Content-Aware Scale in Photoshop
How to resize or change orientation using Content Aware Scale tool in Photoshop
Photo Tip Friday June 25, 2014
Content-Aware Scale Photoshop
This is one of those hidden gems which can help when you have an image in landscape (horizontal) format and you wish you had it in Portrait (vertical) orientation. Or perhaps you have a square format image and want it in a more popular or print-friendly format. You can change the orientation and resize a photo in Photoshop very easily. In this example I have a square format image and I made a rectangular photo from it:
So let’s take a look at how to protect some parts of the photo while stretching and reconstructing the rest of the image.
1-Open photo in Photoshop. It is in square format and I wanted to make it in rectangular aspect ratio.
2-Go to IMAGE > CANVAS SIZE and change the dimensions to the new size, which will add a thick white border around your image. Now go to Rectangular Select tool and select the image. Then go to EDIT > CONTENT_AWARE SCALE
3-Now you can use any handle on each side of your image and stretch that side of the photo.
4-One problem is as you drag the side of the image everything in the photo shifts and stretches. What if you want to maintain the perspective and shape of some items in the photo? In this example I wanted to maintain the shape of the tree, boats and the houses in the background.
So simply select the Quick Selection tool and select those elements that you want to protect. Then go to SELECT > MODIFY > EXPAND. In this example I expanded the selection to 12 pixels (the amount varies from picture to picture according to file size)
5-Now go to SELECTION again and save the selection.
6-Name your selection. In this example, I named it “Objects”
7-Then repeat step 2 and 3, but this time from the PROTECT drop down menu make your selection and Photoshop protects those areas from shifting.
Content Aware Scale is one of the most useful features in Photoshop and another one of those hidden gems. If you want to learn more about Photoshop and its hidden gems register for one of our Photoshop classes. We currently have scheduled a Photoshop Bootcamp for Fraser Valley and the lower Mainland starting September 6, 2014. There is also a full day Photoshop class planned for Vancouver on February 21, 2015. Please contact us if you have any questions!
Ted and the Omnilargess team