How Do You Resize an Image in Photoshop Keeping the Aspect Ratio?

To resize an image in Photoshop while maintaining its original proportions, you need to use the Transform tool and hold down the Shift key. Here's a detailed breakdown:

Using the Transform Tool for Resizing

Photoshop's Transform tool is your key to resizing. Here's how to use it and maintain your aspect ratio:

1. Activate Transform: Press "Ctrl + T" (Windows) or "Cmd + T" (Mac) to activate the Transform tool. This will place a bounding box with handles around your selected image layer.

2. Resize Proportionally:

   • Without Shift: If you drag the corner handles without holding down any keys, you can freely resize the image, potentially distorting its aspect ratio.
   • With Shift: To maintain the original aspect ratio, hold down the Shift key while dragging any of the corner handles. This will constrain the proportions and prevent any stretching or squashing of your image.

Additional Tips for Resizing

• Resizing from the Center: If you hold down the Alt key (or Option on Mac) while dragging a corner with Shift pressed, the image will resize proportionally from its center point, which can be useful for certain transformations.

• Precise Scaling: For more control, instead of dragging the handles, you can use the options in the Properties panel that appears at the top when you use the "Ctrl + T" (Windows) or "Cmd + T" (Mac). Here you can type in the exact Width and Height you want and Photoshop will automatically keep the original aspect ratio.

• Image Size Dialog: Alternatively, you can use the Image > Image Size dialog to precisely resize the entire image, and there's an option to maintain the aspect ratio there too. This is better used when you need to resize the entire image instead of the layer it is on.

Summary

Task	Action
Activate Transform Tool	Press "Ctrl + T" (Windows) or "Cmd + T" (Mac)
Resize without distortion	Hold down the Shift key while dragging any corner handles of the bounding box.
Precise Scaling	Use the Width and Height options when using the transform tool or image size dialog

By holding the shift key while dragging the corners when using the Transform tool, you'll maintain your image's original proportions during resizing.