Transform It! Using the TRANSFORM TOOL!

You will use the Transform Tool on almost ALL of your projects. Here's how it works. First we will try it on a plain square. Then use it for something cooler.

STEP #1

Create a blank document (called a canvas) in PhotoShop.

Hit Command (⌘) + N, or choose FILE>NEW.

Make your canvas 11 x 8.5 INCHES and 150 RESOLUTION. See picture below. Hit OK.

Your canvas should look like this:

STEP #2

Draw a square with the Rectangle Tool (or hit the 'u' key).

Select Edit>Free Transform Path (or Command+T).

Command+T is much easier, and you will use this tool a lot!

You should see little handles on the corners and the middle of the sides of the square.

STEP #3

Grab one of the handles and drag or pull it from the square. Go ahead and experiment.

Adding keyboard shortcuts, while the transform tool is being used, really unleashes its power.

Free Transform Tool + Keyboard Shortcuts

Grabbing a handle and dragging alters the shape. Holding down shift while dragging a handle preserves the aspect ratio of the shape.

TRY IT!

Holding down the OPTION key when dragging, moves the sides equal distances from the center reference point.

TRY IT! Hovering your mouse over a corner reference point allows you to rotate the shape. Holding down shift while rotating snaps the shape to 45 degree angles from the original position.

 Holding down Option+Command allows you to move both sides equally from the reference point and vertically as well – allowing you to skew the object.

TRY IT!

 Holding down Shift+Option+command allows you to add perspective to an object.

TRY IT!

You can also achieve similar distortions with the specific transform tools which do the same thing. These tools can be found under the Edit>Transform menu. One tool that is worth pointing out is the Warp Transform tool. Let's take a look...

STEP #4

Warp Transform Tool

This tool ads a grid over the shape and allows you to distort and warp specific points of the shape.

Go to EDIT>TRANSFORM and then WARP.

TRY IT!

STEP #5

Now that we have the basics down lets do something cool!
To open THIS PHOTO of  a blank billboard sign.

Hold CONTROL + CLICK the photo and COPY IMAGE.

Go to Photoshop and Select FILE>NEW, Click OK, and then EDIT>PASTE.

Your canvas should look something like this:

Hold CONTROL + CLICK and COPY IMAGE.

Go to Photoshop and Select FILE>NEW, Click OK, and then EDIT>PASTE.

Your canvas should look something like this:

Open this picture of bananas by CLICKING HERE!

Hold CONTROL + CLICK and COPY IMAGE.Go back to Photoshop. Use the Polygonal Lasso Tool to outline the white part of the sign.

Then choose EDIT>PASTE SPECIAL>PASTE INTO to paste your bananas into the sign.

Hit COMMAND + T to transform your bananas to fit the sign. Hold the COMMAND button down and PULL THE CORNERS to make it fit!

 Use the TYPE TOOL and place it inside the sign. See if you can remember how to CHANGE THE TEXT SIZE TO 36. Type the word "BANANAS" into the sign. Make sure your text is black! Check out the graphic below:

Almost done!

CONTROL + CLICK on the TEXT LAYER and choose RASTERIZE TYPE. See Below:

               THEN

STEP #6

Final Steps

Choose EDIT>TRANSFORM>DISTORT to adjust your text. Pull the corners to get the perspective right! It should look like this at the end (don't worry if the text is a little blurry):

To add some POP to the text, go to FX at the bottom of the layers panel and choose OUTER GLOW.

THEN

THEN

Click OK.

That's it, you are done!

Go to FILE>SAVE AS and choose DESKTOP. Click OK.

Then drag from the DESKTOP to GOOGLE DRIVE and the Correct Class Folder. Save your final file in Google Classroom. Just add the file from Google Drive.