How Do I Free Transform in Photoshop?

1. Home
2. How Do I Free Transform in Photoshop?

Photoshop's Free Transform command is one of the most useful and versatile tools in the program. It can be used to resize, rotate, and move images and layers, as well as to warp images into all sorts of different shapes. In this article, we'll show you how to use the Free Transform command to its fullest potential.To access the Free Transform command, simply go to Edit > Free Transform, or use the shortcut Ctrl/Cmd+T. This will bring up the Free Transform bounding box and handles around your image or layer.If you're transforming a layer that has multiple layers beneath it in the Photoshop document, you'll also see a small icon in the center of the bounding box. This is the reference point, which we'll talk more about later.By default, when you bring up the Free Transform box, you'll be able to resize your image by clicking and dragging on any of the handles. To constrain the proportions of your image as you're resizing it, simply hold down the Shift key while you click and drag. If you want to resize from the center of your image outwards, hold down Alt/Option while you click and drag.To rotate your image, hover your mouse outside of one of the corner handles until you see the curved double arrow icon, then click and drag to rotate. You can also enter a precise rotation angle in the Options Bar at the top of Photoshop.To constrain the rotation to 15-degree increments, hold down Shift while you click and drag. Again, if you want to rotate from the center of your image outwards, hold down Alt/Option while you click and drag or enter a value in the Options Bar.If you want to move your image within the document window without resizing or rotating it, simply click anywhere inside of the Free Transform box (but not on a handle) and drag. You can also nudge your image by using the arrow keys on your keyboard. To do this, make sure that nothing is selected in your document (selecting an object will activate that object's transformation controls), then use either the arrow keys on your keyboard or press and hold Alt/Option+Shift while using the arrow keys to move 1 pixel at a time.As we mentioned before, there's also a reference point icon in the center of the Free Transform box. This can be used to move your image relative to other parts of your document. For example, if you wanted to move an image so that its left edge was aligned with another object's right edge, you would first position the reference point icon over that object's right edge, then click and drag the image until its left edge was lined up with where the reference point was positioned.The last thing we'll cover is how to warp images using Free Transform. To do this, simply go to Edit > Free Transform again (or press Ctrl/Cmd+T), then click on one of the corner handles and drag it outwards or inward while holding down Shift (to constrain it).You can also use any of Photoshop's various Warp modes by going to Edit >Transform > Warp in the menu bar or by clicking on the Warp mode icon in the Options Bar. There are all sorts of different warp modes available for different types of distortions - have fun experimenting with them!

In conclusion, Photoshop's Free Transform command is an extremely versatile tool that can be used for a variety of purposes such as resizing, rotating, moving images and layers, as well as warping images into all sorts of different shapes.