Transforming an image in Photopea is achieved using the Free Transform tool. Here’s a breakdown of how to use it:
Accessing Free Transform
You can enable the Free Transform tool in one of two ways:
- Click Edit - Free Transform in the top menu bar.
- Use the keyboard shortcut: Alt + Ctrl + T.
How Free Transform Works
When Free Transform is activated, a bounding box appears around the selected layers or their parts. It's important to understand that the transformation applies to the layers that are currently selected, exactly the same way the Move tool would affect them at that moment.
Types of Transformations
The Free Transform tool enables you to:
- Resize: Drag the handles on the corners or sides of the bounding box to make the selection larger or smaller.
- Rotate: Move your cursor slightly outside the bounding box to activate the rotation cursor and then drag to rotate the image.
- Skew/Distort: Hold
Ctrl(Windows) orCommand(Mac) while dragging the corner handles for skew or distortion effects. - Perspective: You can also change the perspective of your layer through this mode.
- Flip: Right click on the canvas within the transformation handles for flip options horizontally or vertically.
Practical Steps
- Select the layer(s) you want to transform using the Layers panel.
- Activate Free Transform (Edit - Free Transform or Alt + Ctrl + T).
- Adjust the transformation: Use the handles to resize, rotate, skew, or distort the selected layer(s).
- Confirm: Press Enter or double-click inside the bounding box to apply the transformation.
Considerations
- Always ensure you have the correct layers selected before starting a transformation.
- For precise transformations, keep an eye on the numerical input in the toolbar at the top of the Photopea interface when you have the Free Transform tool active.
- Practice using the different transformation modes to get a better feel for them and be more proficient with this tool.
