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EllieBellie
Participant
December 12, 2024
Answered

Resizing photos keeping ratios

  • December 12, 2024
  • 2 replies
  • 792 views

Hi,

I used to be able to resize a photo proportionally by holding down the shift key and pulling the corner. It would stay the correct proportions as I enlarged. It's been very frustrating in that it now seems that it can pop all over the place, making my photo wider or taller as I go, thus screwing up the image.

I tried looking this up on the web but the answers I got said exactly what I have always been doing, so why can't I accomplish this anymore? It was so easy to pull something to the framing I needed etc.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!!

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Conrad_C

A very important option for you to use is the Maintain Aspect Ratio link icon that’s in the options bar when Edit > Free Transform is active (see demo below):

 

If Maintain Aspect Ratio is selected (dark background behind the link icon), then a layer resizes proportionally without holding down any keys. This is how most newer photo applications work (like in non-Adobe photo apps), so Photoshop was updated to be able to work this way because that’s what many newer Photoshop users now expect when coming from other modern photo apps.

 

If Maintain Aspect Ratio is not selected, then a layer resizes non-proportionally.

 

And, also very important, if you hold down the Shift key, you temporarily reverse whatever the Maintain Aspect Ratio icon is set to. If it’s set to proportional scaling, adding Shift makes it non-proportional and vice versa.

 

So, set the Maintain Aspect Ratio icon to the way you want scaling to work when you drag a handle and the Shift key is not held down, and if you ever want to temporarily reverse that, hold down Shift.

 

2 replies

Conrad_C
Community Expert
Conrad_CCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
December 13, 2024

A very important option for you to use is the Maintain Aspect Ratio link icon that’s in the options bar when Edit > Free Transform is active (see demo below):

 

If Maintain Aspect Ratio is selected (dark background behind the link icon), then a layer resizes proportionally without holding down any keys. This is how most newer photo applications work (like in non-Adobe photo apps), so Photoshop was updated to be able to work this way because that’s what many newer Photoshop users now expect when coming from other modern photo apps.

 

If Maintain Aspect Ratio is not selected, then a layer resizes non-proportionally.

 

And, also very important, if you hold down the Shift key, you temporarily reverse whatever the Maintain Aspect Ratio icon is set to. If it’s set to proportional scaling, adding Shift makes it non-proportional and vice versa.

 

So, set the Maintain Aspect Ratio icon to the way you want scaling to work when you drag a handle and the Shift key is not held down, and if you ever want to temporarily reverse that, hold down Shift.

 

    E
    EllieBellieAuthor
    Participant
    December 13, 2024

    Thank you so very much!!!

     

    Nancy OShea
    Community Expert
    Nancy OSheaCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    December 13, 2024

    I no longer use the legacy Free Transform setting.  It just makes more sense to resize images proportionally without holding down the Shift key.  But different strokes for different folks.

     

    Anyway, go to Preferences panel > General > Check the box to Use Legacy Free Transform. 

     

    Hope that helps.

     

    Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
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