Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, there are always going to be times when you need to resize, reposition, or otherwise transform a layer in Photoshop. In the past, this meant having to use the Free Transform command, which is still an option in Photoshop CC. However, there’s now a new and improved way to free transform your layers, and it’s called the Content-Aware Scale tool.
To use the new tool, simply select the layer you want to transform and then go to Edit > Free Transform. Alternatively, you can use the shortcut Cmd/Ctrl + T. Once the Free Transform box appears around your layer, hold down the Shift key and drag one of the corner handles inward or outward. This will change the size of your layer while maintaining its original aspect ratio.
If you want to change the layer’s aspect ratio, hold down the Alt/Option key while dragging one of the side handles. And if you want to move your layer without changing its size or shape, simply click anywhere outside of the Free Transform box and then drag the layer to its new position.
Once you’ve made all your desired changes, hit Enter/Return to apply them. And that’s all there is to using the new Content-Aware Scale tool!
The Content-Aware Scale tool is a great addition to Photoshop CC that makes it easy to resize and reposition layers. To use it, simply select a layer and then go to Edit > Free Transform.
Alternatively, you can use the shortcut Cmd/Ctrl + T.
