Photoshop Elements >

Transform

Uses

You can use Transform to:

• Change the size of a photograph.

Changing the size is called scaling.

• Rotate a photograph.

• Add and correct distortion.

Selected Areas, Too

Besides operating on an entire photograph, the command can be used on the area inside a selection.

Gray Space

You'll probably want lots of gray space around your photograph.

Use the Zoom tool to reduce the size of your photograph.

Commit or Cancel

After making a change:

• To commit the change, click the check icon in the options bar or press Return.

• To cancel the change, click the circle-with-a line icon or press Esc.

Transform Command

Go to Image > Transform.

There are four options: Free Transform, Skew, Distort, and Perspective.

The options are confusing because some of their actions overlap.

Experiment!

Option #1: Free Transform

The Free Transform option is used to:

• Scale (change the size).

• Rotate.

• Skew (tilt) your photograph.

Press Ctrl + t to go directly to the Free Transform option.

Press Ctrl + Alt + t to transform a copy of the photograph that you want to transform.

A new layer is created.

The Background and Background copy layers are not affected by the Free Transform actions.

Scale

Click a handle on an edge or corner, hold, and drag.

Bigger, Here

Making the photograph bigger, here, means only making a portion of the photograph bigger.

If you want to enlarge the entire photograph, you can't use Free Transform.

Instead, go to Image > Resize.

Constrain Proportions

When you constrain the proportions, the aspect ratio of the photograph remains the same.

Let's say you have a photograph that's 8 x 12 inches.

The aspect ratio is 1 to 1.5.

You want to change the height from 8 inches to 4 inches.

If you select Constrain Proportions, Photoshop will automatically change the width from 12 inches to 6 inches.

The 1 to 1.5 aspect ratio is maintained.

4 x 6 and 8 x 12 have the same aspect ratio.

If you want to constrain the proportions:

• Make sure Constrain Proportions is selected in the options bar.

• Use a handle that's on the corner of the photograph, not on the side.

Specific Size

You can enter percentages in the options bar.

Or, if you open the Info panel (Info palette), you can see the dimensions change.

Move It Around

When you're making a photograph bigger, you can choose which portion of the photograph to enlarge.

Click, hold, and drag, one of the corner handles.

Click inside the box, hold, and drag, to move the photograph around.

Rotate

Image > Rotate

Before using Free Transform > Rotate, go to Image > Rotate.

Rotate, there, is more versatile.

However, you can't rotate the area inside a selection.

Free Transform > Rotate

To rotate, place the cursor in the area outside of the image.

The cursor will change to a curved two-sided arrow.

Click, hold, and drag.

Press Shift and drag to constrain the rotation to 15° increments.

You can also enter the degree of rotation in the options bar.

Skew

Select the Skew icon in the options bar.

Skew slants an image vertically or horizontally.

To shift an entire side, drag a handle in the middle of a side of the bounding box.

To shift a corner only, drag a corner handle.

You can move more than one handle, if needed.

Option #2: Skew

If you go to Image > Transform > Skew, it's the same as the above version of Skew.

Option #3: Distort

Skew distorts a photograph only vertically or horizontally.

You can only drag a handle up or down, or side to side.

With Distort, you can drag a handle anywhere.

Option #4: Perspective

You can use Perspective to correct the convergence of lines.

For example, when you look up at a tall building, the building narrows.

If you photograph it, the convergence of the building may be objectionable, especially to the architect.

To correct, drag the top right corner handle to the right.

Again, Commit or Cancel

After making a change:

• To commit the change, click the check icon in the options bar or press Return.

• To cancel the change, click the circle-with-a line icon or press Esc.

Warp

Warp is available only in Photoshop.

A grid is placed over your photograph, and you can click and drag anywhere on the grid to make adjustments.