How to Resize and Rotate Layers in Adobe Photoshop CS4

Manipulate layers in Photoshop to make unique designs.

Creating an aesthetically pleasing design in Adobe Photoshop is dependent on the ability to properly composite and arrange image layers. Therefore, it's vital to know how to resize and rotate layers using Photoshop's "Free Transform" command. Free Transform combines several "Transform" options into one tool, letting you quickly scale and rotate layers. This command has been a continuous and preferred feature in Photoshop.

Instructions

1. Launch Photoshop CS4 and open a file containing layers.

2. Click on the layer you want to resize and rotate.

3. Go to "Edit," "Free Transform" or press "Ctrl" and "T."

4. Click and drag the corner handles to resize the layer. Hold down the "Shift" key while you do this to constrain the image's proportions. You can also scale the layer using the top, bottom or side handles.

5. Hold the mouse pointer just outside one of the corner handles until it becomes a double-sided arrow. Click and drag to rotate the layer. "Shift" will limit the rotation to every 15 degrees.

6. Double-click within the "Free Transform" box to apply the changes to the layer.

Tips & Warnings

• Edit the size or rotation of a layer individually by going to "Edit," "Transform" and choose "Scale" or "Rotate."

References

• Adobe Photoshop CS4: Select an Item to Transform
• Adobe Photoshop CS4: Transfrom Freely
• Adobe Photoshop CS4: Apply Transformations

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Adobe Photoshop CS4: Scale, Rotate, Skew, Distort, Apply Perspective, or Warp