SUBJECT: Using the Align and Distribute Tools
PROGRAM: PSCS3 (can be adapted for other versions of Photoshop). A PSE tutorial on the topic is available here.
PREREQUISITES: Basic understanding of layers, be able to open a document in Photoshop, be able to use the move tool to place items on a canvas
Photoshop and PSE have a one click process for aligning items along a straight line. Begin by selecting the move tool from the tools palette.
Hold down the shift key and click on each item you want to align in the Layers Palette (see below).
The align and distribute icons will be available in the Options Toolbar. The first three icons are horizontal icons (align by top edge, center or bottom edge) and the next set of three are vertical alignment (align by left edge, center or right edge). In the image below I’ve aligned mine horizontally by center by clicking the second icon from the left.
You can center items one on top of the other by clicking the center horizontal icon followed by the center vertical icon. This comes in particularly handy if you are trying to center a photograph on a mat or frame.
The next set of icons are the distribute options (first 3 are the horizontal set, next 3 vertical). In my case, I want my flowers evenly spaced so I’ve selected the second, or ‘horizontal centers’ icon.
