How to Draw a New Ruler Guide in Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop CS5 ruler guides add convenience and precision.

While you're working in Adobe Photoshop CS5, you may want to add ruler guides to your document to help you align items precisely or assure that you create an element at just the right dimensions. You can add as many guides to your file as you need. Creating a ruler guide where you want it is a simple matter of dragging it onto your document area. Removing it is equally easy, as is hiding it so it doesn't get in the way when you don't need it.

Instructions

1. Launch Adobe Photoshop CS5. Navigate to the location of the document you want to edit, or create a new file that matches your needs.

2. Choose "Rulers" from the "View" menu to display the document rulers if they are not visible. Press "F8" to bring up the "Info" panel so you can see your ruler guide position as you create guides.

3. Place your pointing device cursor on either the top ruler -- to create a horizontal guide rule -- or the vertical ruler at the left edge -- to create a vertical ruler guide -- and drag your pointing device onto the live area of your document window. Watch the "Info" panel as you drag so you can see where the guide will be positioned when you let go.

4. Let go of the guide rule when it reaches the position at which you want to place it. Drag more rules onto your document window if you need them.

5. Choose "New Guide" from the "View" menu if you want to add a guide by typing in the position at which to place it. When the dialog box comes up on your monitor, select "Vertical" or "Horizontal" as your guide rule type, type in the measurement at which you want your guide to appear and click on the "OK" button.

6. Choose "Guides" from the "Show" submenu of the "View" menu to hide your guide rules without having to delete them. Choose the same menu choice again to display the rules when you need them visible once more.

7. Use whichever unit of measurement makes your guide rules easy to draw. To change from one unit of measurement to another without having to go into your "Preferences" dialog box, double-click on one of the rulers. Change your measurement system and click "OK," then create your guide.

8. Delete a single ruler guide by placing your pointing device cursor on it. When the cursor changes to a pair of parallel lines bracketing the guide rule, click and drag the rule off the document window area. To delete all guides from your document, choose "Clear Guides" from the "View" menu.

Tips & Warnings

• View your work at "Actual Size" to maximize the accuracy of ruler guide placement.

• Hold down the "Alt" key (Windows) or the "Option" key (Mac) while you drag a guide off the rulers to create a horizontal guide from the vertical ruler and vice versa.

References

• Adobe Systems: Using Adobe Photoshop CS5