes that they will have to fix later.

When users are trying to use the Undo and Redo buttons, they may also accidentally click on other elements of the UI, such as the wrong \ or [ keys, or the wrong \character key. This can lead to users accidentally creating new work, as they feel they have to go back and fix the mistakes they’ve made.

7. Images can Render Blurry or Pixelated

This is probably the result of a combination of the previous two errors, as images created with Inkscape can sometimes appear blurry or pixelated when viewed on a computer monitor.

This is because there’s no color-coding or “anti-aliasing” involved when working with vectors. This means that the image data isn’t being properly “pushed” to the monitor, which can cause a subtle but significant issue.

To work around this issue, users can either “force” the rendering of the image to a “clean” monitor (by clicking the “force” button), or “normalize” the color temperature of their monitor to prevent the appearance of “shadows” or “highlights” within their images.

Conclusion

The final nail in the coffin for Inkscape is that it simply doesn’t last long enough as a program. Users are often left with vector work that has to be redone because the pathfinding was off, or the image is pixelated or blurry.

Unfortunately, this is a problem that affects almost all vector-drawing programs, so it’s something that will likely stay with Inkscape for the long term. That being said, it’s important to remember that there are plenty of options when it comes to vector-drawing programs, and there are some great programs out there.

If you’re considering Inkscape alternatives, we recommend Placeit.net, as well as GIMP, and the Adobe Suite.

Emotes are small emoji-like icons that Twitch users can use while carrying out conversations in the Twitch chat rooms. Creating Twitch emotes can be challenging enough that many users pay designers to make them for their accounts, and users can shell out hundreds of dollars for a single image. Once it’s been designed, an emote must be uploaded and approved by Twitch before it can be used. Some users are running into issues after approval, namely, size.

There are three primary reasons your Twitch emotes are looking so small:

1. Consider Twitch’s Size Guidelines
2. Too Much Negative Space
3. Image Itself Is Too Small

Let’s look at each one of these factors and any possible remedies for the causes of these issues.

3 Reasons Your Twitch Emote Is So Small

So you’ve been on Twitch chat for a minute, and you’re noticing other users putting these creative icons into the thread as a response. A good number of them are funny; others express negative emotions like disgust or positive emotions like joy.

What stands out the most is that they are all different like they’re custom-made. What sets emotes apart is that they are user-designed and uploaded. Some users may have doled out cash for their unique emotes, but they own them, nonetheless.

You’ve paid for them or created them yourself, and now you want to use them. You’ve followed Twitch’s guidelines to a tee, and you get your approval—but there is an issue— they are too small to be legible. Now what?

1. Consider Twitch’s Size Guidelines

The easiest mistake that users run into when it comes to Twitch emotes is not considering Twitch’s size guidelines. Twitch has three sizes for emotes: 28x28px for web, 56x56px for retina display, and 112x112px for larger screens. Some users don’t understand that the smallest size is displayed in chat on the desktop, so you need your image to work with this size.

You have to find an image that will look clear in all three sizes on Twitch. Finding an image that works for you could be a simple adjustment, clearing out some of the negative space around the photo to make it bigger, or finding a whole new image. Text especially will be difficult to read at that size unless the entire icon is text. When working with 28x28px sizing, the simpler the picture, the better.

2. Too Much Negative Space

The negative space issue was briefly mentioned in the previous reason, but we will get into it a bit more in-depth. Every image has an invisible frame it is set in, even with a transparent background.

The size of your image within that frame will determine the amount of negative space around the focal point, your icon. The negative space might be fine when the entire image is uploaded and shown at 56x56px or 112x112px, but it may appear too small at 28x28px.

To fix this, all you have to do is go in and crop your image closer to the icon and eliminate some of that negative space. If your icon is unusually shaped and you cannot get a close crop, consider using a different design or modifying your design to allow for a tighter crop.

If you had your Twitch emote designed, understand it’s your job to set the expectations. Not all designers are familiar with Twitch emotes, so let them know the sizing guidelines, so they can let you know, realistically, what will work on that scale.

3. Image Itself Is Too Small

You might have an awesome idea for a Twitch emote, but not every idea is going to translate well. Depending on the shape and size of the image itself, it may not take up enough room within the frame to be legible at certain sizes.

For example, a scythe is an emote that one user was having difficulty seeing clearly in the chat. With the length of both the handle and the blade, one vertical and one horizontal, there was no allowance for the image to be cropped close enough. Couple that with the thinness of the handle and blade, and you’re left with a barely legible icon.

Take these variables into consideration when selecting a Twitch emote design. You may want a certain picture, but you have to consider that it may not be practical with web sizing. If that is the case, you can either live with the 28x28px looking somewhat unclear or choose a different image. If you sprinkle a little creativity on the image, you may even be able to rework it to suit your needs.

Guidelines for Twitch Emotes

Before you go through all the trouble of hiring a designer or creating a Twitch emote yourself using a site like Placeit.net, make sure that you look at all the guidelines so you’re not wasting your time and possibly your money. Following the guidelines ensures that your emote gets approved by Twitch.

Here are a few things to consider when creating your Twitch emote:

• Follow Twitch Policies (i.e., no hateful conduct, harassment, sexual content, nudity, vulgarity, politics, flashing or flickering effects, etc.)
• Do Not Steal Content (i.e., content you do not own, another person’s likeness, person or organization name, logo, etc.)
• Format for Emotes (static emotes: PNG and animated emotes: GIF)
• File Size (no bigger than 1MB)
• Background (must be a transparent background)

There are a few more guidelines for animated emotes that you can find in the “Help” section of Twitch. There is also a full list of Twitch policies and community guidelines and an exhaustive list of copyrighted content that cannot be used.

Conclusion

Whether you’re investing in your Twitch emote by hiring a designer or taking a stab at designing it yourself, be educated on the guidelines to ensure that your emote is not only approved but legible. Choose an image that is fun but practical for the sizing you have to work with on Twitch. Collaborate with your designer, so they know how to create an icon that will work for you.

If you’ve ever opened a JPEG or PNG file in Illustrator and seen the colors look dull or gray, don’t worry—it isn’t your fault. There are some easy fixes to this annoying issue, so let’s go over them and get you back to work creating beautiful designs right away.

If Illustrator colors are gray, you can try a few things to change that. The first thing you might want to do is open up your Adjustment Panel and adjust the color. Another thing you might want to do is open up a new file and make sure that the Colors tab is checked.

It can be frustrating when Illustrator opens up your colorful photos with muddy, washed-out colors like the example above. But before we start troubleshooting for this problem, let’s first talk about what could be causing it in the first place—this way you can know what to do when it happens again in the future without having to consult a guide every time.

Illustrator is Trying to Help You

Illustrator’s color picker is a very powerful tool and can easily become a crutch for us designers. It provides us with precise control over our colors, but if you’re using it too much, you might find that your colors are starting to look dull.

It’s important to remember that Illustrator’s color picker is not an exact science. It doesn’t always work as you would expect—it can be off by one or two shades, or sometimes even a lot more than that. This means that the color swatches in the color picker will look different from each other; they will not necessarily match the colors in your photo or artwork.

If this happens to you, don’t worry! It doesn’t mean that Illustrator is doing anything wrong with your image and there isn’t anything wrong with your art! By knowing these fixes, you can ensure your colors are as vibrant as you want!

1. Convert RGB to CMYK in Illustrator

The color mode you are working in is the first factor to consider when addressing this issue. RGB and CMYK are different modes. RGB, which stands for red, green, blue (the primary colors of light), is a working mode that uses colored light to display onscreen color (on monitors).

CMYK, short for cyan, magenta, yellow and black (the primary colors of pigment), is used to print color. The two modes use different calculations to describe color so a direct conversion between them will result in some changes to the appearance of certain colors.

When creating graphics for screen media such as online or video content it’s important that you work in RGB because it’s the standard working space used by devices like monitors and TVs and by screen-based software such as Photoshop and Illustrator. When creating graphics for print media such as newsletters or flyers it’s usually best to work in CMYK because this is the standard working space used by printers which combine these four primary ink colors using varying quantities on paper or other materials to create all the other visible colors we see.

2. Change The Color In The Swatches Panel

If you have the Swatches panel open, you can change the color of your artwork by just clicking a new swatch. Both of these methods are great if you want to test out different colors for your artwork.

To change the color in the Swatches panel: Click on an existing swatch and type a new value into the Color panel.

To change an object’s color using a swatch: Just drag and drop any swatch onto an object with a fill/stroke applied to it.

You can also add new colors to your Swatches panel by selecting your object, opening up the Color Panel, and clicking on the New Swatch icon found at the bottom of the Panel. This allows you access to different ways that you can define a new color (RGB, CMYK, HSB etc.) and will add it to your Swatches library so it’s available next time!

3. Your Design May Be In Grayscale Mode

When you use the “New Document” dialog box, it defaults to the mode that’s set in Preferences under General. But your design may have been created in Grayscale mode, which can give everything a very flat and one-dimensional look.

You may have even received a file from a client that is in grayscale mode. To check or change the document color mode, go to File and select Document Color Mode and make sure it’s set to RGB or CMYK Color.

Grayscale modes are typically used to create black & white images but if you need color then you will want to switch out of this mode for your full-color design needs.

4. Use The Print Preview Option To See If Your Colors Are Printing Gray

If you’re using Illustrator and your printed colors look gray or faded, you might want to take a look at the Print Preview option.

The Print Preview will show if the colors are printing gray but not in the actual file itself. This is important because it means that there are no problems with your color setup, it’s just something to do with your printer.

The Print Preview shows how the colors will look when printed so that you can identify any potential problems before sending the job to print.

5. Prove That Your Printer Is Not At Fault

Depending on how your printer responds to this request and any adjustments you make can show whether or not it is just a printing issue causing the black and white graphics or if you have more investigation to do in illustrator.

• First, make sure your printer is working properly and that nothing is amiss on the printing end. Try a test print in color with some other document to see if there’s another issue at hand here.
• If your other prints are coming out just fine, let’s move on to figuring out what might be wrong in the Illustrator end of things.

Conclusion

Hopefully, by now you know how to solve this problem. The real issue is probably just the color mode of your document. It can be frustrating to deal with these kinds of issues when all you want to do is get some work done.

If you need to complete a project quickly, apps like Placeit.net can help you get your current project done in a pinch, however, you will have to investigate the Illustrator grayscale issue eventually. Hopefully, this post will help you do that and get back to your normal routine as soon as possible!

GIMP is one of those programs that seems to mysteriously go wrong at the slightest tap and misclick. Suddenly everything is different, something that should be happening isn’t, and now it’s off to figure out what it’s doing now.

Before rage quitting the project, be sure to try out some diagnostics. It might be user error, or it could be a bug. Thankfully, most of the time it’s a simple fix. Keep reading to find out what to do when those pesky layers don’t want to be moved in GIMP.

Check the Basics

Whenever trying to diagnose an issue in any program, it’s good to go through a checklist of the basics. It’s like when the tech support guy asks if the power is on or if the device is charged. It feels silly to need to go through them sometimes, but they are where the most common mistakes tend to be.

1. Is the Move Tool Selected?

The Move Tool (M by default) is what it takes for GIMP to move layers around. Sometimes it’s easy to get clicked off of the correct tool, especially if a different program is what is used to. It also is rather easy to move off of it when doing all sorts of different selection types.

2. Is the Right Layer Selected?

One of the most common reasons why a layer isn’t moving is that the wrong layer is selected. It’s a silly mistake to make, but thankfully one that is easily rectified. A good way to get around this from happening too frequently is to make sure all layers are descriptively named and organized well. This can be done through color tags and folders with ease, but folders also sometimes love to try and move the whole thing like in a link without being carefully watched.

3. Is the Layer Locked?

GIMP has a number of different locks it can put on a layer. It can lock Alpha Channel, make it unable to be touched, or link it to another layer. In the dialogue there will be extra icons that can lock, unlock, and edit layers so be sure that none of those are attached to that layer.

4. Is There a Mask Applied?

Additionally, a layer mask might have been applied to that layer. That would mean that any time something is clicked, the mask would be selected instead of the layer. This is usually done by accidentally masking all of the layers instead of just the intended ones, typically due to clicking the incorrect button in the layers panel.

What to Do When You Can’t Move Layers in GIMP

If checking the basics didn’t help solve the problem of not being able to move layers in GIMP, it’s time for a little more digging. Chances are they aren’t too complicated a fix, but there’s also a chance that it might be a bug or another error.

1. Put the Move Tool into the Correct Mode

Like many other tools and features of GIMP, the Move tool has multiple settings and uses. If it isn’t moving the layer like it should, it might have been swapped over to the Move Selection mode (Alt key by default) or the Move Path mode (Ctrl by default) and is supposed to pop back to Move Layer once the key is released. However, nothing is perfect and sometimes it gets stuck.

Try these options to swap the Move tool to the correct mode:

1. Click Ctrl
2. Click Alt
3. Navigate to the Tool Options and select the correct mode

Usually if the Move tool is in the wrong mode, the cursor will be different than usual. Swapping it over to moving to the active layer (Shift by default) rather than defaulting to the first non-transparent should help as well.

2. Try Moving Precisely Under the Layer Attributes Panel

On the Layer Attributes panel there are lots of details. It will display plenty of details similar to the Tool Options tab but for the layer itself. This is a good place to check to make sure everything is the way it’s supposed to be, while also being able to precisely move the layer. This can be done simply by adjusting the offsets by whatever scale needed.

3. Check to See if any Security Software is Blocking Features

Since GIMP is an open source freeware, sometimes it flags in the security software installed. If the layers aren’t being rearranged properly by a click-and-drag method in the dialogue, it’s usually due to the security software blocking the feature. At the bottom of the box there are buttons to move the layer up or down one. If that helps, chances are security is being a bit too rigid for the program.

4. Check for Updates

Most of GIMP’s updates will happen without user intervention, which will squash bugs and do some general housecleaning of the program. However, sometimes that hasn’t happened in a while and those bugs have gone and corrupted the code. Try checking for updates if the issue comes and goes or if there is an error on launch.

5. Reinstall as a Last Resort

Reinstalling is especially useful if there’s been a lot of back and forth with multiple functions starting to act awkward. Don’t just throw the icon in the Recycle Bin but actually go into Uninstall and Remove Programs to clear it from the system. Then try a fresh, clean install. There might have been a corrupted or lost file somewhere that needs to be put back together and reinstalling might do the trick.

Conclusion

Most of the time when there is an issue with GIMP, there’s a simple reason behind it. When it comes to moving layers, a lot of tiny misclicks can be the reason for them suddenly staying static. The Move Tool especially is multifunctional, so it’s easy for it to get turned around. The worst case is something has gone and gotten corrupted, but a nice update or reinstall should fix that right up.

Maybe your drawing isn’t coming out quite how you want it to. Maybe the pressure sensitivity isn’t working as it should. Or maybe… everything is just fine, but the brush tip is too small for your liking? If you’re having some trouble getting the pressure sensitivity to work in your drawing sessions, there are a few things you can try.

There could be a few reasons why pen pressure isn’t working in Krita. First, make sure you’re using the right type of pen. Second, be patient. Sometimes it takes a little trial and error to find the right amount of pressure to use. And finally, keep in mind that some surfaces may be more difficult to write on than others.

In this article, we’ll talk about what pressure sensitivity is, how it can be used in Krita, and how to troubleshoot common problems when using it. I’ll also walk you through several different scenarios to give you an idea of where your problems might stem from.

How Pressure Sensitivity Works in Krita

Pressure sensitivity is a feature that allows you to apply different pressure to different areas of the art brush.

For example, if you draw a very light circle with a very light touch, then the circle will be very small. If you draw the same circle with a heavy hand, then the circle will be much larger.

This is what pressure sensitivity is all about – it allows you to control the size of an area of the brush according to how hard you’re drawing it.

That’s the basic idea, but in order to fully understand how the pressure mapping works in Krita, let’s take a deeper look.

Check Your Installation

The first thing you should do is check your installation.

Is Krita set to be the default editor for your system? If you’re running Windows, do you have Krita set as your default program?

To make sure Krita is set as your default editor, follow these steps:

1. Go to the “Start” menu
2. Select “Settings”
3. Select “System”
4. Select “Krita”
5. Make sure that “Krita” is your default editor

Sometimes there may be an application that takes priority over Krita. If you have a specific file type you open within Krita, you can also right click and set it to automatically open in Krita.

Make Sure Your Brush Tip is Set to the Right Size

Krita has several different brush tip sizes, and each of these has its own specific pressure mapping. If you’re having trouble getting pressure sensitivity to work, it’s worth checking each tip size and making sure that the one you’re using is set to the correct pressure.

There are a couple of ways to do this. Let’s say you’re using a Wacom tablet and you’re using the default brush size. You can try changing the size to see if this helps.

Another option is to switch to the “Point” mode, which uses a smaller tip. You can hold down “Shift” while you switch modes to temporarily switch back to the default tip size.

Test Your Brush Tip With a Pencil First

If you’re using a new tip, it’s worth testing it with a pencil or other non-art brush first. This will help you to rule out any problems with your tablet or drivers.

Is It Possible Your Tablet Isn’t Sensitive Enough?

Sometimes, it’s possible that your tablet just isn’t sensitive enough for pressure sensitivity. This is especially likely to be the case if you’re using a non-Wacom tablet.

If you’re using a Wacom tablet, then your sensitivity settings should be spot on. If your tablet is working with pressure sensitivity, but you’re still having trouble, then it’s worth checking if your tablet is sensitive enough.

Wacom tablets use an existing technology called “EMR”, which is built into the tablet. It tells the computer how hard you’re pressing with your stylus, allowing Krita to figure out how big a brush stroke you want.

Is It Possible Your Tablet is Too Sensitive?

In some cases, your tablet might be too sensitive. This means that even when you’re not pressing down very hard, Krita still registers the pressure.

If you’re using a Wacom tablet, it’s unlikely that you have a too-sensitive tablet. Wacom tablets are typically very sensitive, and you need to dial back the settings on your pen if you’re having trouble.

If you’re using a generic pen, then it’s possible that you have a too-sensitive tablet. This is rare, but it can happen. In this case, the best thing to do is to try a less sensitive tip.

Troubleshoot

If you’ve tried all of the above, and your pen doesn’t seem to be behaving as it should, here are some things to try.

Make Sure You’re Holding the Tablet Firmly in Your Hand – Not in Your Arm or Your Lap

If you’re running the application in your computer, but the application isn’t running on your tablet, you need to make sure you’re holding the tablet firmly in your hand. If you’re having trouble getting pressure sensitivity to work, make sure you’re holding the tablet in your hand, not your arm or your lap.

Get a Different Tablet

While it’s certainly not ideal, you can try using a different tablet. If the pressure sensitivity isn’t an issue with your current tablet, it’s probably not the issue. However, if you have a different tablet, you can rule out the possibility that your installation is at fault.

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve gone over what pressure sensitivity is, how it works in Krita, and some things to try if you’re having trouble getting the feature to work for you. If you’re having problems getting the pressure sensitivity to work in Krita, don’t worry. You are not alone.

Sometimes if your project is not in a place where you can stop to troubleshoot, using other apps like Placeit.net can help you continue to make progress. However, with the tips we have outlined above and a little time, you can get your Krita application and pressure to where you need it to be.