The ruler tool in Photoshop can be very powerful when creating your designs. Let’s learn more about this essential tool in Photoshop.
Wondering how to use the ruler tool in Photoshop? Fortunately, it’s a pretty easy tool to master. Once you learn how it works, you can easily straighten out crooked photos and accurately measure angles and distances in an image.
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If you are more of a visual learner–here is an excellent tutorial on the Photoshop Ruler tool.
Pull Up Your Ruler Tool
If you can’t see the ruler tool in Photoshop, click on your “View” header and select “Rulers”. You can also use the shortcut “Ctrl-R” to do the same thing. Your ruler options should pop right up.
Select the Right Unit of Measurement
The Photoshop ruler displays pixels by default, but you can change the unit of measurement as desired by right-clicking on the ruler. A drop-down menu will appear with a selection of choices, including inches, points, millimeters, centimeters, pica and percent.
Draw a Measuring Line
To draw a measuring line, the ruler tool options bar must be visible. Once you have confirmed that it is visible, click and drag the ruler tool in your open image document window. As you drag, the ruler tool will measure the area and display the measurement units in the ruler options bar.
Clear the Measurement
Once you’re done measuring an image, click on the “Clear” button to remove the current measurement. If you need to make another measurement, begin the process again by clicking and dragging the ruler tool over the area you want to measure.
Straighten Images
The ruler tool can be used to straighten images. To do this, simply select the layer with the image you want to straighten, draw a reference line using your ruler (horizontal or vertical), then select the options “Image,” “Rotation,” and “Arbitrary”. Alternatively, you can also use the crop tool to quickly straighten images without drawing a ruler line.
Create a Protractor
The ruler tool in Photoshop has a protractor mode that can be used to draw a second measuring line that’s connected to the first. To use this tool, draw your first measuring line, then click “Option/Alt” while clicking on the desired end point of the first line and dragging out your second line. The angle measurements will be updated in real time as you drag out your second line.
Put Your Knowledge To Good Use
Now that you know how to use the ruler tool in Photoshop, you can improve the photos you put on your website and in your marketing materials. If you’re looking for top-quality images to use on your website, you’ll find an extensive selection at Shutterstock. Become a subscriber for instant access to millions of royalty-free images and footage.
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