To enable animated zoom for a smoother zoom experience, click on Edit > Preferences > Tools (Windows) or Photoshop > Preferences > Tools (Mac), then check the Animated Zoom box.
Smooth zooming in Photoshop, often referred to as Animated Zoom, provides a fluid transition when you zoom in or out of your image. Instead of jumping between magnification levels, the view animates smoothly, making it easier to navigate and control your perspective. This feature enhances the overall user experience, especially when working on detailed images.
Understanding Animated Zoom
Animated Zoom is a performance-dependent feature that allows Photoshop to render intermediate steps between different zoom levels. When enabled, you see the image scale up or down continuously as you zoom with tools like the Zoom tool, or using keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl + Plus (Cmd + Plus) or Ctrl + Minus (Cmd + Minus). It also improves the functionality of the scrubbing zoom (holding Ctrl + Spacebar or Cmd + Spacebar and dragging horizontally).
Enabling Animated Zoom
By default, Animated Zoom might be turned off on some systems to optimize performance, particularly on older hardware. You can easily enable it through Photoshop's preferences:
-
Open Preferences:
- On Windows, navigate to the menu bar and click Edit.
- On macOS, navigate to the menu bar and click Photoshop.
- From the dropdown menu, select Preferences.
-
Select Tools Preferences:
- In the Preferences sub-menu that appears, click on Tools.
-
Activate Animated Zoom:
- In the Tools Preferences dialog box, locate the option labeled Animated Zoom.
- Click the checkbox next to Animated Zoom to enable the feature.
-
Confirm Changes:
- Click OK to apply the changes and close the Preferences window.
Once enabled, your zooming actions within Photoshop will be animated, providing the desired smooth effect. If you experience performance issues after enabling this feature, your system might struggle to render the animation smoothly, and you may consider disabling it again for better responsiveness.
Enabling Animated Zoom in the preferences is the primary way to achieve a smooth, flowing zoom experience in Photoshop.
