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Pixelmator Pro User Guide
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  • Welcome
  • Pixelmator Pro basics
    • Interface overview
    • Pixelmator Pro tools
    • Zoom in and out of an image
    • Scroll, pan, or rotate an image
    • Undo or redo changes
    • Choose and manage colors in Pixelmator Pro
    • Use the Pixelmator Pro Photos extension
    • Print a Pixelmator Pro document
    • Use text field math
    • Pixelmator Pro settings
      • General settings
      • Editing settings
      • Ruler, grid, and guide settings
      • Workspace settings
      • Apple Pencil settings
    • Customize the Tools sidebar
    • Customize the Pixelmator Pro toolbar
    • Use the Touch Bar with Pixelmator Pro
    • Automate tasks in Pixelmator Pro
  • Create, open, and save images
    • Open an image
    • Create a new image
    • Working with templates
    • Working with mockups
    • Edit from Photos
    • Import an image
    • Save and name an image
    • Close an image
    • About the Pixelmator Pro file format
    • About Pixelmator Pro sidecar files
  • Automatically edit images
    • Automatically enhance colors
    • Automatically increase image resolution
    • Remove color banding
    • Automatically reduce noise
    • Remove image background
    • Hide image background
    • Automatically crop and straighten images
    • Automatically match image colors
    • Decontaminate colors
  • Work with layers
    • Create layers
    • Color adjustments and effects layers
    • Use the Arrange tool
    • Select layers
    • Move and align layers
    • Resize, rotate, and flip layers
    • Transform layers
    • Convert layers into pixels
    • Use rulers
    • Use alignment guides
    • Organize and manage layers
    • Replace image
    • Video layers
  • Add masks
    • Working with bitmap masks
    • Working with vector masks
    • Open and edit images with Portrait Masks
    • Use clipping masks
  • Customize layers using styles
    • Adjust the opacity of a layer
    • Change the blend mode of a layer
    • Add an outline around a layer
    • Fill a layer with a color or gradient
    • Add an inner shadow to a layer
    • Add a drop shadow to a layer
    • Layer style presets
  • Adjust colors
    • White balance an image
    • Adjust hue, saturation, and vibrance
    • Adjust lightness, clarity, and texture
    • Selectively adjust clarity and texture of an image
    • Selectively balance the colors in an image
    • Adjust individual colors in an image
    • Adjust the levels of an image
    • Adjust the tonal curve of an image
    • Replace one color in an image with another
    • Remove color from an image or video
    • Manually convert a color image to black and white
    • Convert an image to black and white with a color tint
    • Apply a sepia tint
    • Fade the shadows or highlights of an image
    • Mix the color channels of an image
    • Invert the colors of an image
    • Apply a vignette
    • Sharpen an image
    • Add film grain to an image
    • Apply LUTs
    • Color adjustment presets
    • Working with RAW images
    • Reading histograms
    • About color management
    • Change the color profile of an image
    • Change the color depth of an image
    • See what an image looks like on another device
  • Retouch and reshape layers
    • Remove an object from an image
    • Copy part of an image from one area to another
    • Lighten a specific area of an image
    • Darken a specific area of an image
    • Make a specific area of an image more vibrant
    • Desaturate a specific area of an image
    • Sharpen a specific area of an image
    • Soften a specific area of an image
    • Smudge a specific area of an image
    • Warp a specific area of an image
    • Bump a specific area of an image
    • Pinch a specific area of an image
    • Twirl a specific area of an image
  • Add effects
    • Apply blur effects
    • Apply distortion effects
    • Apply sharpen effects
    • Apply color adjustment effects
    • Apply tile effects
    • Apply stylize effects
    • Apply halftone effects
    • Apply generator effects
    • Apply fill effects
    • Apply other effects
    • Effect presets
  • Paint and erase
    • Use the brushes browser
    • Stroke with a brush
    • Quickly fill an image with color
    • Fill specific areas of an image with color
    • Fill with the Gradient Fill tool
    • Paint with the Pixel Paint tool
    • Erase using the Smart Erase tool
    • Edit brush settings
    • Create a brush
    • Share and import brushes
  • Make selections
    • Select areas by shape or color
    • Select areas by drawing
    • Make rectangular, elliptical, or row selections
    • Select all opaque areas of a layer
    • Select the entire image
    • Automatically select a subject in an image
    • Adjust selections
    • Refine selections
    • Move, copy, and delete selected areas
    • Convert selections into shapes
  • Draw shapes and vector graphics
    • Arrange and combine shapes
    • Draw shapes with the Pen tool
    • Draw shapes with the Freeform Pen tool
    • Edit vector paths
    • Save and share custom shapes
  • Use the Type tool
    • Add text on a path
    • Copy and paste text
    • Use dictation to enter text
    • Change the font or font size
    • Add bold, italic, underline, or strikethrough to text
    • Convert text into an outline
    • Change the color of text
    • Change text capitalization
    • Align and space text
    • Format characters
    • Convert text into a shape or pixel layer
    • Text style presets
  • Resize, crop and straighten images
    • Rotate and flip an image
    • Trim away colored or transparent borders around an image
    • Reveal parts of an image beyond the canvas
    • Crop presets
    • Change the image size
    • Change the canvas size
  • Export and share images
    • Export an image or video for the web
    • Slice designs into individual images
    • Quickly export or share an optimized image
    • Export presets
  • Pixelmator Pro keyboard shortcuts
    • Customize keyboard shortcuts
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On this page
  • Resize a layer
  • Rotate a layer
  • Flip an image or shape layer
  • Update the orientation of the shape handles

Resize, rotate, and flip layers

PreviousMove and align layersNextTransform layers

Last updated 17 days ago

You can use the Arrange tool to change the size of the image or shape layers in your image, either freely or proportionally, or set specific dimensions in a number of different units. You can also rotate or flip image, shape, and text layers.

Resize a layer

  1. Choose the Arrange tool by doing one of the following:

    • Click Arrange in the Tools sidebar.

    • Choose Tools > Arrange from the Tools menu at the top of your screen.

    • Press the V key on your keyboard.

  2. Select a layer or layer group.

  3. To choose whether to resize a layer freely or proportionally, select or deselect "Constrain proportions" in the Tool Options pane.

  4. Do one of the following:

    • Resize to specific dimensions: In the Tool Options pane, enter the size you need in the Width and Height fields or use text field math to calculate it.

    • Resize manually: Drag any of the layer handles (white squares around the layer). To see the size information when resizing layers, make sure information labels are turned on in the Pixelmator Pro settings.

To change the units used for entering layer width and height, Control ⌃ – click the number field choose an option.

📘 Note: If a layer happens to be larger than the canvas, the layer handles may show up beyond the edges of the canvas. To resize such layers, you'll need to zoom out of the image until you see the layer handles.

Rotate a layer

  1. Choose the Arrange tool by doing one of the following:

    • Choose Tools > Arrange from the Tools menu at the top of your screen.

    • Press the V key on your keyboard.

  2. Select a layer or layer group.

  3. In the Tool Options pane, drag the Rotate wheel, or enter a specific angle in the Angle field to rotate the layer. You can also press and hold the Shift ⇧ key while dragging the Rotate wheel to rotate the layer by 45° increments.

💡 Tip: You can also press and hold the Command ⌘ key, then drag one of the layer handles to rotate.

Flip an image or shape layer

  1. Choose the Arrange tool by doing one of the following:

    • Choose Tools > Arrange from the Tools menu at the top of your screen.

    • Press the V key on your keyboard.

  2. Select a layer or a layer group.

  3. Do one of the following:

    • Choose Arrange > Flip Horizontally or Arrange > Flip Vertically from the Arrange menu at the top of your screen.

Update the orientation of the shape handles

When you rotate a shape, Pixelmator Pro remembers its original orientation. As a result, whenever you flip a rotated shape, it is flipped according to the original, rather than the new orientation. To update the orientation of the shape, you can reset its layer handles.

  1. Choose the Arrange tool by doing one of the following:

    • Choose Tools > Arrange from the Tools menu at the top of your screen.

    • Press the V key on your keyboard.

  2. Select a shape layer.

  3. Choose Format > Shapes > Reset Shape Handles.

Click Arrange in the Tools sidebar.

Click Arrange in the Tools sidebar.

In the Tool Options pane, click to flip the layer vertically, or to flip it horizontally.

Click Arrange in the Tools sidebar.