Resizing Pixel Art in Clip Studio Paint

Pixel art is a unique and captivating form of digital art that has gained immense popularity in recent years. However, when posting pixel art online, it can often appear blurry and lose its crisp, clear quality. This is where resizing comes in – a crucial step in maintaining the integrity of pixel art. In this post, we'll explore why resizing pixel art is essential and provide a step-by-step guide on how to resize pixel art in Clip Studio Paint.

Why Resize Pixel Art?

Posting pixel art online without resizing can make it appear blurry, losing its original charm and appeal. Resizing ensures that the pixels remain crisp and clear, preserving the artwork's quality and details. This is especially important when sharing pixel art online, as it allows viewers to appreciate the intricate details and textures that make pixel art so unique.

How to Resize Pixel Art in Clip Studio Paint

To resize pixel art in Clip Studio Paint, follow these simple steps:

1. Go to Edit > Change Image Resolution. A window will pop up showing the current canvas width and height.
2. Ensure the units are set to Pixels (select from the dropdown list if necessary).
3. To resize, change the Scale setting. Important: Resize in exact integer multiples (e.g., 2, 3, 4, etc.) to maintain uniform pixel scaling. Avoid entering non-integer values (e.g., 2.5) as it can cause design distortions.

Resizing Images with Crisp Pixels

Let's take an example of an original design with a size of 320 x 180 pixels. To resize the image, we'll aim for a final image size of around 1000 pixels for online posting.

1. Scale setting determines the size of the resulting image. In this case, a scale of 4 is chosen, resulting in a final image size of 1280 x 720 pixels.
2. Important: Ensure the interpolation method is set to Hard Edges (Nearest Neighbor). Other settings (Bilinear, Bicubic) will result in blurry images due to smoothing out the appearance.
3. Hard Edges (Nearest Neighbor) maintains crispy pixels when resizing.

DPI Considerations

DPI (Dots Per Inch) may need to be adjusted, but it's not necessary to change it at this stage.

Pixel Art Upscaling for Digital Use

Understanding DPI

DPI (Dots Per Inch) is used to define the relationship between image resolution and print dimension. However, for digital use, DPI is not relevant, and the default setting of 72 DPI is sufficient.

Upscaling Pixel Art

When upscaling pixel art, the default setting of 72 DPI is sufficient. There's no need to worry about DPI for digital use, as the image will be resized to the desired dimensions without compromising quality.

Resizing Pixel Art in Adobe Photoshop

After resizing, the pixels will be larger, but appear perfectly clear. If zoomed in, each pixel will be 4x4 pixels in size. It's recommended to save the resized image as a new file, keeping the original single-pixel image as its own file.

Saving the Resized Image

1. Click File > Save As to save the resized image.
2. Recommended file type: PNG (lossless compression). This retains the original artwork's quality and avoids artifacts.
3. Alternative file type: JPEG (lossy compression). However, this may introduce artifacts, such as blurry edges and non-uniform colors, especially in pixel art.

Resizing Pixel Art in a Graphics Editor

Accessing the Scale Function

1. Select a layer with a bounding box (e.g., a character sprite).
2. Click the "Scale" and "Rotate" icon (labeled bounding box icon).
3. Drag corners of the layer to resize it.

Scaling for Pixel Art

1. Best handled by scaling by an exact integer (e.g., 2x, 3x).
2. Type the scaling factor for width and height into the sliders (bottom corner).
3. Sliders are in percentage format (e.g., 200% for 2x scaling).

Workflow Example

1. Create a new canvas with a large size (e.g., 1000x1000 pixels).
2. Place a sprite on the canvas, leaving a good amount of breathing room around it.
3. Scale the sprite to the desired size using the scale function.
4. Save the image as a PNG file.

Tips and Variations

• Expand the canvas size to accommodate the resized sprite.
• Scale the sprite to fit the desired size, leaving room for adjustments.
• Use the scale function to resize the sprite to an exact size, rather than dragging corners.

By following these steps and guidelines, you can resize your pixel art with confidence, maintaining its crisp, clear quality and ensuring it looks stunning online. Whether you're a seasoned pixel artist or just starting out, resizing pixel art is a crucial skill to master, and with practice, you'll be creating stunning pixel art that resonates with audiences worldwide.