Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
TIP
Before clicking the Commit button, you can switch to another Transform command and
add that transformation to the image, too.
Free Transform
Free Transform combines all the other Transform commands into one and lets you warp im-
ages in many different ways. If you aren't sure what you need to do, Free Transform is a
good choice.
You use Free Transform exactly the way you use the other Transform commands, following
the steps in the previous section. The difference is that with Free Transform, you can pull in
any
direction, using keystroke-drag combinations to tell Elements which kind of transforma-
tion you want to apply. Each of the following transformations does exactly the same thing it
would if you selected it from the Image→Transform menu:
▪
Distort
. To make the photo taller or shorter, Ctrl-drag/
⌘
-drag any handle. Your cursor
turns into a gray arrowhead when you move it over a handle.
▪
Skew
. To make the photo lean to the left or right, Shift+Ctrl-drag/Shift-
⌘
-drag a handle
in the middle of a side. Your cursor turns into a gray arrowhead with a tiny double-
headed arrow next to it. (The double-headed arrow's orientation shows you which way
you can pull: if it's vertical, you want to drag mostly up or down; if it's horizontal, pull
that handle horizontally. Move to a different handle and the cursor's orientation may
change.)
▪
Perspective
. To correct an object that appears to lean away from or toward you, press
Shift+Alt+Ctrl/Shift-Option-
⌘
while dragging a corner handle. You see the same gray
arrowhead cursor as when you're distorting.
Free Transform is the most powerful of all the Transform commands, but when you're
pulling in several different directions, it's easy to distort the photo. That's why some people
prefer to use the simpler Transform commands and apply multiple transformations instead.
