

Although simple, the Ruler Tool has a lot to offer regarding aligning layers and ensuring things are correctly sized. This can be helpful to know the exact dimensions of something for printing if you plan to use this file as a cutout or even as a project file for sticker design too. You can now use the Ruler to place Guides that help you measure and place different objects in your project. Then, when you draw a shape on the canvas, the shape will snap into place along those guides. For instance, if you want to create a 2-inch x 1-inch long rectangle, you can add vertical guides around the 2-inch and 4-inch marks and horizontal guides at the 1-inch and 2-inch marks. The Ruler can also help when measuring elements such as shapes or text boxes, as you can apply guides to exact points on the ruler to match the size you’d like the element.
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How To Measure Layers With The Ruler Tool In Photoshop
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However, snapping can also prevent you from placing an element in the exact location you’d like, so feel free to disable snapping by heading to View > Snap and clicking it again to be sure Snap is unchecked. Snapping works best when you have multiple elements in your document already, as it makes it easier to align different elements. The system will take over when you’re close to the point and “snap” the guide into place.įor instance, if I want to apply a guide to the center of the document either horizontally or vertically, I can drag the guide near the center, and it will automatically snap into the exact center. This allows for the best possible accuracy if you’re trying to line up different elements, as you don’t have to try to find the exact point you want to place the guide manually. You can also use the shortcut Shift + Control + (Win) or Shift + Command + (Mac) to toggle Snap on and off. You’ll know snapping is enabled when you see a checkmark next to it. You can enable snapping by heading to View > Snap. It also helps to ensure you’ve enabled snapping, which means the guides will “snap” to the edges of different elements in your project or to important areas of the document, such as the center. 005, which is helpful when placing a guide at an exact inch on the ruler.Īdding a guide from the ruler is particularly helpful if you’re trying to align elements in a project or photo or if you’d like to add margins to the document (which is important if you’re planning to print the project in the future). Hold Shift while dragging to snap the guide into the next inch ending in. You can keep an eye on this for extra precision when placing your guides. While you’re dragging a guide, you’ll notice that a small box appears next to the guide with the exact measurement the guide is sitting along the ruler. You can add as many horizontal and vertical guides as you’d like or move the guides by clicking and dragging them. For instance, a horizontal guide will appear on my document if I click the top ruler and drag the cursor down. You can quickly add a guide to a measurement on the ruler by clicking either the vertical or horizontal ruler and drag the guide to the document. You’ll notice the numbers start at the edge of your page at 0, so you can see the size of your page here for reference. The ruler will change to match the unit of measurement you selected. Measuring in pixels won’t help me much, so to change the unit of measurement, I can right-click or Control + click on the ruler and select which unit to use. Once the ruler appears on your document, you’ll notice whatever unit of measurement the ruler is set to – for my example, the ruler was set to Pixels by default. How To Change The Rulers Unit Of Measurement In Photoshop Once active, You’ll see the rulers appear at the top and left side of the workspace.

Use whatever size fits your needs, but keep in mind it helps to know the size of your document when using the ruler so you can understand the size of any objects you measure in relation to the document. You can easily access the ruler using Control + R (Win) or Command + R (Mac) or head to View > Rulers.įor my example, I’m using an 8.5 x 11-inch document which is the standard size for a piece of printer paper.

How To Access The Ruler Tool In Photoshop So let’s take a look at how to use this tool in any project you’re working on. The Ruler Tool is also particularly useful for aligning elements in your projects when used together with Guides. For instance, if you often create work for print, the Ruler can assist you in adding margins or measuring your project. The Ruler Tool in Photoshop is a handy way to measure and format elements on your document.
