SVG Precision and options are reset on every launch of IL. Add a place in IL preferences allowing users to permanently set SVG precision.
I've gone over this problem in detail on the forums here:
Illustrator's precision for saving out SVG files has a default of 1 decimal place. This can cause severe path distortion and rounding errors in the resulting file if you simply save it with CTRL+S.
This precision setting is reset to 1 after closing and re-opening Illustrator no matter what settings you have applied in the past. To rectify this, you have to:
- FIRST select "Save As..."
- Choose SVG as your format.
- Click save and wait for the SVG options dialog to appear.
- Change the precision value from 1 decimal place to something like 5-6.
If you don't do this, any SVG you open and save (even if no edit was made) will likely end up malformed.
You can replicate this by opening a SVG, nudging it maybe a pixel or two, and then saving it with ctrl+s. Re-open the file and then observe the obvious distortions and rounding errors.
Right now, as it stands, It's so easy to corrupt any icons you might be working on if you are making changes from SVG to SVG.
All you have to do is make a small modification, hit CTRL+S, and then ... boom! Your file is now instantly corrupted and rounding errors distort your paths.
Here is an example.
Original Image:
Re-Saved Image:
I urgently request that Adobe does something about this, such as letting users define their default save options somewhere in the preferences so that this sticks permanently. Right now, precision is reset to 1 decimal place on every launch of the application.
Please add an "Export Options" section to the application preferences, or a menu item that allows us to set a default SVG export profile.
I beg that someone on the team incorporates an option to fix this!
Thanks so much for reading.
Joseph Sorensen
shared this idea
The team has started investigating this
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I got a comment on this from the team.
The fallback to 1 is a regression that happens now when opening an SVG file and saving it normally. This should be fixed in the latest Beta — please check it if you can. If not yet — the upcoming Beta. -
I have no idea why it puts 1 as a default value :(
Perhaps it’s a bug, but it’s hard to check without a complete reinstallation... will try to avoid this but get some info on it. -
Joachim Tillessen commented
...and while you're at it. I don't think a precision of one decimal is reasonable default value at all. Inexperienced users should be presented with default options that are unlikely to corrupt their files.
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Joseph Sorensen
commented
@Egor,
For me, the decimal precision value entered into the "Export As..." window survived a full restart of Illustrator. However, "save" and "save as" all revert back to 1 after the full restart.
So, it appears I can confirm the same behavior you have now.
I created a video of me opening the file and saving it back via "Ctrl+S". I do this twice in the video showing rounding error distortions that occur due to the lack of precision.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kE-Z9JaYNY
It would be a dream if this issue could be addressed in a future update.
Thanks so much for taking a look and reproducing.
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That’s why the icon felt familiar, it’s Syncthing.
I tried to make some changes into it and see if Save As and Export As keep the decimal value — they did.
But then I relaunched Ai, open (imported, actually, since it’s not an Ai-made document) and checked again... while Export As kept my chosen 5, Save As set is to 1 (instead of the 7 I put there previously). Not good indeed.
Joseph, do you confirm the same? -
Joseph Sorensen
commented
@Egor:
The file is a SVG from a Linux icon pack called Papirus. You can find the original here:
https://github.com/futuremotiondev/tempstorage/blob/main/emblem-syncthing.svg
There is no AI file because I didn't create the icon.
When you are trying to reproduce this, are you closing and then re-opening Illustrator before saving?
The decimal spaces / precision value is kept for me only after first setting the decimal places when opening IL. It does not save the decimal places value after re-opening illustrator.
Should it? If so, how can I fix this?
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Joseph, was the file created in Ai in the first place?
Do you keep the original in .ai format?
Can you share the original file, with no precision loss baked in?When I try to recheck this from the scratch, I can’t reproduce it — the Decimal Spaces value is kept on 7 for me all the me, both for Save or Save As...
