Photoshop CS Timesaving Techniques For Dummies [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Going Wild with Free Transform

The Free Transform command does everything that is available on the Edit>Transform menu. Using this one command, you can scale, rotate, skew, distort, or add perspective to any layer or selection. The Free Transform command is used in conjunction with keystrokes to access each particular transformation. Here’s how:

Use the Layers palette to select a layer or use any of the selection tools to select an area to be transformed.





Choose Edit>Free Transform or press Ctrl+T/z +T.

A bounding box with square handles appears around the layer or selection. (Refer to Fig- ure 18-4.)





Perform the transformations that you want.





Drag one of the handles to scale the layer or selection. Hold down the Shift key while dragging a corner handle to scale proportionately. Alt/Option+drag to scale around the center point.





To rotate the layer or selection, position the mouse pointer outside the bounding box, and then drag clockwise or counterclockwise. Shift+drag to rotate the layer or selection in 15-degree increments.





Skew the layer or selection by Ctrl/z +dragging a side handle. Ctrl+Alt+drag/Ctrl+Option+ drag to skew around the center point.





Ctrl+drag/Option+drag a corner handle to distort the layer or selection.





To add perspective to a layer or selection, Ctrl+Alt+drag/z +Option+drag one of the handles. This changes the perspective along one axis. To change the perspective along two axes at the same time, Ctrl+Alt+Shift+drag/z+Option+Shift+drag.








Tip

If you want to undo the last transformation and remain within free transform mode, press Ctrl/z +Z.








Press Enter/Return to accept the final transformation or Esc to cancel.

You can also click the Commit check mark button on the Options bar to accept the transformation, or click the Cancel button on the Options bar.







Tip

You can move the image in the image window when performing a transformation by dragging within the bounding box.

Here’s an oft-forgotten use for the Move tool: transformations! Believe it or not, you can set the Move tool to work exactly like the Free Transform command.

Here’s how: Select the Move tool, and then select the Show Bounding Box check box on the Options bar. A transformation bounding box with handles appears around the layer or selection. To perform transformations, use the same keystrokes+dragging that you would for the Free Transform command.