what exactly is actual size?

[labyrinthdesigns]

100% view or actual size in illustrator is not actual size. Can anyone tell me why and if there is a way to set 100% to 100%?

thanks

[The Repro Kid]

It may have something to do with the relationship between 72 dpi (as a number) and your screen's current display resolution. Most graphics oriented computers can accelerate their resolution. Cycle through the various resolutions available to your screen while Illustrator displays something at 100% and watch how the size changes with each different screen resolution setting. Warning: you'll have to put your palettes back into position when you're done.

[AdobeAce]

Hi labyrinthdesigns,

Actual size, in Illustrator or any other application, depends entirely on the resolution of your monitor. The higher the resolution of your monitor, the smaller "Actual Size" will be.

If it's important to you to be able to view an individual Illustrator file at as close to "Actual Size" as possible, you can set your own "ACTUAL Actual Size" by creating a Custom View as follows.

Draw a rectangle in the middle of your document that measures 6" X 6". Now measure it (the best you can) using a ruler. (Be careful to not touch the monitor with your ruler. They scratch very easily.)

Lets say that the 6" rectangle measures 5" because your higher resolution monitor is making the image appear smaller on screen. (That's what it is on mine.)

OK! So the question is -- how do you make 5" look like 6"? Simple math -- Divide 5 by 6 which equals 120%. Set your View to 120% by highlighting the View in the lower lefthand corner of your Illustrator file and type in 120%.

Now scroll or use your Hand tool to recenter your page the best you can. If you want to set up your own Custom View -- Go to your View menu (near the bottom) to New View. Name the View and it will appear at the very bottom of your View menu in this document. Any time you select this View, Illustrator will snap right to the exact position and size that you saved.

Nice feature, but it will only work in the document you saved it for. And remember, if you change your Monitor Resolution, your saved View will no longer be Actual Actual Size.

Hope this helps!

Ace

[scottie]

Good tip...Would it be possible to set and save your "actual size view" in the Illustrator_startup drawing and resave? I'm running Font Doctor on some bogus font I downloaded from AutoFX the other day that are causing AI to crash or I'd try it myself.

[AdobeAce]

Hi scottie,

That was a great idea. But I could not get it to work.

Ace

[scottie]

It didn't work for me either. Also, I created and saved a few brushes while there and saved. When I closed and reopened AI my brushes were there. I then closed AI and restarted my G5. When I reopened AI my brushes were gone. What's up with that? Got any ideas?

Oh ya, beware of FREE fronts...free ain't free if your times worth anything...especially from AutoFX. I spent over 3 hours with Font Doctor finding, fixing and removing corrupted fonts, rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.