How to Set Canvas Size for Icons

Canvas size is the foundation of every pixel art asset. An icon authored at the wrong dimensions will appear stretched, blurred, or cropped when displayed inside the Unturned™ inventory. For Unturned modders shipping 57 Studios™ asset packs, getting the canvas size right at the start of a session is faster, cleaner, and more reliable than resizing later. This reference covers File → Properties, the Ctrl + E shortcut, the standard Unturned icon dimensions, the difference between resizing and cropping, and the unit options (pixels, inches, centimeters).

Canvas-size discipline is the single most consequential decision in the pixel art pipeline. Every later step in the workflow — the Pencil placement, the Eyedropper sample, the Save As, and the transparency pass — assumes the canvas is correctly dimensioned. A canvas authored at the wrong size cannot be repaired downstream without quality loss. The goal of this reference is to give new modders the vocabulary, the muscle memory, and the decision frameworks to set the canvas correctly the first time, every time.

Prerequisites

• Microsoft Paint open on any canvas.
• An understanding of the type of asset you intend to create (inventory icon, vehicle thumbnail, magazine sprite, etc.). The required dimensions depend on the asset type.
• Familiarity with the zoom controls. (See How to Zoom In for Pixel-Level Editing.)
• A target folder for the eventual saved file. (See How to Save a PNG File in Paint.)
• A working understanding of the Pencil tool, since canvas size and Pencil placement are tightly coupled. (See How to Use the Pencil Tool.)

What you'll learn

• How to open the Image Properties dialog.
• How to set width and height in pixels.
• The standard canvas dimensions for each type of Unturned asset.
• The difference between resizing the canvas and cropping the image.
• When to use pixels, inches, or centimeters as the unit.
• How power-of-two sizing relates to Unity texture compression.
• How to recover from an accidental canvas-size change.
• How to verify the canvas dimensions of an existing file before editing it.

Background

Microsoft Paint's canvas is a fixed-size grid of pixels. When you launch Paint with no file selected, it creates a default canvas whose size depends on the previous session. The default is rarely correct for icon work. The Image Properties dialog (File → Properties or Ctrl + E) lets you set exact width and height in pixels before you place a single pencil mark.

The canvas is not a window onto an infinite drawing surface. It is the drawing surface. Every pixel on the canvas will eventually be written to the saved PNG file. Pixels outside the canvas do not exist. This bears repeating because new modders sometimes treat the canvas as a viewport that can be panned or extended at will. It cannot. The canvas dimensions you choose at the start of a session are the dimensions of the final file, unless you explicitly resize or crop later.

Opening Image Properties

There are two methods.

Via the File menu

1. Click File in the upper-left corner of the Paint window.
2. Click Image properties.
3. The Image Properties dialog opens.

Via the keyboard shortcut

1. Press Ctrl + E.
2. The Image Properties dialog opens immediately.

Pro tip

Ctrl + E stands for Edit image properties. Memorize it. Opening the dialog through the File menu is several clicks slower, and you will use this dialog dozens of times across an asset pack.

The Image Properties dialog

The dialog presents the following fields.

Field	Purpose
Width	Canvas width in the selected unit.
Height	Canvas height in the selected unit.
Units (radio buttons)	Pixels, Inches, or Centimeters.
Colors (radio buttons)	Black and white or Color.
File information	Last saved date, size on disk, resolution.
Default button	Reset to Paint's factory defaults.
OK / Cancel buttons	Apply or discard the change.

For icon work, set Units to Pixels before adjusting Width and Height. The Inches and Centimeters units are designed for print output and are not appropriate for game assets.

Field interaction order

Always set Units first, then Width and Height. If you enter dimensions while the Units is set to Inches and then switch to Pixels, the dimensions will be converted automatically — often producing a wildly oversized canvas. Set Units to Pixels first, then enter the target dimensions.

Standard Unturned asset dimensions

Unturned uses fixed-size icons throughout its inventory and vehicle UI. The dimensions below reflect community-standard practice as documented by mod authors and used by 57 Studios.

Asset type	Standard width	Standard height	Notes
Inventory icon (small)	64 px	64 px	Pistols, medical items, ammo boxes.
Inventory icon (medium)	128 px	128 px	Most rifles, melee weapons.
Inventory icon (large)	256 px	256 px	Backpacks, larger gear.
Magazine sprite	64 px	128 px	Vertical magazines.
Vehicle thumbnail	128 px	128 px	Vehicle selection screens.
Trader catalog icon	128 px	128 px	NPC trader UI.
Skin preview	256 px	256 px	Workshop skin uploads.
Map preview	512 px	512 px	Map selection screen.

Match the asset specification

The dimensions above are typical, not universal. Different Unturned versions and different mod conventions may require other sizes. Always check the specification for the specific asset type you are creating. When in doubt, ask in the 57 Studios community channels before committing to a size.

Inventory grid mapping

Unturned's inventory uses a grid system in which each item occupies a rectangular number of cells. The icon dimensions track the cell count: a 1x1 item is 64x64 pixels, a 1x2 item is 64x128 pixels, a 2x2 item is 128x128 pixels, and so on. The mapping is consistent across most vanilla items.

Inventory cells	Pixel dimensions	Typical item examples
1 x 1	64 x 64	Battery, ammo box, small medical
1 x 2	64 x 128	Pistol magazine, vertical melee
2 x 1	128 x 64	Wide attachment, sidearm
2 x 2	128 x 128	Pistol, hand grenade, small backpack
2 x 3	128 x 192	Sub-machine gun, medium melee
2 x 4	128 x 256	Rifle, sniper, large melee
3 x 3	192 x 192	Larger gear
4 x 4	256 x 256	Backpacks, large vests

The pixel dimensions follow from the cell count by multiplying by 64. The 64-pixel-per-cell convention is established by the Unturned engine and should not be deviated from unless the asset specification explicitly directs otherwise.

Resize vs Crop

Once the canvas exists, two operations can change its dimensions. They are not interchangeable.

Resize

Resize stretches or compresses the existing image to fit the new dimensions. Every pixel in the original is sampled and the new pixel grid is interpolated from it.

• Pros: preserves the overall composition. The image still looks like itself.
• Cons: introduces blur or jagged edges because pixels must be invented or discarded.

Access: Home tab → Resize (or Ctrl + W). Choose Pixels, enter new dimensions, optionally uncheck Maintain aspect ratio for non-uniform stretches.

Crop

Crop trims the canvas to a smaller rectangle, discarding everything outside the crop region. The remaining pixels are unchanged.

• Pros: no interpolation. The pixels you keep are bit-for-bit identical to the original.
• Cons: cannot enlarge. Cannot grow the canvas without filling the new area with white.

Access: Home tab → Crop after a selection is active.

Which to use

• Growing the canvas? Use Image Properties to set new dimensions. The new area appears white at the right and bottom.
• Shrinking the canvas? Use Crop if you want to keep the original pixels exactly, or Resize if you want to fit the whole image into the smaller area.

Resize quality consequences

Resizing pixel art is destructive in a way that resizing photographs is not. A photograph has continuous tonal variation across every region; the resampling algorithm has enough surrounding data to invent a believable new pixel grid. Pixel art has sharp, discrete edges between regions of solid color, and the resampling algorithm cannot preserve those edges. The output is a softened, blurred version of the original.

The two principal resampling algorithms in Microsoft Paint are nearest-neighbor (preserves hard edges, produces a stair-step appearance at non-integer scale factors) and bilinear (smooths edges, produces blur). Paint chooses the algorithm automatically. For pixel art, neither algorithm produces an acceptable result at non-integer scale factors. The only safe resize for pixel art is an integer scale-up (2x, 3x, 4x) using nearest-neighbor.

Resize scenario	Result
64 px to 128 px (2x integer)	Clean, no blur, pixels appear larger
64 px to 192 px (3x integer)	Clean, no blur, pixels appear larger still
64 px to 100 px (non-integer)	Blurred, soft edges, partial pixel boundaries
128 px to 64 px (2x integer downscale)	Lossy; pixel data is discarded
128 px to 96 px (non-integer downscale)	Blurred and lossy

The takeaway is straightforward: set the canvas correctly the first time. Resizing later is rarely an acceptable substitute for authoring at the target dimensions.

Decision flowchart for canvas size

Visualizing a 64-by-64 canvas

To help a beginner internalize how small a 64-by-64 canvas is, the diagram below shows the structure of the canvas as an ASCII grid. Each . represents one pixel. Only the corners and the center cross are labeled.

+----------------------------------------------------------------+
|@...............................................................|
|................................................................|
|................................................................|
|................................................................|
|................................................................|
|................................................................|
|................................................................|
|................................................................|
|................................................................|
|...............................+................................|
|...............................|................................|
|.............................---+---.............................|
|...............................|................................|
|...............................+................................|
|................................................................|
|................................................................|
|................................................................|
|................................................................|
|................................................................|
|................................................................|
|................................................................|
|................................................................|
|................................................................|
|...............................................................@|
+----------------------------------------------------------------+

@ marks the top-left and bottom-right corner pixels. The cross marks the center, which is at (32, 32) for a 64-by-64 canvas. The ASCII diagram is not to scale on screen; in actual Paint at 100% zoom, the entire canvas is roughly the size of a postage stamp.

Pixels vs Inches vs Centimeters

The Image Properties dialog supports three units. For game assets, only Pixels is appropriate.

Unit	When to use	Why
Pixels	Game icons, web assets, any digital output	Discrete and exact.
Inches	Print output	Depends on DPI, which is meaningless for screen display.
Centimeters	Print output (metric)	Same as inches, metric.

Do not use Inches for game icons

If you enter "1 inch" with a default 96 DPI, Paint creates a 96-by-96 canvas. The result is technically a digital image, but the number 96 is arbitrary from a game-asset perspective. Use Pixels and enter the exact pixel count required by the asset specification.

Why DPI is meaningless for screen display

DPI stands for dots per inch. The number is a physical measurement: how many printed dots are placed in a one-inch span on paper. A 300 DPI image printed at 4 inches wide has 1,200 dots horizontally. A screen display does not deal in inches; it deals in pixels. A 1,200-pixel-wide image displays as 1,200 pixels regardless of any DPI metadata embedded in the file.

For pixel art, DPI is metadata that no game engine consults. Unity reads the pixel dimensions of the texture and ignores DPI entirely. Unturned reads the texture from the Unity asset bundle and similarly ignores DPI. There is no engine in the modding pipeline that consults DPI for any purpose.

When Paint creates a canvas at "1 inch by 1 inch" with a default 96 DPI, it produces a 96-pixel-by-96-pixel canvas. The 96 number is arbitrary from a game-asset perspective. The asset specification calls for an exact pixel count, and the only way to hit that pixel count reliably is to use Pixels as the unit.

Visualization: aspect ratio mapping for common Unturned items

The diagram groups common Unturned items by inventory cell count. Items within a cell-count group share the same pixel dimensions and therefore the same canvas size.

Advanced considerations

Power-of-two sizes

Many game engines, including Unity (which Unturned uses for asset bundles), prefer power-of-two texture dimensions: 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048. Textures at non-power-of-two sizes work but may consume slightly more memory and may be re-sampled by the engine. When in doubt, choose a power-of-two size.

Unity's texture compression formats (DXT1, DXT5, BC7) operate on 4x4 pixel blocks. A texture whose dimensions are not multiples of 4 produces blocks that wrap incorrectly, leading to compression artifacts at the edges. Power-of-two sizes are automatically multiples of 4, sidestepping the issue entirely. Non-power-of-two sizes that are still multiples of 4 (such as 96 or 192) compress correctly but lose access to the engine's mipmap optimization, which expects power-of-two textures.

For pixel art icons in the 64-to-512 range, the standard sizes are 64, 128, 256, and 512. These are the only sizes you will encounter in a well-managed Unturned mod asset pack.

Square versus rectangular

Most Unturned inventory icons are square. Magazines, certain melee weapons, and rifles may use vertical or horizontal rectangles. Match the in-game inventory grid for the item: a 1x2 inventory item is typically a 64x128 icon.

Vertical rectangles dominate the long-weapon category (rifles, snipers, sub-machine guns). Horizontal rectangles dominate the attachment category (scopes, grips, suppressors). Square icons dominate the consumable and gear category. Knowing the typical aspect ratio for the item class lets you preempt the canvas-size question before reading the specification.

Working at a higher resolution then downscaling

Some artists prefer to author at 2x or 4x the final dimensions, then resize down before saving. This approach produces softer edges, which can look better for stylized icons but is generally not desirable for sharp pixel art. For traditional pixel art, work at the target resolution from the start.

The 2x-then-downscale workflow exists in the broader digital art world for a reason: it lets artists work with familiar pencil and brush sizes while still producing small final outputs. Pixel art is different. The whole point of pixel art is that each pixel is a deliberate placement. Authoring at 2x and downscaling defeats the deliberate-placement principle because the downscale step decides where pixels end up, not the artist.

Preserving aspect ratio

In the Resize dialog, the Maintain aspect ratio checkbox locks the width and height to their current ratio. Useful when scaling an entire image proportionally. Uncheck it only when you intentionally want to stretch.

Recovering from an accidental resize

Ctrl + Z undoes the last resize. If you have made several changes since the resize, you may need to press Ctrl + Z multiple times. Paint stores up to 50 undo steps.

If the file has been saved and the resize is no longer in the undo history, the original dimensions are not recoverable from within Paint. Recovery requires either a version-controlled backup or a re-authoring of the affected pixels. For this reason, the version-snapshot pattern (saving Icon_v1.png, Icon_v2.png, etc.) before any resize is the recommended discipline for important asset work. (See How to Save a PNG File in Paint.)

Verifying canvas dimensions on an existing file

To check the dimensions of an existing file:

1. Open the file in Paint (File → Open, or drag-and-drop into Paint).
2. Press Ctrl + E to open Image Properties.
3. The Width and Height fields display the current dimensions.

Alternative: hover the cursor at the bottom-right corner of the canvas. The Paint status bar at the bottom of the window displays the canvas dimensions as a "W x H px" pair.

Always verify the dimensions of a reference file before assuming they match the target. Reference images downloaded from the internet, screenshots, and assets from other mod packs may be at unexpected sizes.

FAQ

What happens if I make the canvas smaller via Image Properties? Paint crops from the right and bottom edges. Anything outside the new dimensions is discarded. This is destructive — the discarded pixels cannot be recovered from within Paint after the change.

What happens if I make the canvas larger? Paint extends the canvas to the right and bottom. The new area is filled with the current Color 2 (typically white). The existing pixels are unchanged.

Can I change the canvas size after I have started drawing? Yes, but the consequences depend on direction. Enlarging adds blank space. Shrinking crops from the right and bottom. Use Resize (Ctrl + W) if you want to scale the existing artwork.

Why does Paint default to a strange canvas size like 1152x648? The default reflects the size of the last file you worked on. To reset, click Default in the Image Properties dialog. Paint also remembers the last session's canvas size on close and restores it on next launch.

Should I use 64x64 or 128x128 for an inventory icon? The asset specification controls this. 64x64 is common for small items; 128x128 is common for medium weapons. Confirm before starting. The inventory cell mapping table earlier in this article documents the typical mapping for vanilla Unturned items.

How do I set the canvas size to match an existing file? Open the existing file, press Ctrl + E, note the Width and Height. Close the file, open a new one, press Ctrl + E, enter those dimensions. Alternatively, open the existing file, press Ctrl + A to select all, copy, then paste into a new file — the new canvas auto-sizes to the pasted content.

Can I create a non-rectangular canvas? No. Paint canvases are always rectangular. A non-rectangular effect (such as a circular icon) is achieved by drawing the desired shape on a rectangular canvas and using a transparent background for the surrounding area. See Why Your PNG Has a White Background for the transparency workflow.

Does the canvas size affect file size? Yes, indirectly. A larger canvas contains more pixels, and PNG file size scales roughly with pixel count and color complexity. A 64x64 icon may save to a few hundred bytes; a 512x512 map preview may be tens of kilobytes. The exact size depends on the PNG compressor's ability to find repeating patterns in the pixel data.

What is the maximum canvas size Paint supports? Paint can technically create canvases up to several thousand pixels per side, but performance degrades above approximately 4,096 by 4,096 pixels. For icon work this is not a constraint. The largest standard Unturned asset is the 512 by 512 map preview, which Paint handles without difficulty.

Why does the canvas appear stretched on screen? The canvas is displayed at the current zoom level, which defaults to a level that fits the canvas in the Paint window. A 64x64 canvas appears very small at 100% zoom on a high-DPI monitor. Use Ctrl + Plus to zoom in, or the zoom slider in the bottom-right corner of the Paint window. See How to Zoom In for Pixel-Level Editing.

What if the asset specification calls for a non-power-of-two size? Use the specified size. The power-of-two preference is a guideline, not a hard rule. Some Unturned UI elements (HUD overlays, certain crosshair textures) are authored at non-power-of-two sizes by design.

Can I change the canvas size by selecting and pasting? Yes, indirectly. Pressing Ctrl + V to paste into an empty Paint window creates a canvas matching the clipboard content's dimensions. Pasting into an existing canvas does not change the canvas dimensions; the paste is clipped to the existing canvas.

Best practices

• Set canvas size before drawing. Resizing after the fact loses quality.
• Always use Pixels as the unit for game assets.
• Choose power-of-two sizes when possible.
• Verify the dimensions in the Image Properties dialog after opening any reference file. Reference images may be a different size than your target.
• Memorize Ctrl + E. The keyboard shortcut is significantly faster than the File menu.
• Save a version snapshot before any resize operation. The snapshot is your only recovery path if the resize produces unacceptable results.
• Match the inventory cell count to the pixel dimensions using the standard 64-pixel-per-cell ratio.
• When in doubt about an asset specification, ask in the 57 Studios community channels before committing to a size.

Appendix A: canvas-size pre-flight checklist

The following checklist is the recommended pre-flight before beginning any icon authoring session. Run through every item before placing the first Pencil mark.

Step	Verification	Pass criteria
1	Asset specification reviewed	Width and height in pixels documented
2	Asset type identified	Inventory icon, magazine, vehicle, map, or skin
3	Inventory cell count confirmed	If applicable, cells map to pixel dimensions
4	Paint launched	Application open, canvas visible
5	Image Properties opened	Ctrl + E pressed, dialog visible
6	Units set to Pixels	Pixels radio button selected
7	Width entered	Matches specification
8	Height entered	Matches specification
9	OK clicked	Dialog closed, canvas updated
10	Zoom adjusted	Canvas comfortably visible for pixel-level work
11	Color 2 set to intended background	White or destination color
12	First Pencil mark placed	Confirms tool and canvas are ready

The checklist takes approximately 90 seconds to complete and prevents the most common new-modder mistake of beginning to draw on a canvas of the wrong size. A canvas authored at the wrong size cannot be fixed without quality loss; the 90-second pre-flight is a permanent investment in the asset pack's quality baseline.

Appendix B: canvas-size reference card

The following reference card summarizes the canvas-size standards for every Unturned asset type in a single table. Print or pin the card next to the workstation for quick reference during authoring sessions.

Asset class	Subclass	Dimensions	Aspect	Notes
Inventory	Small consumable	64 x 64	1:1	Batteries, food, ammo boxes
Inventory	Small gear	64 x 64	1:1	Watches, attachments
Inventory	Medium weapon	128 x 128	1:1	Pistols, hand grenades
Inventory	Long weapon	128 x 256	1:2	Rifles, snipers, melee
Inventory	Large gear	256 x 256	1:1	Backpacks, vests
Magazine	Vertical	64 x 128	1:2	Pistol magazines
Magazine	Horizontal	128 x 64	2:1	Wide attachments
Vehicle	Thumbnail	128 x 128	1:1	Selection screen icons
Vehicle	Preview	256 x 256	1:1	Larger preview screens
Trader	Catalog icon	128 x 128	1:1	NPC trader UI
Workshop	Skin preview	256 x 256	1:1	Workshop upload
Map	Selection preview	512 x 512	1:1	Map menu thumbnails
HUD	Overlay icon	32 x 32	1:1	Status bar, indicators
HUD	Larger overlay	64 x 64	1:1	Mode indicators

The reference card is a snapshot of community-standard practice. Specific mod packs and Unturned engine versions may direct different dimensions. Always cross-reference against the active asset specification.

Appendix C: troubleshooting common canvas-size problems

The following troubleshooting matrix documents the most frequently reported canvas-size problems and their resolutions.

Symptom	Likely cause	Resolution
Icon appears stretched in-game	Canvas authored at wrong aspect ratio	Re-author at the correct aspect ratio
Icon appears blurry in-game	Canvas resized non-integer factor	Re-author at target dimensions
Icon appears cropped in-game	Canvas larger than asset specification	Crop to specification or re-author
Icon has white border in-game	Canvas larger than artwork	Crop tightly to artwork
Pencil marks appear too large	Zoom too high	Lower zoom level
Pencil marks appear too small	Zoom too low	Raise zoom level
Canvas appears off-center	Window pan offset	Press Ctrl + 0 to fit canvas
Image Properties dialog won't open	Active selection blocking dialog	Press Escape, then Ctrl + E
Width/Height fields disabled	Units set to a different unit mid-edit	Cancel, reopen, set Units first
Dimensions reset on file open	File contains EXIF resize hint	Manually set via Ctrl + E after open
Canvas appears entirely white	Zoom level too high, only background visible	Lower zoom to see full canvas
Default button does nothing	Canvas already at default size	No action needed

The troubleshooting matrix covers the operational problems most frequently surfaced in the 57 Studios community channels. Problems not addressed here are typically traced to file system permissions, Paint application bugs, or asset specification ambiguity rather than to canvas-size handling itself.

Appendix D: deep dive on the 64-pixel grid convention

The 64-pixel-per-cell convention used throughout Unturned has its origins in the early years of the game's development. The original Unturned inventory grid was authored to display icons at a fixed 64-pixel cell size on standard desktop resolutions of the late-2010s era. The convention persists in current Unturned versions for two reasons: backward compatibility with existing community mod packs, and the convenience of a power-of-two cell size for Unity texture compression.

Understanding why the convention exists helps a new modder make better decisions when an asset specification is unclear or absent. The 64-pixel cell is not arbitrary; it is a deliberate compromise between visual fidelity (more pixels per cell would look sharper) and inventory grid density (fewer pixels per cell would allow more cells on screen). The 64-pixel choice was validated across years of community feedback before being codified as a standard.

Implications for icon authoring

The 64-pixel cell size has three practical implications for the icon author:

1. The smallest meaningful artwork unit is 1 pixel out of 64. A 1-pixel detail occupies approximately 1.5 percent of the cell width. Details thinner than 1 pixel cannot be represented; details thicker than 1 pixel are immediately visible.
2. The 16-pixel margin convention. Community practice reserves the outermost 4 pixels of each edge of the cell as a margin, giving the icon a 56-pixel-by-56-pixel central drawing area. The margin prevents the icon from touching the edges of the inventory cell, which would visually merge adjacent cells.
3. The center cross is at (32, 32). Pixel-perfect centering of an icon places its visual center at the (32, 32) pixel of a 64x64 canvas. The center cross diagram earlier in this article marks this position.

Implications for multi-cell icons

For multi-cell icons (such as a 2x4 rifle at 128x256 pixels), the 64-pixel cell convention applies independently to each cell. A 2x4 rifle has 8 cells, each 64x64 pixels. The rifle is authored as a single 128x256 image, not as 8 separate cells, but the cell boundaries inform composition: the rifle's handle should align to one cell, the receiver to two cells, the barrel to four cells, and so on.

The 16-pixel margin convention extends naturally to multi-cell icons. A 128x256 canvas reserves the outermost 4 pixels of each edge, giving a 120-pixel-by-248-pixel central drawing area. The inner margin between cells is not enforced; multi-cell icons are typically authored as continuous artwork that crosses cell boundaries.

The diagram illustrates the canonical cell-to-feature mapping for a 2x4 rifle icon. Other long weapons follow analogous mappings.

Appendix E: canvas size and color depth interaction

The Image Properties dialog includes a Colors radio button group with two options: Black and white, and Color. The choice of color depth interacts with canvas size in ways worth understanding.

Color mode (24-bit RGB)

The default mode. Each pixel can be any of approximately 16.7 million colors. File size in this mode is approximately 3 bytes per pixel before PNG compression. A 64x64 icon at full color depth has 4,096 pixels and an uncompressed size of 12,288 bytes. PNG compression typically reduces the saved size by 50 to 90 percent depending on the color complexity.

Black and white mode (1-bit)

The legacy mode, retained for compatibility with very early Paint files. Each pixel can be either black or white, with no grayscale. File size in this mode is approximately 1 bit per pixel before PNG compression. A 64x64 icon in black and white mode has a 512-byte uncompressed size.

For Unturned modding, the Color mode is always correct. The Black and white mode has no practical use case in the modding pipeline and selecting it accidentally is a common new-modder mistake that produces unusable assets.

Never select Black and white mode

Selecting Black and white mode in the Image Properties dialog converts all existing pixels to either pure black or pure white. The conversion is destructive and cannot be undone by switching back to Color mode. If you select Black and white mode by accident, immediately press Ctrl + Z to undo before doing anything else.

Appendix F: canvas-size diagnostics for problem assets

When an icon does not display correctly in-game, canvas size is one of the first variables to check. The diagnostic procedure below walks through the canvas-size investigation step by step.

Step 1: confirm the file dimensions

Open the file in Paint. Press Ctrl + E. Note the Width and Height. Compare against the asset specification. If the dimensions do not match the specification, the canvas is the root cause and the icon must be re-authored or resized.

Step 2: confirm the file aspect ratio

Compute the aspect ratio (width divided by height). Compare against the inventory cell count for the item. A 1x2 item should have a 1:2 aspect ratio (such as 64x128 or 128x256). A 2x2 item should have a 1:1 aspect ratio. If the aspect ratio does not match, the icon will appear stretched.

Step 3: confirm the file pixel density

Compute the pixel-per-cell ratio. For a 1x2 item at 64x128 pixels, the ratio is 64 pixels per cell. The expected ratio is 64 pixels per cell for vanilla Unturned. A ratio of 32, 96, or 128 pixels per cell indicates a non-standard authoring choice that may produce unexpected in-game appearance.

Step 4: confirm the file is power-of-two

Verify that both Width and Height are powers of 2 (32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024). Non-power-of-two sizes may compress incorrectly in Unity, producing edge artifacts.

Step 5: confirm the file color depth

Press Ctrl + E and verify Colors is set to Color (not Black and white). A black-and-white file will display correctly in Paint but produce a 1-bit texture in Unity that does not render correctly in-game.

Step 6: re-author if necessary

If any of the above checks fail, the asset must be re-authored at the correct canvas size. There is no in-place fix that preserves the original pixel data exactly while changing the dimensions. The author must either re-paint at the correct size, or accept the quality loss from a Resize operation, or use a more advanced editor (GIMP, Krita) that supports pixel-perfect integer scale operations.

The diagnostic procedure typically takes two to four minutes to complete and identifies the root cause of canvas-related display problems in the great majority of cases.

Appendix G: canvas-size and the asset build pipeline

The canvas size set in Paint is the starting point of a longer build pipeline. Each subsequent stage of the pipeline imposes its own constraints and may transform the asset further. Understanding the full pipeline helps the icon author anticipate downstream issues at the canvas-sizing stage.

Stage 1: Paint authoring

Canvas size is set in Paint via Image Properties. The author paints the icon. The file is saved as a PNG.

Stage 2: transparency removal (external editor)

The PNG is opened in an external editor (GIMP, Paint.NET, Photoshop) to remove the white background and write a true alpha channel. The canvas size is preserved through this stage; no resize occurs.

Stage 3: Unity import

The PNG is placed in the Unity project's Assets folder. Unity reads the file, applies the import settings configured for the texture, and produces an in-engine texture asset. Canvas size is preserved through this stage but compression may interact with non-power-of-two sizes.

Stage 4: asset bundle build

The textured asset is packaged into an Unturned-compatible asset bundle. The bundle build process flattens the texture into a compressed binary format. Canvas size is preserved but the texture's pixel data is recompressed.

Stage 5: in-game display

Unturned loads the asset bundle and displays the texture in the inventory UI. The displayed size depends on the inventory cell count, not the original canvas size — Unturned scales the texture to fit the cell area. A texture authored at the wrong canvas size will appear scaled or stretched at this stage.

The diagram illustrates that the canvas size set in Stage 1 propagates through every subsequent stage. There is no opportunity to repair a canvas-size mistake after Stage 1 without re-running the entire pipeline.

Cross-references

• How to Open Paint — launching the Paint application and locating the canvas.
• How to Use the Pencil Tool — placing pixels on the canvas you have just sized.
• How to Use the Eyedropper Tool — sampling color while working within the sized canvas.
• How to Zoom In for Pixel-Level Editing — adjusting the view of the canvas at high magnification.
• How to Save a PNG File in Paint — saving the file once the sized canvas is complete.
• Why Your PNG Has a White Background — handling transparency in the saved file.

Appendix H: workflow scenarios and canvas-size decisions

The following workflow scenarios illustrate canvas-size decisions in realistic asset-pack contexts. Each scenario reflects a common situation reported in 57 Studios community channels.

Scenario 1: First icon in a new asset pack

A new modder is starting a 57 Studios asset pack with a custom pistol mod. The pistol occupies a 2x2 inventory cell. The asset specification is the community-standard 64-pixel-per-cell convention.

The correct canvas size is 128x128. The modder opens Paint, presses Ctrl + E, sets Units to Pixels, enters Width 128 and Height 128, clicks OK. The canvas is ready.

Scenario 2: Rifle with attached scope

A modder is authoring a rifle icon with an integrated scope. The rifle is a 2x4 item (128x256 pixels). The scope is part of the rifle silhouette and does not require a separate icon.

The correct canvas size is 128x256. The full rifle silhouette including the scope is painted on the single canvas. No separate canvas is created for the scope.

Scenario 3: Vehicle thumbnail with custom paint

A modder is authoring a thumbnail for a custom vehicle skin. The vehicle thumbnail standard is 128x128 pixels.

The correct canvas size is 128x128. The modder paints the vehicle silhouette at this canvas size, then re-uses the same canvas for additional paint variants.

Scenario 4: Skin preview for Workshop upload

A modder is preparing a Workshop submission for a clothing skin. The Workshop skin preview standard is 256x256 pixels.

The correct canvas size is 256x256. The modder paints the skin preview at this canvas size, ensuring the preview shows the clothing item against a transparent or neutral background.

Scenario 5: Map preview for menu

A modder has finished a custom map and needs a menu preview. The map preview standard is 512x512 pixels.

The correct canvas size is 512x512. The modder takes a top-down screenshot of the map at appropriate scale, opens the screenshot in Paint, and resizes it to 512x512 if the source is at a different size. An integer scale-down from a larger source is preferred over a non-integer scale.

Scenario 6: Trader catalog icon for a unique NPC

A modder is authoring a trader catalog icon for a unique NPC trader. The trader catalog icon standard is 128x128 pixels.

The correct canvas size is 128x128. The modder paints a portrait or distinguishing emblem at this canvas size.

Scenario 7: HUD overlay for a custom status

A modder is authoring a HUD overlay icon for a custom buff status. HUD overlays are typically 32x32 pixels for small indicators, or 64x64 pixels for larger ones.

The correct canvas size is 32x32 for a small indicator or 64x64 for a larger one. The modder confirms the specification in the mod's UI framework before committing.

Scenario 8: Magazine for a custom rifle

A modder is authoring a magazine sprite for a custom rifle. The magazine is a 1x2 item (64x128 pixels) and is held in a separate inventory slot from the rifle.

The correct canvas size is 64x128. The modder paints the magazine silhouette vertically on this canvas.

The scenarios cover the great majority of canvas-sizing decisions in a typical Unturned mod asset pack. Edge cases (very large gear, unusual aspect ratios, non-standard cell counts) require consultation with the asset specification or the 57 Studios community channels.

Appendix I: canvas-size mistakes and their consequences

The table below documents the most common canvas-size mistakes reported by new modders, along with the in-game consequence and the recommended fix.

Mistake	In-game consequence	Fix
Canvas authored at 96x96 instead of 128x128	Icon appears slightly smaller than neighbors, white border or stretching depending on engine settings	Re-author at 128x128
Canvas authored at 100x100 instead of 64x64	Icon appears in non-standard size, may produce edge artifacts on Unity compression	Re-author at 64x64
Canvas authored at 128x64 instead of 64x128	Icon appears rotated 90 degrees in-game (cell is 1x2 vertical)	Re-author at correct aspect ratio
Canvas authored with Inches units	Final pixel dimensions are arbitrary multiples of DPI	Re-author with Pixels units
Canvas resized non-integer factor	Icon appears blurred with soft edges	Re-author at target dimensions
Canvas authored in Black and white mode	Texture compresses to 1-bit format, does not render correctly	Re-author in Color mode
Canvas authored too large then cropped	Visible margin around artwork, icon appears small in cell	Tighten crop or re-author
Canvas authored too small then resized up	Pixels appear chunky and stair-stepped	Re-author at target dimensions
Canvas authored without checking specification	May or may not match specification; quality of match is uncontrolled	Verify specification, re-author if needed
Canvas dimensions changed during authoring	Pixels may have been cropped or moved; artwork compromised	Restore from version snapshot or re-author

The table emphasizes that nearly every canvas-size mistake results in a re-authoring requirement. The economic case for getting the canvas correct at the start of the session is straightforward: 90 seconds of pre-flight check versus hours of re-authoring work.

Appendix J: keyboard shortcuts reference

The following keyboard shortcuts are relevant to canvas-size work in Microsoft Paint. Memorize the shortcuts you will use most frequently.

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl + E	Open Image Properties dialog
Ctrl + W	Open Resize dialog
Ctrl + Z	Undo last action
Ctrl + Y	Redo last undone action
Ctrl + A	Select all (selects the entire canvas)
Ctrl + N	New canvas (prompts to save current if dirty)
Ctrl + O	Open existing file
Ctrl + Plus	Zoom in
Ctrl + Minus	Zoom out
Ctrl + 0	Fit canvas to window
F11	Full-screen mode (canvas only, no toolbars)
Escape	Cancel current operation or selection

The Ctrl + E shortcut is the single most useful shortcut for canvas-size work and should be memorized first.

Appendix K: extended visualization of canvas sizes

The following ASCII visualizations compare the relative sizes of the standard Unturned canvas dimensions. Each visualization is rendered to approximate scale relative to the others, allowing a visual comparison of how much working area each standard provides.

32x32 (HUD overlay, small)

+-------+
|.......|
|.......|
|.......|
|.......|
|.......|
|.......|
|.......|
+-------+

The 32x32 canvas is the smallest standard. The visualization is highly compressed; in actual Paint at 100% zoom on a high-DPI monitor, the canvas is roughly half the width of a thumbnail.

64x64 (inventory icon, small)

+-----------+
|...........|
|...........|
|...........|
|...........|
|...........|
|...........|
|...........|
|...........|
|...........|
|...........|
|...........|
+-----------+

The 64x64 canvas is the default for 1x1 inventory items. It provides four times the pixel area of the 32x32 canvas.

128x128 (inventory icon, medium)

+------------------------+
|........................|
|........................|
|........................|
|........................|
|........................|
|........................|
|........................|
|........................|
|........................|
|........................|
|........................|
|........................|
|........................|
|........................|
|........................|
|........................|
|........................|
|........................|
+------------------------+

The 128x128 canvas is the default for 2x2 inventory items. It provides sixteen times the pixel area of the 32x32 canvas and four times the area of the 64x64.

256x256 (inventory icon, large)

The 256x256 canvas is rendered too large to include as ASCII in this article. It provides sixty-four times the pixel area of the 32x32 canvas and is reserved for large gear items and Workshop skin previews.

512x512 (map preview)

The 512x512 canvas is the largest standard. It provides 256 times the pixel area of the 32x32 canvas and is reserved for map menu previews. Authoring at this size requires a comfortable zoom level and a methodical approach to ensure every pixel is deliberately placed.

Visualization of relative areas

The pie chart illustrates the quadratic relationship between canvas dimensions and pixel area. Doubling the linear dimensions quadruples the pixel area. A 512x512 map preview contains 256 times the pixels of a 32x32 HUD overlay.

Appendix L: canvas-size considerations for animated icons

Some Unturned mod icons use a frame-based animation where multiple frames are placed in a single texture and displayed sequentially. The animation infrastructure is outside the scope of this article, but the canvas-size implications are worth covering.

For a strip-format animation with N frames laid out horizontally, the canvas width is N times the single-frame width and the canvas height is the single-frame height. A 4-frame 64x64 animation has a canvas of 256x64.

For a grid-format animation with N frames in a grid of W columns by H rows, the canvas dimensions are W times the single-frame width by H times the single-frame height. A 4x4 grid of 64x64 frames has a canvas of 256x256.

Animated icons require careful canvas-size planning because the canvas must accommodate every frame at the correct position. A mistake at the canvas-sizing stage cannot be repaired without re-positioning every frame.

Animation layout	Single frame	Frames	Canvas dimensions
Strip horizontal	64x64	2	128x64
Strip horizontal	64x64	4	256x64
Strip horizontal	64x64	8	512x64
Strip vertical	64x64	4	64x256
Grid 2x2	64x64	4	128x128
Grid 4x4	64x64	16	256x256
Strip horizontal	128x128	4	512x128

The table is a starting point. Specific animation systems in Unturned mods may impose additional constraints on the canvas dimensions, frame ordering, or alpha channel handling.

Appendix M: the future of pixel art in Unturned modding

The pixel art tradition in Unturned modding has been stable for years and is expected to remain stable. The 64-pixel cell convention, the power-of-two canvas-size preferences, and the standard inventory-cell mappings have not changed across multiple Unturned engine versions and are unlikely to change in the near future.

That said, three trends are worth monitoring:

1. Higher-resolution monitor adoption. As 4K and higher resolutions become standard, the 64-pixel cell may appear visually small on high-DPI displays. Future Unturned versions may introduce a higher-resolution cell standard (perhaps 128 pixels per cell) to address this.
2. Vector and SVG asset support. Other game engines have introduced support for resolution-independent vector assets. Unturned has not announced any such support, but a future engine version might. Vector assets would relax the canvas-size constraint entirely.
3. AI-assisted upscaling. Modern image-upscaling techniques (ESRGAN, waifu2x, content-aware upscalers) can produce acceptable upscales of pixel art for some applications. These techniques are not currently part of the standard Unturned modding workflow, but they may become a fallback path for legacy assets that need to be displayed at higher resolutions.

For the moment, the canvas-size standards documented in this article are the operational reality. The pre-flight checklist, the standard-dimensions reference card, and the troubleshooting matrix are the right tools for the current workflow.

Document history

Version	Date	Author	Notes
1.0	2024-03-04	57 Studios	Initial publication. Standard dimensions table, Image Properties walkthrough.
1.1	2024-05-22	57 Studios	Added inventory cell mapping, decision flowchart, advanced considerations section.
1.2	2024-09-11	57 Studios	Expanded power-of-two discussion, added DPI background, added troubleshooting matrix.
1.3	2025-02-14	57 Studios	Added canvas pre-flight checklist, expanded reference card, restructured FAQ.
2.0	2026-04-30	57 Studios	Major expansion. Added aspect-ratio diagram, resize quality table, recovery procedure, appendices.

Next steps

Your canvas is sized, your tools are selected, and your icon is ready to paint. The final step in the Paint workflow is to save your work as a PNG. Continue to How to Save a PNG File in Paint.