4.6. Scale
| 4. Transform Tools |

### 4.6. Scale

Figure 14.135. The Scale tool in Toolbox

#### 4.6.1. Overview

The Scale Tool is used to scale layers, selections or paths (the Object).

When you click on image with the tool the Scaling Information dialog box is opened, allowing to change separately Width and Height. At the same time a Preview (possibly with a grid or an outline) is superimposed on the object and handles appear on corners and borders that you can click and drag to change dimensions. At center, a square with a cross inside, to move the preview (mouse pointer is a moving cross then).

#### 4.6.2. Activating the Tool

You can access the Scale Tool in different ways:

- from the image menu bar Tools → Transform Tools → Scale,

- by clicking the tool icon: in the Toolbox,

- by using the Shift+S key combination.

#### 4.6.3. Key modifiers (Defaults)

Shift

  Holding the Shift key down will toggle the Keep aspect option.

Ctrl

  Holding the Ctrl key down will toggle the Around center option.

#### 4.6.4. Tool Options

Figure 14.136. Tool options for the Scale tool

Normally, tool options are displayed in a window attached under the Toolbox as soon as you activate a tool. If they are not, you can access them from the image menu bar through Windows → Dockable Windows → Tool Options which opens the option window of the selected tool.

Transform; Interpolation; Direction; Clipping; Show image preview; Guides

  | Note
  These options are described in Transform tools common options.

  | Note
  The Transform mode works on the active layer only. To work on all layers of the image, use Scale Image.

  To scale a path, please refer to Transforming path.

Keep aspect (Shift)

  When you move a corner of the selection frame, this option will constrain the scale such as the Height/Width ratio of the layer will remain constant. Note that this doesn't work with border handles. Note also that it toggles the linking chain in the dialog.

Around center (Ctrl)

  When this option is enabled, you can scale from center, radially if “Keep aspect” is checked, else vertically or horizontally.

#### 4.6.5. The Scale adjustment dialog

Figure 14.137. The Scale adjustment dialog

Width/Height

  Here, you can set Width and Height you want to give to the object. The default unit of measurement is pixel. You can change it by using the drop-down list. These values are also automatically changed when you drag handles in the image. If the associated linking chain is broken, you can change Width and Height separately.

Readjust button

  With this button, available since GIMP 2.10.10, you can reset the transform handles back to the original square shape, while keeping the current transformation and zoom level. This enables you to create more complex transformations by making the transformation in several steps.

4.5. Rotate |  | 4.7. Shear

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