Transform

As you get more comfortable with Photoshop, you’ll find yourself using the Transform options more and more. So what can Transform do? A lot! Transforming usually starts with scaling a Layer larger or smaller to fit the canvas size or to fit within a particular area within the canvas. It’s a good idea to first convert any Layers you’re transforming into Smart Objects.

Most of the time when you scale a Layer, you’ll want to lock the aspect ratio. This will make sure the height and width of the Layer scale proportionately to one another. If you don’t lock the height and width, you’ll notice your Layer will get stretched out along one axis or another, causing a warped appearance that you most likely would want to avoid (It’s especially noticeable when images of people are stretched out, so be careful!)

In addition to scaling, the Transform options also allow for the following:

• Rotate

• Skew

• Distort

• Perspective

• Warp

• Rotate

• Flip

Transforming (⌘T)

You can start a transformation by going to the

• In the File Menu choose: Edit > Transform and then make a selection

• In the File Menu choose: Edit > Free Transform or you can press ⌘ T

Move & Align

The Move Tool provides a lot of functionality that is closely related to Transform. Aside from allowing you to move a Layer anywhere along the X and Y axes, the Move Tool also provides handy alignment options that can help when trying to place text and logos within an image.