The “Rotate View”

The “Rotate View” that we find in Photoshop CS5 is no longer in the Application bar, but only in the toolbar.  We use this tool to rotate the canvas, not the photo.  This allows, in some circumstances, to edit photos easily.  Compare it with a piece of paper on your desk that you rotate to draw something easily.

To activate this tool, select the option “Rotate View” in the “Application Bar”, or this tool in the “Tool Bar” under the “Hand” tool.

Click and drag the picture to rotate the canvas.

Once you’ve clicked, a compass appears in the photo.

The red arrow of the compass, is the top of the picture. This does not lose the north.

In the options bar, we have three options.

In the textbox you can enter a rotation angle. The value in this box will also change when you’re running the image with the mouse.

You can also click and drag the icon until your desired angle is reached.

Clicking on the button “Display Reset” will return the canvas to its original form.

If you wish to rotate all the photos of canvasses simultaneously, select the check box “All windows rotate”.

If you have rotated multiple pictures, and “All windows rotate” option is unchecked, then when you see that the “Display Reset” button only restores the selected image.

if you want to see all photos in the original display, then you must leave this box unchecked.
By this, of course, you need to restore each image

 

If you want to use this option while working with another tool, you will hold the R key on your keyboard while you click and drag the picture to rotate the canvas.

 

When you release the mouse button, the last used tool in the toolbar is selected again.

Of course, you do not have the “Display Reset” option available in the options bar.

To bring the canvas back into its original position, click the Esc key on your keyboard.

 

Canvas Size

Now that I’m on the canvas, I can perhaps explain the canvas better and how to set the size of it.

The canvas in Photoshop is the editable region.   When you open a photo in Photoshop, the size of the canvas is equal to the size of the photo. So, when you open a photo, you can edit it with any tool, as long as you remain in the picture.

For example, I opened a picture where I want to add text.  The only option I currently have is to add the text in the photo. If I want to place this under, over or next to the photo, I have to adjust the size of the canvas.

Just click the “Image” in the menu bar and select “Canvas Size” in the drop-down menu.

For enthusiasts, this keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Alt + C.

In the dialog that appears, you give in the “Width” and “Height” dimensions to which the image will expand.
Select the desired units by clicking the downward-pointing arrows.

I opt for an extension of 5cm in height (1). The width should not be adjusted, so it may remain blank.

I select the checkbox “Relative” (2).

If I do not, it would the total height of the photograph, so I must enter the height of the photo plus 5cm to achieve the same result, that is 15.21 cm.

Then we choose one of nine blocks in the “Placement” to indicate where the existing image should be placed on the new canvas (3).

I want the picture at the top and text at the bottom, so I click the upward pointing arrow to indicate that the image should be placed at the top.

Finally I choose a color for the canvas (4), “black” in this case and click the OK button (5).  Now I have added the ability to drag the text to the bottom.

 

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