Align & Distribute

When you have multiple elements in your image, you will often want to align them, or have them evenly spaced across the page.

Align and Distribute options are available in various tools, including the Move Tool and the Pen Tool.

Align Horizontal

Three buttons to Align:

Align Left Edges, Align Horizontal Centers, Align Right Edges

These buttons are only active when multiple objects or layers are selected. The buttons are greyed-out (unavailable) if multiple objects are not selected.

Distribute Vertically

When multiple objects or layers are selected, you can distribute (space evenly) them vertically.

These buttons are only active when multiple objects or layers are selected. The buttons are greyed-out (unavailable) if multiple objects are not selected.

Align Vertical

Three buttons to Align:

Align Top Edges, Align Vertical Center, Align Bottom Edges

These buttons are only active when multiple objects or layers are selected. The buttons are greyed-out (unavailable) if multiple objects are not selected.

Distribute Horizontally

When multiple objects or layers are selected, you can distribute (space evenly) them horizontally.

These buttons are only active when multiple objects or layers are selected. The buttons are greyed-out (unavailable) if multiple objects are not selected.

Align & Distribute

All of the previous four options are also gathered on one button.

Align and Distribute Buttons

1. Position your first image. If aligning to the top, ensure your first image is the highest. If aligning to the left, ensure your first image is the most left aligned. The screenshot shows 3 images that are deliberately positioned so they are not aligned, nor evenly spaced.

   

2. Select all layers. To select multiple layers click on the first one, then press and hold the Ctrl key while you also click on the other layers. All layers that you wish to align, must be selected.

3. On the options bar, select the appropriate Align button. In my example I’ve aligned the images to the top, so click on the button highlighted. You can also align images to the left, right, bottom and middle.

4. Now the images are aligned at the top. Note that they aligned to the highest image.

5. To distribute (evenly space) the images, position the first and last. Take care not to change the alignment. Press and hold the Shift key to ensure you only move the layer in a horizontal line, (or vertical if aligning to the left or right).
6. Select all layers. Ctrl + Click (as in step 2, above).
7. Click on the 3 dots (red box), to open more options, then click on Align Vertical Centers (blue box).

8. The images (layers) will then be perfectly aligned and spaced.

Smart Guides

When you move a layer or object around in your image, Smart Guides can be helpful with positioning. You have an option to turn them on or off, so to use them, you must turn them on.

1. From the menu; View > Show > Smart Guides.

2. Nudge to Accurately Position. Use the arrow keys on the keyboard to “nudge” the layer one pixel at a time. This is very fine control. You can only “nudge” when the Move Tool is selected.
3. With the Move Tool, drag the selected layer. As you move the layer, watch for the Smart Guides, shown in pink. The Smart Guides will highlight distances and alignment. The two screenshots below show that as the image on the right is moved, when it is positioned at the same distance as the gap between the first and middle images. This is highlighted by the pink boxes showing that the spacing is the same, i.e. 0.383 in.

4. In the two screenshots below, the first shows that the gaps are equal, but the tops are not yet aligned, as shown by the lack of a pink Smart Guide. The second screenshot shows that when the images are aligned, that the pink Smart Guide is clearly visible. The Smart Guides confirm that the tops are aligned and the spacing between them is equal.
5. The spacing between them is equal and they are aligned.
   

Happy editing!