How to Use the Alignment Tools in Photoshop

Where the Alignment Tools Live

Select the Move Tool (V) and the options bar fills with six alignment buttons: top edges, vertical centers, bottom edges, left edges, horizontal centers, and right edges. They only light up when two or more layers are selected, so Shift-click the layers you want in the Layers panel first.

Use the Alignment Tools on Layers

Aaron starts with a quote on one type layer and the author’s name on another. With both selected, each button moves the layers into line with whichever one already sits furthest in that direction: align to top edges and the top-most layer stays put while the other jumps up to meet it. Vertical Centers is the one you’ll use most for stacking text.

Align to the Whole Image with a Selection

On their own, the Alignment Tools only align layers relative to one another. Make a selection first and the buttons align to the selection instead. Select > All, then click Horizontal Centers, and both text layers snap to the center of the canvas. Any selection works, so a Marquee drawn around a computer screen or a blank wall becomes an alignment target.

Group Layers to Keep Their Spacing

Centering two layers to the canvas with the Alignment Tools also stacks them on top of each other. To keep the gap between the quote and the name, set the spacing first (Shift-drag or the arrow keys move a layer in a straight line), then select both and press Ctrl/Cmd + G. A group behaves like a single object, so aligning it to a selection centers the pair while the spacing inside stays exactly as you set it.

Distribute Objects Evenly with the Alignment Tools

Duplicate a filled square a few times with Ctrl/Cmd + J and scatter them. Ctrl/Cmd + Shift-click to select a row, click Align Top Edges, then use the Distribute buttons (top edges, vertical centers, bottom edges, left edges, horizontal centers, right edges) to space them evenly. For a grid, align the left column’s left edges and the right column’s right edges, select everything, distribute by vertical centers, and nudge with the arrow keys to taste.

Put the Alignment Tools All Together

Group the finished grid, draw a Marquee around the area it should sit in, and align the group vertically and horizontally. Thumbnails, buttons, and logos all follow the same Alignment Tools recipe: align, distribute, group, then align the group to a selection.

Quick Reference

• V for the Move Tool; alignment buttons appear in the options bar with 2+ layers selected.
• No selection: layers align to each other. Selection active: layers align to the selection.
• Select > All then align to center anything on the canvas.
• Ctrl / Cmd + G groups layers so their spacing is preserved when you align the group.
• Distribute evens the spacing between three or more layers.
• Shift + drag constrains movement to straight lines.