Photoshop's Ruler Tool

[Cliff N. Hansen]

When we use Photoshop we tend to only use the tools we know about, often overlooking the rest. I figured I'd share some how-tos on a tool you might not be that familiar with: the ruler.

When we scan photos, it's rare that they actually are perfectly aligned. Sometimes we deliberately put them at an angle to avoid unintentional scan patterns and artifacts. You can use the ruler tool to rotate your picture precisely. Here's how you do it:

So let's say that we're starting with a scan:

Find the ruler tool in your palette.

Using the crosshairs on the ruler tool, draw a line on what you want to become a straight horizontal line on your page. The top or bottom of your photos work best for this.

Now, you can go up to Image, Rotate Canvas, and Arbitrary. This will bring up a new menu:

Pay attention to if you want it to rotate clockwise or anticlockwise and then make it happen.

There you go. You will soon see this image in Cultivator Press's upcoming book Tribal Vision.

[Karen Brattain]

Sweet! Thanks, Cliff.