Crop, resize, rotate and flip
Crop with fixed ratios, change the canvas size without scaling, resize the whole image with resolution, and rotate or flip the canvas or a single layer.
Beginner4 min readUpdated 25 September 2026Editor · Crop and canvas
On this page
These commands change the page itself: cutting it down, adding space around it, scaling everything to a new pixel size, or turning it round. Knowing which one to reach for keeps text sharp and saves you rebuilding a layout.
Which command do I need?
| You want to | Use | Scales layers? |
|---|---|---|
| Cut the page down to part of the design | Crop tool (C), or Image > Crop to selection | No |
| Remove empty transparent space round the edges | Image > Trim transparent edges | No |
| Add space around the design, or take it away | Image > Canvas size… | No |
| Add space and fill it to match the photo | Image > Expand with AI fill… | No |
| Make the whole design bigger or smaller in pixels | Image > Image size… | Yes |
| Turn or mirror the whole design | Image > Image rotation | No |
| Turn or mirror one layer | Edit > Transform | No |
| Make versions at other sizes, such as a story and a banner | File > Resize for other formats… | Rebuilt per format |
The last row has its own article: Resize to every format.
Crop
- Press C for the Crop tool.
- Pick a ratio in the options bar: Free, 1:1, 4:5, 16:9, 9:16 or 3:2.
- Drag over the part you want to keep. The options bar shows the size in pixels.
- Press Enter or click Apply. Press Escape or click Cancel to back out.
4:5 suits portrait social posts, 9:16 stories and reels, 16:9 video and slides, 3:2 most camera photos. To crop to an exact shape you have already selected, use Image > Crop to selection, which crops to the selection's bounding box.
Image > Trim transparent edges crops the page to whatever is visible, which is handy after removing a background.
On a phone, select a photo and tap Crop in the Select or Image tab.
Canvas size: add or remove space
Image > Canvas size… (Ctrl+Alt+C; Cmd+Option+C on a Mac) changes the page size without scaling anything. Use it to add a border, make room for a caption, or turn a landscape photo into a square with space above and below.
- Type the new Width and Height in pixels.
- Tick Relative to type how much to add instead, for example 200 to add 200 px.
- Click a square in the 3 by 3 Anchor grid to choose where the current design sits in the new page. The centre square adds space evenly; the top-left square adds it only to the right and bottom.
- Typing smaller numbers takes space away. Layers are not deleted, only moved off the page.
The new area shows the design's background colour, or transparency if it has none.
Expand with AI fill
Image > Expand with AI fill… is the same window, starting at 125% of the current size, with Fill the new area with AI ticked. When you click Apply, the page grows and a model on your device paints the new edges to continue the picture. The fill goes on its own layer called AI fill at the bottom of the stack, so you can hide it or paint on it. The first use downloads the model once (208 MB). More in AI on this device.
Image size: scale everything
Image > Image size… (Ctrl+Alt+I) scales every layer to a new pixel size. Text and shapes are redrawn, so they stay sharp at any size. Photos are resampled, which means scaling a photo up cannot add detail that was not there.
- Width and Height are linked by default so the proportions stay the same. Click the link button between them to unlink.
- Units switches between Pixels and Percent.
- Resolution is the dpi saved with the design. It does not change the pixels; it tells you how big the design prints. The line underneath shows the size in centimetres at that dpi, and roughly how much memory each layer will take.
For print, aim for 300 dpi at the final printed size. A 2480 by 3508 px design prints at A4 at 300 dpi. See Image resolution explained and Export for print.
Rotate and flip
The whole design
Image > Image rotation has Rotate 90° clockwise, Rotate 90° anticlockwise, Rotate 180°, Flip canvas horizontal and Flip canvas vertical. Every layer turns with the page, and a 90° turn swaps the width and height.
One layer
Edit > Transform holds Rotate layer 90° clockwise, Rotate layer 180°, Flip layer horizontal and Flip layer vertical. For any other angle, use Free transform (Ctrl+T). The Mirror and Flip buttons in Properties do the same for image layers.
Good to know
- Every one of these commands is a single undo step. Ctrl+Z takes it back.
- Canvas size and Image size also move or scale guides, paths and saved selections to match.
- Size and position boxes for a single layer (X, Y, W, H) are in the Position section of Properties. Those change one layer, not the page.