Karen Sperling's Q&A July 2005

Each month, Painter expert Karen Sperling answers a question from one of our Painter Canvas readers. Here's June's question.

Question:
I found the way to rotate my entire canvas, but how do I rotate individual layers?

Answer:
Corel Painter IX has several tools for rotating layers. The one you choose will depend on the situation.

If you want to rotate the entire image along with the layer, use the Rotate Canvas feature (Canvas > Rotate Canvas). If you have a vertical layer in a vertical image, and you want to make them both horizontal, choose Canvas > Rotate Canvas > 90 CW (clockwise). Your image and layer are now horizontal. This feature is new in Painter IX and very handy.

If you want to rotate just the layer, you have two choices.

You can choose Effects > Orientation > Rotate. This option lets you type a specific angle of rotation in a dialog box. You can also drag a corner control point to rotate while the dialog box is open.

This is useful if you know the exact angle at which you want to rotate, or if you just want to rotate without performing other operations.

If you don't need a specific angle, or if you want to experiment, choose Effects > Orientation > Free Transform. Then rotate the layer by pressing Command (Mac) or Control (Windows), and dragging on a corner point. When the layer is in the desired position, choose Effects > Orientation > Commit Transform.

Your other choice for rotating just the layer, Effects > Orientation > Free Transform, is desirable if you'll be performing several operations on the layer. For instance, to resize the layer proportionately, you can also press Shift and drag a corner. To resize the layer disproportionately, drag corners without pressing Shift. To skew the layer, press Command (Mac) or Control (Windows), and drag a middle control point.

Do you have a Painter question for Karen? Email us at enewsfeedback@corel.com.

Artist, author, photographer and Painter Master Karen Sperling wrote the manuals for the first several versions of Painter, authored several Painter books, has had many Painter tutorials published in magazines and has taught Painter to artists and photographers at movie companies, design firms, universities and professional photography organizations. She currently publishes Artistry Corel Painter tutorials and Artistry Tips and Tricks newsletter, and leads Artistry Corel Painter Retreats. She paints commissioned portraits, and her Painter art has been displayed in several group shows. To see Karen's Painter images and for information about her tutorials and classes, visit www.artistrymag.com.