Straightening in PS CS5

[ilovelucydog]

I'm going nuts! I am using PS CS5 and I can't figure out how to straighten with it! Can anyone clue me in... please.

[jiro]

I'm just basing this from memory. Go to Filters > Lens Correction > and then use that semi-angled icon (second from the top icon) to activate the straighten command. Look for any horizontal line that you want to have as the reference and then Click and drag the mouse from left to right. Once you release the mouse your image will be rotated and straightened automatically. I hope my memory is still that OK.

[PopsPhotos]

This might be heresy, but I never use PS or PSE to straighten. Picasa has a marvelous straighten tool.

Pops

[Colin Southern]

There's a few ways, another is Image -> Image Rotation (then usually "arbitary").

Another is Ctrl + A (to select the entire image) then Ctrl + T to free transform it (them put the mouse near a corner).

In Adobe Camera RAW, there's a leveling tool on the toolbar that levels and then automatically crops.

In Adobe Camera RAW there's also a rotation control on the lens correction tab.

And there's also ... never mind, now I'm just showing off!

[rob marshall]

In RAW edit - Use the straighten tool from the top menu. Just draw a line (either horizontal or vertical)

In Photoshop - Select the ruler tool (grouped with the eyedropper tool). Draw a line (either horizontal or vertical) against a line that should be straight and level in the shot - either the side of a building, or a natural horizon line. Draw your line against the edge. Then go to IMAGE/IMAGE ROTATION/ARBITRARY and the exact dgree rotation should already be in the box. Just select either CW or CCW to rotate.

[revi]

Just to complicate things a bit more: what kind of straightening do you want?
I can think of three different ones of the top of my head (can't give you the corresponding CS5 commands, but see the other posts for those):
- correcting lens deformations (barrel/pincushion),
- leveling of the horizon, rotation of the whole image
- perspective correction (sloping lines when shooting with the camera tilted upwards or downwards)

Strictly speaking, only the first would 'straighten' any lines... I would apply these (as needed) in the stated order, especially the lens corrections need to be done before any others, and before any cropping takes place.

Just one warning: try to avoid using each of these operations more than once on an image, as they all slightly degrade image sharpness and detail. If you find you have to add a bit more rotation (for exemple), best is to undo the first rotation and start again.

[AlanP]

Use the ruler tool under the eyedropper. Drag either a horizontal or vertical line over something you want to use as a reference. After you do that a straighten button will apper on the options bar.

Alan

[ilovelucydog]

Just to complicate things a bit more: what kind of straightening do you want?
I can think of three different ones of the top of my head (can't give you the corresponding CS5 commands, but see the other posts for those):
- correcting lens deformations (barrel/pincushion),
- leveling of the horizon, rotation of the whole image
- perspective correction (sloping lines when shooting with the camera tilted upwards or downwards)

Strictly speaking, only the first would 'straighten' any lines... I would apply these (as needed) in the stated order, especially the lens corrections need to be done before any others, and before any cropping takes place.

Just one warning: try to avoid using each of these operations more than once on an image, as they all slightly degrade image sharpness and detail. If you find you have to add a bit more rotation (for exemple), best is to undo the first rotation and start again.

For example, I want to straighten this pic. Aside from the myriad of other things not so great about this pic, to me, it looks like it needs straightening:

[Gingerbaker]

I, like others above, endorse the ruler tool -> Image rotate-> arbitrary and then cropping with the crop tool. I like to crop in PS, not ACR, because the crop tool in PS is much more capable than the one in ACR.

In the above picture, I would try running the ruler across the cross path just in front of the train - it seems to me that one's sense of imbalance stems from the slant of that line.

Untitled-1.jpg

[revi]

That's the kind of images were I find it very hard to judge whether the horizon is level: there is no well-defined vertical or horizontal line... If I feel a picture of mine like this needs levelling, I tend to go with a value I often have to use (as shown by images with a clear horizontal or vertical). As you might guess, I've trouble keeping the camera level

Apart from that, you might want to try a bit of sharpening,

[whited3]

This is what I do too, with the grid turned for a reference line. I also fix any lens distortion in ACR first.

I, like others above, endorse the ruler tool -> Image rotate-> arbitrary and then cropping with the crop tool. I like to crop in PS, not ACR, because the crop tool in PS is much more capable than the one in ACR.

In the above picture, I would try running the ruler across the cross path just in front of the train - it seems to me that one's sense of imbalance stems from the slant of that line.

[ilovelucydog]

Thanks for the help.