Rotate Photoshop Custom Shapes, How To Apply Rotation Vector Designs Beginner's Guide

By Andrew Buckle, Video Tutorial Creator / Designer

Updated : 2021

rotate custom shapes for Adobe Photoshop

Select custom shape layer in Photoshop
Edit menu
Transform
Rotate
Enter angle in rotate field
Press return

Learn how to rotate Photoshop custom shapes and apply rotation transformation tutorial. The custom shapes are layer designs and they can be rotated in many ways.

You can use the transform and rotate command in Photoshop. You can use the bounding box to rotate the custom shapes. You can use actions to rotate the custom shapes. You can also use Illustrator to rotate the path and then re-copy the work back into Photoshop. You can also rotate the custom shapes if they are pixel designs. This tutorial shows a number of methods on how to rotate the Photoshop custom shapes such as with actions and with the transform command. How to set the rotation accurately and how to just interactively rotate the vector custom shapes.

A quick guide to how to rotate them if you use the shapes on a layer

If the graphic is applied as a fill and it is applied to a layer then you can quickly rotate the layer by selecting the layer (in the layer panel) and then go to the edit menu and transform and rotate command. You can then either enter a value in the top bar options for the rotation (rotate text filed) or you can just use the art bounds controls to manually rotate the custom shape layer in Adobe ® Photoshop ®.

To finish, press enter or click the tick button. You can also use the transform command to repeat the rotation or set up a keyboard shortcut for the operation. If you have the option to use the shape as a shape layer and rotate then that is much better than the pixel option

Select custom shape tool
Set shape and color
Set to pixels option
Layer menu in Photoshop
New layer
Add shape to new layer
Edit menu
Transform
Rotate and enter angle
Press return

You can also rotate them if you use them on a background in Photoshop

In this case, the custom shape can be rotated via the image menu command and image rotation where you can use on the defined rotations or set an arbitary rotation. You may find the image is re-sized and the background color is added to the new created background (you might like to set this beforehand via the toolbox)

Rotate using the show transform controls for the bounding box

You might like to set the show transform controls to ON (this can be found in the top bar options in Adobe ® Photoshop ® when using a shape layer). You can then use the art bound / transform controls to manually rotate the custom shape.

When you start rotating the path using the transform controls in Adobe ® Photoshop ®, the rotation text box will appear along the top option bar and you can enter a new value for the rotation. You can also update the rotation by holding the mouse down and placing the mouse over the little rotate icon and drag the mouse left or right to decrease or increase the angle.

Click the tick button or press return to complete both operations.

Another way to rotate the PS layer is via the edit menu and transform command (and rotate). With CC, you can also apply various transforms to the rectangle and live shapes but for some weird reason, there is no rotation option.

You can also just use Illustrator instead if you find that easier

You can also just select the custom shapes in Adobe ® Photoshop ® and then go to the edit menu and use the copy (or cut) command and then paste the path in Adobe AI and use the rotation features of Illustrator.

Or just use Photoshop actions, especially great for a 1 degree or 45 degree change

You can always use actions to capture a rotation. Select a custom shape and then goto the action panel and then select the new action command and record the various steps such as rotate by 45 degrees. Give a name to the action and this action can be used to rotate a selected custom shape by 45 degrees etc with a single click. Of course, you can setup a range of actions such as rotate by 1 degree or 5 degrees etc and these can be applied over and over in seconds. A very quick and useful way to rotate a custom shape in Adobe ® Photoshop ®.

Create custom shape as a shape layer (as before)
Select custom shape
Window menu
Actions
Right side menu
New action
Record
Edit
Transform
Set angle 10
OK
Stop recording (actions panel)

Now you can just click that Photoshop action to rotate the selected shape

You can also use the newly rotated artwork as a new shape

Once you have transformed the path in Adobe ® Photoshop ®, you can always go to the edit menu and use the define command to save the work for future use or save it to the CC library

Select custom shape tool in Photoshop
Set to shape layer option
Set color
Apply shape
Edit menu
Transform
Rotate and set an angle
Click OK
Direct selection tool in Photoshop toolbar
Select all the points
Edit menu
Define custom shape
OK