How to Do an Arbitrary Rotation in Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop includes two preset rotation tools in the Edit menu that let you rotate an image 180 degrees, or 90 degrees clockwise or counter-clockwise around the center of the image. To use an arbitrary rotation that is not preset, use the Rotate transformation tool. You can then rotate the image in increments up to one decimal point clockwise or counter-clockwise. You can also move the anchor point around which the image will rotate.

Instructions

1. Launch Photoshop and open the image by clicking “Ctrl-O” on the keyboard and selecting it in the navigation window. Click “Open.”

2. Press “Ctrl-A” to select the entire image. To rotate only one item in the image, select the the “Lasso,” “Rectangular Marquee,” or “Elliptical Marquee” tool from the Toolbox and drag it over the item.

3. Click the “Edit” menu, select “Transform,” then click “Rotate.” The selected area is boxed in by a line with a square anchor point on each corner. The center of the selection is marked with a “Cross-hair” anchor point.

4. Move the “Cross-hair” anchor point to any place on the document to set that point as the center of your rotation.

5. Click on any corner anchor point and drag it while holding down the mouse button. The image rotates as you drag it. The value in the “Set Rotation” field in the Options Bar changes as you rotate the image.

References

• Adobe: Photoshop CS5: Rotate a Layer
• Adobe: Photoshop CS5: Flip or Rotate Precisely