Quite often when working with images, you need to rotate/reverse them. There’s nothing complicated about performing this task. However, some users who have just started to master Photoshop may not know how to perform this operation. Let’s take a closer look at this question. We’ll tell you some methods. In Skylum`s blog, you will find more information on how easily flip a photo in Photoshop in several different ways.

Method 1

This is the easiest and fastest method of rotating the picture. You can use the Photoshop hotkey combination CTRL+T to activate the function. It is also presented in the Edit menu.

As a result, the image will be placed in a special frame that allows you to rotate it as you wish.

To do this, place the mouse pointer on the outside of any corner of the image. After it changes to a rounded arrow on both sides, hold down the left mouse button and rotate it in the desired direction.

Hold down the SHIFT key on the keyboard to rotate the picture in 15-degree increments until the desired result is achieved. When ready, press ENTER.

Method 2 

To rotate an image in the Adobe Photoshop editor, use the commands from the Image — Rotate Canvas menu.

These commands are:

• 180° — the command allows you to rotate the image by 180 degrees.
• 90° CW — the command is designed to rotate the image 90 degrees clockwise.
• 90° CCW — the command allows you to rotate the image 90 degrees counter-clockwise.

Arbitrary — the command is designed to rotate the image by an arbitrary angle. To do this you must:

• Step 1. select the command from the menu.
• Step 2. enter the value of the angle in degrees to which you want to rotate the image.
• Step 3. specify the direction of rotation — clockwise or counterclockwise.
• Step 4. Click the OK button.

To flip (reflect) the image in the Adobe Photoshop editor, use the following commands from the Image — Rotate Canvas menu:

Flip Horizontal — the command is designed to mirror the image relative to the vertical axis, i.e. allows you to swap the left and right parts of the image in places;

Flip Vertical — the command is designed to mirror the image relative to the horizontal axis, i.e. allows you to swap the top and bottom parts of the image, “put the image upside down”.

Using the Frame tool 

It’s another way to rotate an image in Photoshop. The algorithm is no different from the one described above. After selecting a tool on the sidebar, rotate the image by holding down the left mouse button and grabbing one of the corners.

Holding down the SHIFT key performs the same function in this method. The only difference is that you need to start the rotation first, and then press and hold the key.

Applying the Image Rotation function

This is a standard feature of the program that allows you to rotate the picture. There is a choice of rotation direction — counterclockwise or clockwise. It is also possible to specify your own degree of rotation in the settings (item “Arbitrary”).

You can find the Rotate Picture function in the “Picture” menu.

In addition to the standard rotation, there is also a function to mirror the canvas: horizontally or vertically.

Note: When working with “Free Transform”, we also have this possibility. To do this, after the frame appears, right-click on the area inside it. Then select the desired command in the menu that appears. However, you can’t set your own degree of rotation here.

Using the Move tool

The tool is located on the sidebar of the program and is one of the most popular.

After selecting it, activate the “Show Controls” option in the upper parameter bar.

Now, every time we select this tool, a frame will appear around the image of the active layer, which you can use to rotate it.

When creating complex collages and illustrations in Photoshop, a mirror image is used along with object rotation, layer duplication, partial picture deletion, setting translucency, and many other effects.

How to expand an image in Photoshop in 3D space

Open in Photoshop the picture you want to rotate. In the top menu, click on the 3D item, and in the submenu that opens, follow New Grid from Layer — Postcard.

Adobe Photoshop will switch to 3D image editing mode, where you can rotate the image in any direction—side, bottom, top, and so on.

Having rotated the object, you need to fix the result and exit 3D mode.

This is done simply — right-click on the layer you want to edit and select Rasterize 3D.

Conclusion

So, we’ve just covered 4 ways you can rotate/reverse an image in Photoshop. All of them are easy to learn and use, and except for some nuances, they are equally effective for the task at hand.