How to Rotate Text in Photoshop

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This tutorial will show you how to rotate a text layer in Photoshop. It only takes one keyboard shortcut to do.

Free Transform Tool to Rotate Text in PS

To rotate a text layer, or any layer for that matter, in Photoshop you can use Free Transform. Select the layer you want to rotate. Use the keyboard shortcut Command+T if you’re on a Mac or Control+T if you’re on Windows. Alternatively, you can find Free Transform under the Edit menu. Free Transform is one of those keyboard shortcuts you should memorize if you plan on using Photoshop often.

Photoshop Edit menu with Free Transform selected in order to rotate text layer
Use the keyboard shortcut Cmd/Ctrl+T instead

Once you turn on Free Transform, the selected layer will now have a box around it along with squares on each corner and in the center of each side. Take your cursor and bring it to the outside of the box near one of the squares. You can’t be right on a square, you have to be slightly away from it. The cursor will turn into a curved double-sided arrow.

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Free Transform tool in Photoshop showing rounded cursor which indicates you can rotate the layer
See the curved double-sized cursor? That’s what you want. Click then rotate and hit Enter/Return.

Once the cursor changes, click and rotate up or down to rotate the text layer in Photoshop. When you’re done, hit the Return or Enter key. Alternatively you can click the check mark in the Tool Option bar at the top of Photoshop.

Set a Specific Angle to Rotate Layer

If you need to precisely set the angle of a layer, like 45 degrees, you can do that too. With Free Transform activated, check the Tool Option bar at the top of Photoshop. You’ll see an angle icon and this is where you can set a degree value for the rotation.

Free Transform Tool Option bar to set precise angle of a rotation
Set a specific angle here.

If you’ve now gone through this tutorial and you still need help, please leave a comment and I’ll do what I can to help troubleshoot it. But if you can now rotate text in Photoshop, I hope you stick around and check out some of the other Photoshop tutorials on my website or consider signing up to get notified about new blog posts and happenings around EVF.

– Josh

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