icon - How to convert every pixel of raster picture to square objects in Illustrator?

For example I have 10×10px icon. I want to produce 100 squares with correspondent color and location each. Actually, the question is how to make exact pixel mosaic out of raster image.

I tried Live Trace but it added some distortions to squares.

Answer

This is actually really easy. Take a selected copied or placed (unlinked) raster image, then:

• Object > Create Object Mosaic
  
  
  
  
  • Or, in older versions of Illustrator, it was Filter > Create > Mosaic
  
  
  
  


• Input the exact width and height of the pixel image under "Number of tiles".


• That's it!

Your vector pixel squares will be wrapped in two groups, so ungroup twice or double-click into isolation mode twice to get at the individual squares (or rectangles if your ratio is off...).

---

Two examples:

Quick example using a Yahoo emoticon borrowed from this question:

Detailed example, with polar bears:

http://garmahis.com/tutorials/how-to-create-mosaic-in-illustrator/