Learn how to scale, rotate, flip, skew and distort images using the Free Transform command in Photoshop! Now fully updated for Photoshop CC ! In this tutorial, I show you how to use Photoshop's Free Transform command to scale, rotate, ikage, skew and distort images. You'll learn tips for getting the most out of Free Transform, and how to transform images without losing quality.

We'll start with the basics and learn how to scale and pyotoshop images. Then we'll look at Photoshop's more advanced transformations, like Skew, Distort and Perspective, along with the best ways to use them.

And at the end, I'll show you how to get avobe impressive results from the standard Rotate and Flip commands, including how to create a four-way mirror image effect! So for best results, you'll want to be using the latest lmage of Photoshop. If you've been using Photoshop for a while and just need to catch up on the most reaize changes to Resie Transform, check out my New Features and Changes phottoshop.

To follow along, go ahead and open any image. I'll use this image from Adobe Stock:. In the Layers paneladobe photoshop cc resize image free image appears on the Background layer:. Photoshop lets us transform virtually any type of layer, including pixel ffree, type layers, shape layers, and even smart objects.

But one layer we can't transform is the Background layerand that's because the Background layer is locked:. But with the Background layer locked, the command is grayed out:. Then go back up to the Edit menu and you'll see Free Transform ready to be selected:. The only problem now is that if I select Free Transform, and then I scale my image smaller by clicking and dragging one photoshkp the handles, I end up with a checkerboard adobe photoshop cc resize image free behind the image.

The checkerboard pattern is how Photoshop represents transparency:. And the reason we're seeing transparency is because I currently have no other layers below my image:.

So to fix that, I'll add a new resizw. And my favorite type of layer to use for a background is a Imaeg color fill layer. First, I'll press the Esc key on my keyboard to cancel the Free Transform command without saving my changes. The great thing about a Solid Color fill layer is that it's easy to choose any color you need from the Color Picker.

For this tutorial, I'll keep things simple and choose white for my background, and then I'll click OK to close the Color Picker:. And this time, if I select Free Transform from the Edit menu, and then I drag a handle to scale the image smaller, we see the white background behind the image instead adobe photoshop cc resize image free transparency. Again, I'll press adobe photoshop cc resize image free Esc key on my keyboard to feee my changes:.

Before we look at all the ways to transform images in Photoshop, there's one more important topic we need imagge cover, and that's the difference between destructive and non-destructive transformations. Each time we scale, rotate, or in some way transform a pixel-based layer, we lose image quality.

That's because Photoshop needs to redraw the pixels every time. This is known as a destructive edit because we're making permanent changes to the image. To avoid losing quality, a better way to work is to first convert your layer into a smart object. Smart objects are like containers that protect the image inside them. Any transformations we make to a smart object are applied to the smart object itself, while the image inside it remains unharmed.

And each time we apply a new transformation, Photoshop photoehop the smart object based on that original addobe data. So no matter how many transformations we apply to a smart object, the result always looks great. A smart object icon appears in the lower right of the preview thumbnailtelling us that the layer is now inside a smart object, and we're ready to start transforming the image:.

All of Photoshop's Transform options can be accessed by going up to the Edit menu and choosing Transform :. From here, xc can choose to Scale or Rotate the image, Skew it, perform Distort and Perspective transformations, and even Warp the image.

I cover how to warp images in a separate tutorial. We also have standard options for rotating the image 90 or degrees. And adobee can flip the image either horizontally or vertically:. But while you adobe photoshop cc resize image free keep coming back to the Edit menu to select these different options, there's really no point.

That's because all of Photoshop's Transform commands can be selected using a single command known as Free Transforma one-stop-shop for all your image transformation needs. You can select Free Transform from here in the Edit menu. Even if you don't like keyboard shortcuts, this phtooshop is definitely worth knowing:. As soon as you select Free C, you'll see the transform box and handles around the image. There's a handle on the top, bottom, left and right, plus one in each corner:.

If the color of the transform box outline imagr hard to see in front of your image, you can choose a different color. First, press the Esc rseize on your keyboard to adobe photoshop cc resize image free the Free Transform command.

Then open Photoshop's Preferences. On a Windows PC, go up to the Edit menu. On adobe photoshop cc resize image free Mac, go up to the Photoshop CC menu.

Down at the bottom of the dialog box is the Control Color option. This is the current color of the transform box:. The default color is a light blue, but you can click on the option and choose a different color from the list.

The Classic option is a great choice because it displays a dark outline over light areas of the image and a light outline over dark areas, making it very easy to see. Once you've chosen a color, click OK to close the Preferences dialog box. And the next time you open Free Transform, you'll see the new color:. Let's look at all the ways we can transform images using Photoshop's Aadobe Transform command, starting with Scale.

To scale an image, click and drag any of the handles. So no iamge which handle you drag, you'll scale the image with the aspect ratio locked in place. But notice that Photoshop does not restore the original aspect ratio of the image. Instead, we're locked into the new aspect ratio that we created after scaling non-proportionally:. So if you need to get back to the original aspect ratio, or to some other previous step, go up to the Edit menu and choose Undo. Press the shortcut repeatedly to undo as many steps as needed.

Press repeatedly to redo multiple steps:. Back in Photoshop CCFree Transform behaved differently with shape layers than it did with pixel or type layers. Adboe a handle without holding Shift wdobe scale pbotoshop shape layer non-proportionally.

Photosshop holding Shift would scale it proportionally. Thankfully, this issue has been fixed as of Photoshop CC Pixel layers, type layers and shape layers now behave the same way. Drag a handle without holding Shift to scale proportionally, or ccc Shift to scale non-proportionally.

To move the image around inside the canvas while transforming it, click and drag inside the Free Transform box:. Related: How to restore the classic Free Transform behavior in Photoshop. And then, if you're happy with the size of the image and you have no other Transform commands to apply, you can accept your changes and close Adobe photoshop cc resize image free Transform by clicking the checkmark in the Options Bar.

If you converted your image to a smart object as I showed you how to do earlier, then it's easy to restore the original size avobe your image even after you've scaled it and closed Free Transform. Because we're working with a smart object, Photoshop knows that the original image inside the smart object is larger than the scaled size. To restore the original size, first make sure the link icon between the Width and Height fields is selected:. The adobe photoshop cc resize image free value will change along with it.

That's not actually what I wanted to do, so to cancel Free Transform without saving your changes, click the Cancel button in the Options Bar. Or press the Esc key on your keyboard:. To rotate an imagemove your mouse cursor outside the Free Transform resizs. Your cursor will change into a curved, double-sided arrow:. Then click and drag to rotate the image freely.

Or hold Shift as you drag to constrain the angle of the rotation to increments of 15 degrees:. Instead of dragging your mouse to rotate adkbe adobe photoshop cc resize image free, you can also enter a rotation value directly into the Angle option in the Options Bar:. In earlier versions of Photoshop, the Free Transform box included a target icon in the center. The target icon is known as the Reference Point because it marks the center of the transformation.

We'll look at what that means in a moment. But for whatever reason, Adobe decided to hide the Reference Point in the most recent versions of Photoshop. It's still there, but we can't see it unless we turn it on. Then look in the center of the Free Transform box and you'll see the target icon :. Adobe photoshop cc resize image free we can move the Reference Point just by dragging the target icon to a different spot.

Each outer square in the grid represents one of the handles around the transform box. To move the Reference Point to a specific handle, click on its square in the grid. It's pretty small, so you may want to adobe photoshop cc resize image free a magnifying glass handy:. And to move the Reference Point back lmage the center of the transform box, click the center square in the grid:.

If you want to see the Reference Point photozhop the time without needing to click the Toggle Reference Point icon in the Options Bar, you can do that from Photoshop's Preferences. If Free Transform is active, press the Esc key to cancel it.

Adobe photoshop cc resize image free -

Learn how to resize an image, crop and straighten, and add to the image canvas in Adobe Photoshop. Back to: Get to know Photoshop Up next: Work with layers. Buy now. What you'll need. Get files. Open in app. Resize an image. Change the size of an image. Measure width adobe photoshop cc resize image free height in pixels for images you plan to use online or in inches or centimeters for images to print.

Keep the link icon highlighted to preserve proportions. This automatically adjusts the height when you change resixe width and vice versa. Select Resample to change the number of pixels in the image.

This changes the photpshop size. Click OK. Set the resolution. Change the resolution of an image. Resolution in this dialog box means the number of image pixels that will be assigned to each inch when the image is printed. Leave width and height set to inches for printing. Deselect Resample to preserve the original number of image pixels. In the Resolution field, set the number of pixels per inch to for printing to a typical desktop inkjet printer. This changes the number of inches in the width and height fields.

Crop and straighten an rfee. Use the Crop tool. What you learned: To crop and straighten an image Select the Crop tool in the Tools panel. A crop adobe photoshop cc resize image free appears. Drag any edge or corner to adjust adobe photoshop cc resize image free size and shape of the crop border. Drag inside the crop border to position the image inside the crop border. Drag outside a corner of the crop border to rotate or straighten. Expand the canvas. Add some adobe photoshop cc resize image free to the document canvas.

Measure width and height in pixels for online use or in inches for print. Select Relativeand then select an anchor point in the canvas diagram. The arrows point to the sides where the canvas will be added. Sign in to your account. Sign in. Quick links View all your plans Manage your plans. View all Photoshop tutorials.