Photoshop Hack: Bring Back The SHIFT KEY Proportional Scale and Transform

Jesús RamirezJesús RamirezTechnical & Workflow
ByJesús Ramirez

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Your choices stick across every tutorial on this device.

The Shift key proportional scale hack brings back the old Free Transform behavior in Photoshop 2019, so holding Shift locks the proportions again.

In Photoshop 2019, Free Transform scales a layer proportionally on its own. Hold Shift and you get a free scale, which is the reverse of every version before it.

That change tripped up longtime users who had been holding Shift for years. It also confused beginners, because a vector shape in version 20.0 still needed Shift to keep its proportions.

The fix is a small plain text file called PSUserConfig.txt. Drop it into your Photoshop settings folder, and Free Transform behaves like the older versions again.

The video was recorded in Photoshop 2019 (version 20.0), the October 2018 release. The text-file hack covers versions 20.0 through 20.0.4. Photoshop 20.0.5 and every version since, including the current one, offer a checkbox that does the same thing.

By the end, you will know how to create the file, where to save it on Windows and macOS, and how to test it.

Key Takeaways

  • Free Transform in Photoshop 2019 flipped the Shift key. Dragging a corner handle scales proportionally, and Shift makes the scale free.
  • A one-line file named PSUserConfig.txt containing TransformProportionalScale 0 restores the old behavior.
  • The file only works when it sits in the Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 Settings folder and Photoshop is opened again afterward.
  • On Windows the settings folder lives under AppData\Roaming. On macOS it lives under ~/Library/Preferences.
  • In version 20.0, shape layers and paths still needed Shift to scale in proportion. They gained the proportional default in Photoshop 2020.
  • Since Photoshop 20.0.5, the Use Legacy Free Transform checkbox in Preferences > General does the same job without a file.

Table of contents

What You Will Learn

  • How the Shift key behaves in Photoshop 2019 compared with older versions
  • How to write the TransformProportionalScale command in a plain text file
  • Where the Photoshop settings folder is on Windows and on macOS
  • How to unlock the Background layer and test Free Transform after the hack
  • How to get the same result with one checkbox in Photoshop 20.0.5 or newer

Requirements

Before you start

  • Photoshop 2019 (version 20.0 to 20.0.4) for the PSUserConfig.txt hack shown in the video
  • Photoshop 20.0.5 or the current version: use the Use Legacy Free Transform checkbox instead, covered at the end of this post
  • Notepad on Windows, or any plain text editor on macOS

Proportional Scale Keyboard Shortcuts

ActionWindowsmacOS
Free TransformCtrl TCommand T
Close PhotoshopCtrl QCommand Q
Scale proportionally in CC 2019, before the hackDrag a corner handleDrag a corner handle
Scale freely in CC 2019, before the hackShift drag a corner handleShift drag a corner handle
Scale proportionally after the hackShift drag a corner handleShift drag a corner handle
Open PreferencesCtrl KCommand K

Why the Shift Key Proportional Scale Changed in Photoshop 2019

Photoshop 2019 (version 20.0) shipped in October 2018 with a big change to Free Transform. Press CtrlT (Windows) or CommandT (macOS), drag a corner handle, and the layer scales proportionally on its own.

Hold Shift while you drag, and you get a free scale instead. That is the exact opposite of how every earlier version of Photoshop worked.

This confused a lot of Photoshop users, especially the ones who had been holding Shift for years. It also confused beginners, and for a good reason.

In version 20.0, a vector object did not follow the new rule. Press CtrlT (Windows) or CommandT (macOS) on a shape and it still scaled freely, so you still had to hold Shift to keep its proportions.

Pixel layers worked one way and shapes worked the other. The hack below sets every layer back to the old behavior, where Shift locks the proportions.

Note: Shape layers and paths caught up in Photoshop 2020. In current versions they scale proportionally by default too, just like pixel layers.

Proportional scaling was one of 19 new features in that release. You can see all of them in the Photoshop 2019 tutorials guide, and Adobe documents the change on its Transforming objects help page.

How to Bring Back the Shift Key Proportional Scale

The whole hack is one line of text in a file named PSUserConfig.txt. Photoshop reads that file from its settings folder when it starts.

Here is the line you will type. Copy it exactly as written, with a space before the zero:

TransformProportionalScale 0

Warning: This text-file hack is for Photoshop 2019 versions 20.0 through 20.0.4. If you are on 20.0.5 or newer, skip to the checkbox method at the end of this post.

Step 1: Close Photoshop and Create the Text File

Close Photoshop with CtrlQ (Windows) or CommandQ (macOS). You do not need to save the document you were working on.

Open Notepad on Windows. On macOS, open any text editor and create a plain text file.

Type TransformProportionalScale 0 into the file. That is the only text the file needs.

Then go to File > Save.

Step 2: Save PSUserConfig.txt to Turn Off Proportional Scale

Name the file PSUserConfig.txt. The name has to match exactly, because Photoshop only looks for that one file.

Save it inside the Photoshop settings folder. On Windows, the folder is here:

[Installation Drive]:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC 2019\Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 Settings\

Your installation drive is usually Local Disk (C:). [User Name] is the name of your account on the computer.

On macOS, the path is different. Save the file to your desktop first, then follow these steps:

  1. Control-click PSUserConfig.txt on the desktop and choose Copy.
  2. In Finder, go to Go > Go to Folder and enter ~/Library/Preferences/Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 Settings/.
  3. Paste the file into that folder.

Warning: Save the file while Photoshop is closed. The change only takes effect the next time Photoshop opens.

Step 3: Reopen Photoshop and Test the Shift Key

Close Notepad and open Photoshop again. Open the same document you had before.

If the layer you want to scale is the Background layer, click the padlock icon next to it in the Layers panel. That unlocks the layer so you can transform it.

Press CtrlT (Windows) or CommandT (macOS) and drag a corner handle. The layer now scales freely, just like it did in older versions.

Hold Shift while you drag, and the layer scales proportionally, the way you are used to. The Shift key proportional scale is back.

That is the whole hack. Every layer now follows the old rule, so you can stop second-guessing what Shift will do.

If you want more transform shortcuts, the 65+ pro-level Photoshop keyboard shortcuts post covers them.

Note: This hack came from the Photoshop Training Channel Facebook group. Admin Ed uploaded a Revert to Legacy PDF to the group’s Files section, based on a tip shared by Sam Gubler.

A Faster Fix for Photoshop 20.0.5 and Newer

Adobe heard the feedback. Photoshop 20.0.5, released in June 2019, added a checkbox that does the same job without a text file.

Go to Edit > Preferences > General on Windows, or Photoshop > Preferences > General on macOS. You can also press CtrlK (Windows) or CommandK (macOS).

Turn on Use Legacy Free Transform and click OK. Shift locks the proportions again, and you never have to touch the settings folder.

In current versions of Photoshop, the checkbox still sits under Preferences > General. The checkbox to bring back the Shift key for proportional transform post walks through it step by step.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Photoshop scale proportionally without holding Shift?

Photoshop 2019 (version 20.0) changed the default for Free Transform. Dragging a corner handle now scales pixel, type and Smart Object layers proportionally on its own. Holding Shift does the opposite and scales the layer freely.

How do I make the Shift key scale proportionally again in Photoshop 2019?

Close Photoshop and create a plain text file containing the line TransformProportionalScale 0. Save it as PSUserConfig.txt in the Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 Settings folder. When you open Photoshop again, Shift locks the proportions the way it did in older versions.

Where is the Photoshop settings folder for PSUserConfig.txt?

On Windows, it is [Installation Drive]:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC 2019\Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 Settings\. On macOS, it is ~/Library/Preferences/Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 Settings/. Use Go > Go to Folder in Finder to reach the macOS folder quickly.

What do I type inside PSUserConfig.txt?

The file needs one line: TransformProportionalScale 0. Type it in Notepad on Windows or any plain text editor on macOS. Nothing else goes in the file.

Do I still need Shift to scale a shape layer in proportion?

In Photoshop 2019 version 20.0, yes. Shape layers and paths kept the old free-scale default, so you had to hold Shift to keep their proportions. Photoshop 2020 gave shapes the proportional default too, so in current versions they behave like pixel layers.

Is there an easier way to bring back the old Free Transform in newer versions?

Yes. Photoshop 20.0.5, released in June 2019, added a Use Legacy Free Transform checkbox under Preferences > General. Turn it on and Shift locks the proportions again, with no text file needed.

How do I undo the PSUserConfig.txt hack?

Close Photoshop, then remove PSUserConfig.txt from the Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 Settings folder. Open Photoshop again and Free Transform goes back to the CC 2019 default. In Photoshop 20.0.5 or newer, you can turn off Use Legacy Free Transform instead.

Why can’t I transform the Background layer in Photoshop?

The Background layer is locked by default. Click the padlock icon next to it in the Layers panel to unlock it. After that, press CtrlT (Windows) or CommandT (macOS) and Free Transform works on it like any other layer.

Conclusion: The Shift Key Is Back

The Shift key change in Photoshop 2019 caught a lot of people off guard. One text file named PSUserConfig.txt puts things back the way they were.

You now know what to type, where to save it on Windows and macOS, and how to test it with Free Transform. If you are on Photoshop 20.0.5 or the current version, the Use Legacy Free Transform checkbox gets you there even faster.

Watch the video above to see the hack in action. Then comment on the video and say whether you prefer the new method of transforming layers or the old one, and why.

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Jesús Ramirez

About the author

Jesús Ramirez

Jesús Ramirez is a graphic designer and the founder of the Photoshop Training Channel, which he started in 2012 and has grown past two million YouTube subscribers. He has taught at Adobe MAX, Adobe Summit, and Photoshop World, teaches courses for CreativeLive and Pluralsight, and was one of five artists chosen for Adobe Stock's Make a Masterpiece campaign. His Photoshop templates shipped inside Photoshop CC 2018.

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120 Comments

    1. All you need to do is hold “option (alt) and the Command key. Automatically constrains the proportions of the image you are scaling up or down.

  2. This is strange, but I have a Mac and the text editor TEXTEDIT will not save a file as a .txt file ? ¿ ?

    I don’t know how to create the necessary file for this hack.

  3. This is very helpful Jesús. Could I just ask a couple of things before I undertake this hack please:
    1) Does this work on the (extremely annoying) scaling that now takes place when using the Crop Tool?
    2) Is it reversible?
    Thanks!

  9. Thank you! I was going crazy! I do not understand why insert this new function. With the vectors, however, you must press the shift key.

  10. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!
    Adobe is driving me nuts… Been holding the shift key to resize since 1997.

  11. I use Adobe CC and do not download the applications (not sure if this makes a difference). When I go to Users/Username/ ?? there is no “library”. This worked on my laptop a while back, but now I have a new iMac and am having trouble. Where is the library?

    BTW, many people may not know this, but you have to format your Text Edit file to plain text. It will only save as .rtf otherwise. Here’s how:

    1. Pull down the “Format” menu and choose “Make Plain Text”, or just hit Command+Shift+T.
    2. Click “OK” and then re-save the file into a txt document.

    Now, where is that dang library? I need this hack! 🙂

    Thanks!

  12. What about the fix for the Corner Pin, when Ctrl is pressed also changed can you provide a fix please?

  15. I am looking forward to trying this! Your hack doesn’t even refer to the frustration of smart objects requiring scaling with the shift key to constrain vs NO shift key to proportionately scale non smart objects. It would be nice for Adobe to make UX consistent across their suite of tools. I am not impressed.

    1. Omg thank you!!! I couldn’t figure out how to do this video on my Mac so this is soooooo much easier. You’ve saved me from so much aggravation. <3

    2. YES sir!! Holding down Caps Lock while scaling works like a gem!! The steps on this article and the file saved into the Photoshop settings did not work for me. So thank you!!

  18. Will definitely try this. This is a stupid move. They assume we ONLY use their software. If you work with other applications the “normal way” of doing things still apply… going back and forth gets very confusing now and really just frustrates people.

    Would be great if Adobe would just fix knowns problems with their software instead of dreaming up a load of new useless features for every release…

  25. Thanks so much! Worked like a charm on my Mac. 2019 Photoshop proportional scale by default would be great if it was consistent with smart and vector objects!

  29. Hi, I’m using Mac and the location path seems to be not right. I can not find Photoshop Settings folder in any way. Tried to go directly from Applications to Adobe Photoshop which doesn’t contain such a folder either. Could that be so?

  31. Thank you so much, I looked in the bloody settings for like 30 minutes only to discover that Adobe forced the change on us without the option to change it how we like. Fine if they think this makes more sense, but give us the option to change it back at least!

  32. Thank you so much for this… I’ve been doing it this way for over 16 years and NOW they want to change it to add NOTHING of value? Hmm… interesting turn…

    Thanks a million!

  33. Hi – I can’t seem to find any general Photoshop settings on my system, possibly because I subscribe rather than own it? Do you know where I could save the file instead? Not very teccy so I may being dense! Thanks very much.

  34. Ah, I didn’t realise it’s now scaling proportionally by default. That’s fine for me! Thanks, ignore my last question 🙂

  36. Thank you some much! Works for me.
    I could be possible to get used to this new SHIFT fransformation if only Illustrator 2019 did the same thing. As long as it was different from PH, it drove me crazy.

  37. this solution is not working for me, in my case, i already have this file in the folder with the folowing text:
    # AllowRTS
    uRTS 1
    I tried to replace and didn`t work, then I try adding the instruction to the same file, and anything was the same could not change to the previous shift function in scalling

  38. I think Adobe did this for parity with touch screens and the upcoming iOS version. Which in a way makes sense when using your fingers vs. a mouse.

  39. This is great! Except you’ve really only turned off the default, not gone back to legacy. After executing the instructions, while transforming and holding down shift my object still transforms non-proportionally. Is there a fix for that?

  40. Thank you very much for this.
    Maybe this “new feature” could be smart, but it’s very badly implemented for some reasons:
    – Why would I scale vectors out of proportion while bitmaps scale proportionally?
    – If you paste some objects that look that bitmaps but are actually smart objects, they will scale unproportionally
    – If you work with several CC apps, it becomes a nightmare. I have to remember if I am using AE, Ai or Ps before I scale objects, which takes me out of the former feeling of Adobe being “second nature” to me.

    Problem solved.

  43. Thank you so much. This is fantastic. Just want to keep my muscle memory from the last 25 years, THANKS ADOBE! LMAO! New CTO’s trying to change things up to help newbies… photoshop is about control, not user friendliness. 🙂

  48. Thank you very much! I question the logic of a lot of short cut changes since CS2 but this one is beyond stupid!

  49. Thank yo, this its very helpful!!! It was impossible to work with illustrator and photoshop without going crazy.

  50. I just updated to CC 2019, and that really threw me for a loop, at first I thought I was going crazy and thinking “Is shift+drag the wrong thing? I’m sure that’s how to do it” because I hadn’t been using photoshop much recently, but I was thinking surely my skills can’t be THAT rusty. Then I realized I’m using a new version and maybe they changed it… but why would they change that? Anyway, I’m glad it’s an easy fix, thanks for sharing 🙂

  51. I can’t find the adobe preference on a mac where you indicated above… Any update?

  54. This isn’t showing up for me: //Users/[User Name]/Library/Preferences/Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 Settings/
    And yes, I did remember to put my user name in there.

  55. Jesús:

    Thanks for this tip. I was banging my cranium wondering why they had to go and mess with such an important function in PS!

    Again, thanks for saving the day.

  57. Oh my! — I’d been working on this non-sensical problem for an hour — thanks for this life saver!

  59. I can’t find SETTINGS folder. There’s only AMT, CONFIGURATION, LOCALES, MONA, PLUGINS, PRESETS, REQUIRED, RESOURCES.

    I’ve placed the .txt inside each folder, but…it won’t work.

  60. THANK YOU SO MUCH for this fix. The change was driving me crazy — why does Adobe keep changing things that ain’t broken?!

  62. I can’t find this path:
    //Users/[User Name]/Library/Preferences/Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 Settings/

  64. Thanks. But how about bringing back the ctrl + alt function (free transform)?

  66. Thank you so much! Now I can scale in proportion. I searched ‘photoshop scale is stupid’…, your answer is deservedly up the top of results

  69. The default is grabbing the handle will scale proportionally. Use only the mouse and you can rescale proportionally. Hold shift down to scale unproportionally… WHY ADOBE? WHY?

  70. Thanks! I was still opting to use the 2018 version most days, only because of THIS issue. I mean, we have to get some work done, Adobe!

  71. Thank you for this information, very helpful and I’ll give it a try. I’m experiencing a lot of issues lately, most recently not being to select multiple layers when holding the shift key, or being able to click on the image while holding the command key for a selection. I’m about to contact support!
    Thanks again for this helpful hack and I’ll definitely tune in to the PTC channel.

    Best to you,
    Jackie M

  72. Thank you soooooooo much!! I was finally getting used to it until I needed to use Illustrator and of course it doesn’t work the same way! So I kept messing up. I have no idea why Adobe decided to go this route, but it’s super annoying. Thank you for saving the day!!

  73. I found the preferences folder but there’s no Adobe Photoshop CC folder in there for me to place the text file in. I’m on Mac. I did it on my Windows work computer just fine but Mac is being difficult. Please help!

  74. Has this fix been “removed” in the latest version? 20.0.5?

    I updated and suddenly it went back to the new transform tool and i can’t seem to get it working again.

    Thanks!

  75. I already have a PSUserConfig file for a different issue I had to use.
    Can’t create two…
    Is there a solution?!
    Thank you!

  76. Seems that this hack does not work anymore after the latest release. Damn… any new idea to stop this annoying behavior?

  77. Today’s update disabled this hack. Arrogant bastards. Can someone find a new workaround to restore legacy Shift-Key proportional scaling, please?

  78. Hi,
    Does this method still work? I just updated Photoshop and cant seem to get this to work anymore. Is there another work around?

  80. Here’s the bad news – I installed the latest update (20.0.5 on Mac) and this fix no longer seems to work! If anyone has any thoughts I’d be grateful to hear!

  83. This used to work for me but now updating to PhotoShop version 20.0.5, the hack doesn’t work!

    1. Molly, there has been an update, look at the red box on top of this page for the update.

  84. Hello, thank’s for the hack.
    It seems it doesn’t work anymore with the last software update (June 19th).

    1. Serge, look at the red box on top of this video. You will see the update there.

  85. So I tried this earlier this year and it worked perfectly. Now, it no longer works. Was there another update that cancels this out?? I’ve already gone through and redone this twice to make sure it was correct.

    1. Yes, Scott! Look at the red box at the top of this page for the updated video.

  86. Very Simple :
    – Open Photoshop
    – Go to
    Edit > Preferences > General > Check ” Use Legacy Free Transform”

  87. Thank you so much for this. Though I have a question, please forgive me and I hope it does make sense.

    I used your advice and it works perfectly fine with my office MacBook – its a MacBook pro retina with Mojave os – but when I tried it on my MacBook Pro (mid-2012) Mojave os – it doesn’t work 🙁

    I’m a little bit at lost, cause when I work freelance, I used my personal mac and not the office mac.

    hope you can advise me on what to do.

    thank you so so much again 🙂

  88. I’m on a mac….and I can’t save as a .txt as you said to do.
    “You cannot save this document with extension “.txt” at the end of the name. The required extension is “.rtf”.”

  91. This worked great until today. Apparently they’ve changed something in PS CC 2019 20.0.6 and now this hack no longer works for legacy scaling. 🙁

  92. Never mind – it looks like they’ve added the option to the preferences in General for legacy free transform.

  95. I tried it and my iMac, but couldn’t find the PS Settings folder in Finder.
    Can you please advise?

  99. I tried this, but I don’t have a folder called ~/Library/Preferences/Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 Settings/! I have 2020, but not 2019. Also have 2015? But it didn’t take. This is MADDENING. Why, Adobe, WHY?

  101. Just wanna say “THANK YOU!. Fool Adobe, remove a thing that most people usually use!

  102. I couldn’t get this to work, but figured out that when you save the text file, it needs to be saved with ANSI encoding. A Unicode text file won’t work!

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