Illustrator files appearing not as sharp in after effects? tried multiple settings still not fixing problem

[elliotl15825238]

I created a basic text and graphic logo in illustrator.  I'm looking to just simply animate this in after effects.  Everything is on its own layer, dartboard matches comp in illustrator ect. ect. HOWEVER Illustrator files appear dull and not as sharp when in after effects. Files scale fine in illustrator.  Turned on rasterizing setting in after effects.  Files scale properly but STILL just look dull over all.  Text doesn't look as sharp either even when working with text tool in after effects.  It's almost as if after effects is lower quality with all graphics and type then how crisp everything looked in illustrator.  Any ideas?  Been trying multiple things and recommended settings for days now.  Any advice appreciated.

[Moved from the community connections lounge area to the product-specific support forum - Mod]

[Szalam]

Do you have your After Effects composition set to be 100% zoom and Full resolution?

[elliotl15825238]

Yes I do. Those settings I checked.  And have always had them set that way.  

[Szalam]

Can we see a screenshot of your interface in AE and Illustrator so we can get a better idea of what you mean. A picture is worth a thousand words and all that.

[elliotl15825238]

below is the illustrator file (notice the quality)Now below is the illustrator files in after effects.  Also notice the image doesn't look as sharp already without even doing anything to it.  It may be hard to tell from the screenshot but take my word for it.  The font especially just doesn't look sharp.  And the line around the plane appears jagged and not as crisp.

Below is the file exported quicktime apple pro res 4444 at the highest quality all appropriate settings as usual and it looks terrible.  Notice I didn't even scale it or change anything.  It is even more apparent the quality loss when exporting it. 

[Szalam]

In After Effects, your composition window is not at 100%. After Effects is not a vector program, so, if you zoom into the composition window, it will only ever show you the exact pixel data for the composition. If you set that to be 100%, it should look better. So that solves the issue of it looking bad in AE.

You rendered your video at 1920x1080, but your screen resolution is much higher than that since you're working with a Retina screen. Video will look soft when you try to blow it up bigger than its original size. View it in your player at 100% zoom and it should look fine.

[elliotl15825238]

I did just set it to 100%.  still no change.  Ive messed with viewing it many different ways.  also about the video I've done basic title work and graphics on past media projects and the result has been a lot better when playing back on my mac.  It's something with this file. I just have to figure it out.  Thank you for all your suggestions I'll keep trying stuff. 

[Rick Gerard]

Most of the problems I see can be fixed by aligning elements to the pixel grid and making sure they are thick enough.

Also, it is very important to know that you cannot judge video by looking at a still frame. You have to judge the quality when the video is playing back at full resolution and full frame rate on a device that you intend to deliver your final product to. Video is nothing like print. If you are rendering for television you can only judge the final output on television. You will drive yourself crazy trying to optimize still frames.

[elliotl15825238]

I made a new document with everything you recommended and copied the layers from the original artboard I was using (that was not aligned to pixel grid).  In the new artboard I made, I set everything you recommended...RGB, pixels, align new object to pixel grid.  I removed all effects to the layers.  I went under transform and made sure I clicked the option align to pixel grid for each object individually.  I am also viewing this new document I created with "pixel preview turned on".  The graphic now looks pixelated around the edges in illustrator and not as sharp as before in illustrator but I am assuming that is because pixel preview is turned on.  Even when viewing at 100%  Is this a problem or normal?  If so what else can I do.  While still in Illustrator, when I zoom in on any part of the graphic now it gets really pixelated around the edges.  And does not improve anything  after effects or in the final output when using this newly create ai file.  Any other suggestions?  Thank you for your help so far.

[elliotl15825238]

I made a new document with everything you recommended and copied the layers from the artboard (not aligned to pixel grid).  In the new artboard I made I set everything you recommended RGB, align new object to pixel grid.  I removed all effects to the layers.  And individually under transform made sure I clicked the option align to pixel grid.  I am also viewing this new document with "pixel preview turned on".  The graphic looks pixelated around the edges and not as sharp as before in illustrator but I am assuming that is because pixel preview is turned on.  Is this a problem?  If so what else can I do.  When I zoom in on any part of the graphic it gets really pixelated around the edges.  And does not improve anything doing all this in after effects or in the final output.  Any other suggestions?  Thank you for your help so far. 

[Rick Gerard]

Have you done this kind of thing before? Was is the size of the artboard in AI the same size as your comp in points or pixels? Are there any raster effects applied to any of the layers in AI? Are you previewing in Illustrator with Pixel Preview turned on and the document color space set to RGB (You should be)? Did you create the illustraction with Snap to Pixel turned on?  Did you check the alignment of all thin lines (2 pt, no smaller than 1pt) to make sure the shapes were an even number of points (pixels) high and wide and lined up with the pixel grid?  Is the artboard an even number of points high and wide? Did you check the imported AI layers to make sure the size is an even number? Is the artwork designed and sized so you do not have to scale the layers up to move the layer into the hero position? Did you make sure the colors used fit in the color space you are using in your AE project? Are all of the fonts you use heavy enough and big enough so there are no parts of a character that are thinner than 2 points (1 is the absolute minimum thickness)? Is the baseline and top of your fonts lined up with the pixel gets?

If you answered no to any of these questions you have probably found the original source of the problem. The most common problem with thin lines is alignment with the pixel grid. The most common color problem is viewing AI with the document color space set to CMYK then expecting to see those colors in AE's RGB color space. The most common cause of CR (continuously rasrerize) failure is raster effects applied to a layer.

[Rick Gerard]

VThe little ring around the airplane is way too thin for video. It is also obviously not lined up with the pixel grid. There is also a very fine black stroke applied to your big letters. This is probably also not lined up with the pixel grid.

You cannot judge quality with the magnification factor sent to anything but 100% or, if you have a high resolution display like a retina display on a Mac, 200%.

You cannot judge the quality of your render with the QuickTime player unless it is set to 100% because the QuickTime player does not scale well at all.

[elliotl15825238]

I have done basic title and graphic work before.  Never had this issue.  This is all a learning experience. The artboard I made sure was the same size as always.  I've even tried different artboard settings and comp settings and always make sure they match.  for example i have a version where the artboard is 1920 by 1080 and the composition is the same.  I've checked all this many times.  as far as raster effects the only effects I have are basic opacity masks and a drop shadow both of which I have taken off and tried it with just basic text no gradients, effects, nothing works.  as far as the pixel grid that could be the source of the problem.  but yes i did set the document color space to RGB.  and I did realize the line was to thin I will fix that.  the artboard is an even number of points yes.   It probably then is the pixel grid.  I will take your word for judging the quality.  Thank you so much for your help.  I will try a few more things.  I just was confused why it was very apparent that the quality was far from the illustrator project.

[Andrew Yoole]

If you created your Illustrator document from a template, check the Artboard properties for half-pixel measurements.

There is currently a bug in Illustrator's 1920x1080 template, for example.  The template contains two Artboards, a 1920x1080 frame, and then a huge surrounding Artboard that prevents overhanging elements from being cropped in After Effects.  The problem is in that second, large Artboard.  From the Artboards pane in Illustrator, select the Artboard to check and choose "Artboard Options".

Note the default settings of the Reference Point value have half pixels (960.5, 540.5).

This pushes all layers in your document to be sub-pixel rendered as they cross the pixel grid as mentioned by Rick above.

Check that all of the Artboards in your Illustrator document have an even number of pixels, and that the Reference Point does not include sub-pixel decimals.

Also check the position and Anchor Point of your layers in After Effects have whole pixel values as well.

[elliotl15825238]

mine looks just like your example with the second artboard.  I am still somewhat new with illustrator.  How do I fix this problem?

[elliotl15825238]

Also I exported a png photo of the illustrator graphic and it looks fine and clean.  I imported that photo png of the logo into after effects and even just the png photo actually looks better in the composition then the illustrator files do.  So the illustrator file seems to be fine.  It's just like after effects doesn't like the pixels or quality of the ai files or can't handle the vectors or something.  It's driving me nuts. 

[TawaM90]

Hi elliotl15825238,

I am experiencing the same issue even with the newest versions of Ai and AE as of today (CC 2017).

Did you come across a solution or work-around?

Your advise would be highly appreciated.

[Roei Tzoref]

show us your illustrator file at 100% with pixel preview turned on and show us your Ae composition at 100%.

[Nutley]

It's interesting reading the comments, I wonder if the majority of people are actually grasping the issue?

It's not that it looks a 'little rough' in After Effects, it's that it looks horrible. My workflow is (nowadays) to create the stuff in Illustrator if I have to, then import that into Photoshop (which understands Vector graphics and scaling! ) and then export either a nice large PNG or PSD file into After Effects.

After Effects doesn't appear to play nicely with Illustrator Vector Graphics. Unless I'm missing the magic 'use the benefits of vector graphics to make it's sharp at any size' button in After Effects.

[Rick Gerard]

Nutley  wrote

It's interesting reading the comments, I wonder if the majority of people are actually grasping the issue?

It's not that it looks a 'little rough' in After Effects, it's that it looks horrible.

There is no bug, but user error is a definite possiblilty. Try this: put the AI layer that is giving you problems in a new composition,  set the composition magnification ratio to 100% or 200% if you have an HR display and the option to fit up to 200% is available,

press S to reveal scale, scale the layer to 1000%, press H to switch to the hand tool and move the comp panel around so you can see an edge, then switch Continuously Rasterize on an off by clicking this switch om the switches column.

if the edge of the graphic does not change from this:

to this:
then the Illustrator layer has a rastor effect applied to it in Illustrator and it was improperly prepared for viedeo production. An example of a rastor effect in AI is Drop Shadow. There are several of them. Open the file in AI and fix it.

If that test works then scale the layer to 100% and set the Magnification Ratio to 800% or more an d take a look at the edge again. If the horizontal or vertical edges are soft like this, then the artwork is not aligned to the pixel grid. You need to either accurately position the artwork in the comp or return to AI and line up the edges with the pixel grid. With the Magnification ratio is above 100% (200% for HR displays) diagonal lines or curves will have aliased edges but horizontal and vertial lines that are aligned to the pixel grid wil have sharp edges.

If you are scaling down artwork that has a thin line you have to make sure that that line is never less than 1 pixel wide. For example, if you have a 4 pixel (or point in AI) line and you scale the layer down to 25%, the line will now be 1 pixel wide. To stay sharp it must be perfectly aligned with the pixel grid and any curves or diagonal lines will soften and probably change color. If thin lines move they will flicker unless they move at precisely a whole number of pixels per frame. That's just how video works.

So, if your vetor artwork does not stay sharp it was either improperly prepared for video production or you have made a workflow error in AE because there is no bug in any current version of AE that causes vector files to behave badly.

[Nutley]

Hey Rick,

The 'Continuously Rasterise' button was indeed that magic button I was looking for.
Thankyou very much for your help

[Felipe Lobo]

Thanks  a LOT Rick, it worked well for me. And thanks elliotl15825238 for opening the thread.