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How to Change Canvas Size in Photoshop?

Resizing images is a fundamental skill in photography and graphic design. Whether you’re trying to optimize your images for web or print, resizing allows you to change the dimensions of an image to suit your needs. There are several ways to resize an image, and each method has its advantages and disadvantages. Here are some tips on how to resize an image effectively using Photoshop.

The first step in resizing an image is to determine the dimensions you want to use. This can be done by specifying the desired width and height of the image in pixels, inches, or centimeters. You can either resize the image proportionally or non-proportionally. Proportional resizing means that you’ll adjust both the width and the height of the image together, while non-proportional resizing means that you’ll only adjust one of these dimensions.

One of the most straightforward ways to resize an image in Photoshop is to use the “Image Size” dialog box. You can access this by going to the “Image” menu and selecting “Image Size.” In this dialog box, you can specify the desired dimensions for your image. You can also choose to resample the image or not. Resampling changes the pixel data in your image to match the new size you’ve specified, while not resampling preserves the original pixel data.

Another method to resize an image in Photoshop is by using the “Canvas Size” dialog box. This option allows you to adjust the size of the canvas that your image is on. This is useful if you want to add more space to your image or crop out unwanted areas. You can access this dialog box by going to the “Image” menu and selecting “Canvas Size.” In the dialog box, you can specify the new width and height of the canvas.

If you need to resize an image frequently, you can use Photoshop’s “Actions” feature to automate the process. An action is a series of steps that you can record and replay later. To create an action for resizing an image, you’ll need to record the steps you take in the “Actions” panel. Once you’ve created your action, you can run it any time you need to resize an image with the same dimensions.

Additionally, you can use keyboard shortcuts to resize images quickly in Photoshop. The keyboard shortcut for “Image Size” is “Ctrl+Alt+I” on Windows and “Command+Option+I” on Mac. The shortcut for “Canvas Size” is “Ctrl+Alt+C” on Windows and “Command+Option+C” on Mac.

When resizing images in Photoshop, it’s essential to consider the quality of the final image. Resizing an image too much can cause it to lose sharpness and detail. To avoid this, try to use the “Bicubic Sharper” or “Bicubic Smoother” resampling methods. These methods will preserve the sharpness and detail of the image while resizing it.

In summary, resizing images is an essential skill for any photographer or designer. By using Photoshop’s various tools and features, you can resize images quickly and easily. Whether you need to adjust the dimensions of your image or canvas, Photoshop provides a variety of options for resizing your work. With a little bit of practice, you’ll be able to resize images efficiently and effectively using Photoshop’s many features and techniques.

In today’s tutorial, you will understand what Canvas Size is and how to Change Canvas Size in Photoshop. By using the Canvas Size option in Photoshop, we can expand or crop an image and add color or transparency around the image.

You can change both the Canvas Size and Image Size in Photoshop. They may sound similar but, you should not get confused between the image size and canvas size. Further in this tutorial, we will see in detail Canvas Size in Photoshop.

Canvas Size in Photoshop

What is Canvas Size?

The Canvas Size is the actual workspace which is the visible area of the image. It defines the size which will get printed. You can modify the Canvas Size in Photoshop with the help of the Canvas Size option.

By modifying the Canvas Size, you can increase or decrease the image work area. By increasing the Canvas Size, you can add space around all four sides of the image. The image size will remain constant. On the other hand, on decreasing the Canvas Size, the image will get cropped.

But, when you modify the Image size, the image becomes pixelated on increasing the size and shrink on scaling down the size. But, the image does not get cropped while reducing the image size.

How to Change the Canvas Size in Photoshop?

Launch Adobe Photoshop and open an image as new document. Now follow the below mentioned step-by-step process:

Step 1

Go to Image in the Menu Bar and select Canvas Size.

Select Canvas Size

Step 2

After selecting Canvas Size, a dialogue box will appear in the document area. In that dialogue box, you will see the current size of the canvas.

Current Size of Canvas

Now you enter the new Height and Width of the Canvas under New Size. Also, you can change the measurement unit by clicking on the drop-down arrow.

If you want a relative height and width value for the New Canvas Size then put a checkmark on Relative. Otherwise, you can enter different values for both height and width.

NOTE: To reduce the size of the Canvas in Photoshop, enter a negative value for the Height and Width of the New Canvas Size.

New Canvas Size

Step 3

The Anchor in the Canvas Size dialogue box indicates the corners of the canvas where the new size will affect. If all the arrows are visible in the Anchor, then the Height and Width will increase/decrease from all four corners and sides of the image.

If you want to increase/decrease the Canvas Size from the top-right corner, then click on the bottom-left corner of the Anchor. (See the image below)

Select area in the Anchor
Increase in Size from top-right corner

Similarly, you can select other corners and sides in the Anchor, if you wish to change the Canvas Size from a particular corner or side.

Step 4

In the Canvas Size dialogue box, you can also select the color for the New Canvas Size. Click on the Canvas Extension Color, and then you can select the available color options from the drop-down list.

You can also pick a color from the Color Picker by either selecting Other or clicking on the color square.

Canvas Color Extension

Step 5

In the above steps, you have learned to set the height and width of the New Canvas Size. Also, you have learned to select the sides and color for the Canvas. After making the required changes, click OK to Change the Canvas Size in Photoshop.

Change Canvas Size in Photoshop

This is how you can Change Canvas Size in Photoshop.

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Author

  • Vivi Designing

    Vivi Designing is a platform for people who are in love with design and are eager to learn for creativity and inspiration. We provide free design resources, articles, tutorials, techniques, and the latest trends in Adobe Illustration and Adobe Photoshop.

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