After how many years, I finally discovered the third way to work with the Free Transform tool.
I would imagine most of you know that the Free Transform tool can scale objects up or down. Just select the object, switch to the Free Transform tool, and place your cursor over one of the corner or side points. When you see the double-headed arrow, drag.
I would image a similar large number of you know that the Free Transform tool can rotate objects. With the object selected, place the Free Transform cursor near one of the corner or side points. Drag to rotate.
But how many of you, besides people like Mordy Golding who knows everything from working with Illustrator’s Free Transform tool, knew that there is another mode to the Free Transform tool.
I didn’t, although I suspected I was missing something.
I just discovered how to make the Free Transform tool ALSO do shearing. In this case, drag as if you were about to scale the object, and THEN press the Cmd/Ctrl key.
The cursor doesn’t change, but you will be able to shear the object.
I had always wondered about this missing mode for Free Transform. But figured the ID engineers had skipped it.
Hah! Those engineers never skip anything.
This article was last modified on December 18, 2021
This article was first published on March 16, 2007
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