Checkbox To Bring Back The SHIFT KEY For Proportional Transform
251K views 4,099 likes 427 comments
Your choices stick across every tutorial on this device.
The Legacy Free Transform checkbox brings back the old Shift key behavior in Photoshop, so holding Shift scales a layer proportionally again.
Photoshop 2019 (version 20.0) changed the way transformation works. You no longer hold Shift to scale proportionally, and that confused a whole lot of people.
Longtime users are used to the old behavior. If you have held Shift to keep proportions for years, the new default fights you every time you transform a layer.
Version 20.0.5, the June 2019 update, added a checkbox that brings back the legacy feature of holding Shift to scale and transform layers proportionally. The video was recorded in that version, and the fix still works the same way in the current version of Photoshop.
In three short steps, you will find the checkbox in Preferences, turn it on, and test it with Free Transform.
Key Takeaways
- With the checkbox off, Shift does the opposite of what longtime users expect. It unlocks the proportions instead of locking them.
- The checkbox lives in the General tab of Preferences, which opens with CtrlK (Windows) or CommandK (macOS).
- The checkbox arrived in version 20.0.5. Versions 20.0 through 20.0.4 have no checkbox and need the PSUserConfig.txt workaround instead.
- It is a preference, so it changes Free Transform in every document you open, not just the one on screen.
- With the checkbox on, dragging a corner handle with no key scales freely, and holding Shift locks the proportions.
Table of contents
What You Will Learn
- How to open the Preferences panel with a keyboard shortcut
- Where to find the legacy checkbox in the General tab
- How to test the Shift key behavior with Free Transform
- Which Photoshop versions have the checkbox, and what to do if yours does not
Requirements
Before you start
- Photoshop 2019 (version 20.0.5, the June 2019 update) or the current version
- Any open document with a layer you can transform
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Open Preferences | Ctrl K | Command K |
| Free Transform | Ctrl T | Command T |
| Scale proportionally with the checkbox on (hold while dragging a corner handle) | Shift | Shift |
What the Legacy Transform Checkbox Changes
Before Photoshop 2019, dragging a corner handle in Free Transform scaled a layer freely. You held Shift to keep its proportions.
Version 20.0 flipped that. Pixel layers, type layers and placed Smart Objects now scale proportionally on their own, and Shift unlocks free scaling.
- Checkbox off, the default since version 20.0: drag a corner handle to scale proportionally. Hold Shift to scale freely.
- Checkbox on: drag a corner handle to scale freely. Hold Shift to scale proportionally.
The checkbox simply picks the second behavior. It is a preference, so it applies to every document you open.
Step 1: Open the Preferences Panel
Press CtrlK (Windows) or CommandK (macOS) to bring up the Preferences panel.
Click the General tab on the left side if it is not already selected.
Note: On Windows, Edit > Preferences > General opens the same tab. The shortcut gets you there on both platforms.
Step 2: Check Use Legacy Free Transform
In the General tab, find the checkbox labeled Use Legacy Free Transform.
Check the box, then click OK. The old behavior of holding Shift to scale proportionally returns.
Note: The checkbox arrived in version 20.0.5, as the Adobe Photoshop release notes list. If you are on version 20.0 through 20.0.4 and cannot update, use the PSUserConfig.txt hack from the previous tutorial instead.
Tip: If the new setting does not take effect, restart Photoshop and try again.
Note: The checkbox is still in Preferences > General in the current version of Photoshop. Current Photoshop scales proportionally by default, and this checkbox is what switches that default off.
Step 3: Test the Free Transform Shift Behavior
Select a layer and press CtrlT (Windows) or CommandT (macOS) to enter Free Transform.
Click and drag a corner handle without holding any key. The layer no longer scales proportionally, so it stretches out of shape.
Now hold Shift and drag the same handle. The layer scales proportionally, exactly as it did before Photoshop 2019.
Tip: Transform shortcuts go well beyond CtrlT (Windows) or CommandT (macOS). The pro-level Photoshop keyboard shortcuts guide lists the ones worth memorizing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Press CtrlK (Windows) or CommandK (macOS) to open Preferences, then click the General tab. The checkbox is in that tab. Check it and click OK.
Photoshop 2019 (version 20.0) made proportional scaling the default for pixel layers, type layers and placed Smart Objects in Free Transform. Holding Shift now unlocks free scaling instead of locking the proportions. The legacy checkbox in Preferences restores the older behavior.
Version 20.0.5, the June 2019 update of Photoshop 2019, added it. Versions 20.0 through 20.0.4 do not have the checkbox. Those versions need the PSUserConfig.txt workaround instead.
Yes. It is still in the General tab of Preferences. Current Photoshop scales proportionally by default, and the checkbox switches that default off.
Usually not. The change takes effect as soon as you click OK. If Free Transform still scales proportionally without Shift, restart Photoshop and try again.
Open Preferences, go to the General tab and uncheck the legacy checkbox. Dragging a corner handle in Free Transform then scales proportionally again without Shift.
It restores the Free Transform behavior from before Photoshop 2019. Dragging a corner handle scales freely, and holding Shift locks the proportions.
Conclusion
One checkbox in Preferences undoes a change that confused a whole lot of people. Dragging a corner handle scales freely again, and Shift locks the proportions.
Open Preferences, check the box, click OK, and the old behavior is back.
Watch the video above to see the setting in action, and comment on the video if you have a question.
Selections and Masking Mastery
Complete course includes 2.5 hours of step-by-step lessons, 6 structured modules, downloadable practice files, and custom Photoshop brushes. Everything you need to master selections and masks in one place.
Keep going
Next, learn how to resize an image without squeezing it in Photoshop.
Thank uuu <3
This saved my life! Thanks!
I can’t see the dot in the middle of my transform tool that lets me move the pivot point. How can I bring it back?
Thanks Jesus! So relieved to see your latest update. Adobe arrogance is breathtaking.
THANKS for the tutorial . wound like to learn more . i always use Photoshop do flyer, Banting , menu food. want to get more tutorial .
thanks
Hero!
Fantastic!! Thank you!
THANKSSSS BROOOO, i use cc 2020 , and it work !!
Alternatively, just deselect the keep aspect ratio “link” icon in the toolbar
I hated the new way so much that I almost lost it. Wanted to go to Corel instead. Now this is such a relief!
OMG, now where is the double arrow in the corners for rotations?