Photoshop Elements 6: The Missing Manual

Image Menu

This menu lets you make changes to your image. Here you can rotate a picture, change its shape, crop or resize it, or change the color mode.

Rotate

Use these commands to change the orientation of your image (Straightening Individual Photos). The first group of options applies to your whole image:

• 90° Left

• 90° Right

• 180°

• Custom

• Flip Horizontal

• Flip Vertical

The next group does the same thing but on a layer or selection. The menu choices change depending on whether you have an active selection in your image. If you have a selection, you'll see the word "Selection" instead of "Layer."

• Free Rotate Layer

• Layer 90° Left

• Layer 90° Right

• Layer 180°

• Flip Layer Horizontal

• Flip Layer Vertical

  Finally you can choose to:

• Straighten and Crop Image

• Straighten Image

These last two commands are mostly for use with scanned images when you need to straighten the position of the entire image. To straighten the contents of an image, use the Straighten tool (Straightening the Contents of Your Image).

Transform

These commands let you change the shape of your image by pulling it in different directions. They're explained in detail on Transforming Images. Your choices are:

• Free Transform (Ctrl+T) incorporates the other three commands.

• Skew slants an image.

• Distort stretches your photo in the direction you pull it.

• Perspective stretches your photo to make it look like parts are nearer or farther away.

Tip

You might prefer to use the Correct Camera Distortion filter for transforming your images ...