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When I drag my mouse through a ruler to create a new guide, I want this guide to move pixel by pixel so that when I leave it, it will have snapped to a side of a pixel instead of staying in the middle.

How can I achieve this?

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  • 1
    Same problem been using zoom and snap and guides for 20 years, and really irritated that this level of software can't perform this basic task. Found zero solutions, actually had to open the image in PAINT to effect the correct placement. Seriously, this merits a refund! You've got to be kidding.
    – user26017
    Jun 14, 2014 at 19:54

4 Answers 4

Reset to default
16

You need to be at 500% zoom or higher and then hold Shift+Mouse Button to have your guides snap to the pixel grid.

Otherwise, by default it'll snap to:

  • every 2 pixels at greater than 100% zoom
  • every 5 pixels at 100% zoom
  • every 10 pixels at less than 100% zoom

However, if you set your grid to every pixel, then it should snap to the pixel at 100% zoom or greater, even if Snap to>Grid isn't enabled. At zooms less than 100%, you'll need Snap to>Grid as well as have the grid enabled.

But I usually just use the rectangular marquee to mark out the positions where I want my guides to snap to. This avoids having to zoom in or having to change my grid settings.

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    Nope, shift + move guide doesn't snap to the pixel grid... (Mountain Lion, Photoshop version 12.1 x64). Also tried combinations of keys and drag without any success.
    – user13722
    Jul 1, 2013 at 20:48
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    Positioning a horizontal guide in CS6, if you are zoomed in too far it snaps to Y: 0.0px. Zoom out a bit to get it to snap to pixels properly again. Frustrating.
    – manafire
    Sep 10, 2013 at 20:22
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    @user13722 had a similar problem but realized that i had to turn on snap
    – Chris Bier
    Mar 8, 2014 at 3:55
  • This only works if Snap is active.
    – Fireflight
    Jan 8, 2020 at 16:11
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What definitively worked for me was the following in Adobe Photoshop CS6:

  1. Go to your menu bar and click on Edit > Preferences > Units & Rulers.
  2. Change Rulers's units to Pixels.
  3. Now drag your guides while pressing Shift.

enter image description here

Enjoy!

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2

Have you...

  1. turned on snap to guides?
  2. select a blank layer, so guides won't snap to anything else in the comp.
  3. set your ruler measurement by right clicking on the ruler.
  4. hold down shift + move your guide which snaps percisely to the ruler setting.

Also when you select View > New Guide and specify a vertical position does this snap correctly?

Sorry if this is duplicating previous suggestions.

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You can hold Shift while dragging., at least in Windows.

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  • Hello, I did try it but it skips more than a pixel. Strange situation. Thank you.
    – Phil
    Feb 19, 2012 at 19:11
  • Have you tried zooming in?
    – José Tomás Tocino
    Feb 20, 2012 at 22:57
  • Yes, zoomed in or out, it jumps 3 to 4 pixels. ;-)
    – Phil
    Feb 21, 2012 at 0:58
  • It wouldn't have anything to do with what you've got set in your Preferences > Unit & Rulers or Guides, Grid & Slices
    – jamesy
    Feb 21, 2012 at 12:24
  • Wouldn't it? Why not?
    – Phil
    Feb 21, 2012 at 15:20

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