Resizing layers

To resize a layer, select it, then click and drag on any of its selection handles. Handles on the sides of the layer will adjust the height or width, while handles on the corners will adjust the height and width together.

Holding ⇧ will resize the layer proportionately, keeping its height and width at the same ratio.

Holding ⌥ will resize the layer from its center, rather than the edge you’re dragging from.

Resizing layers in the Inspector

You can also resize a layer by selecting it and typing new dimensions in the Inspector. As you type, you’ll be able to preview how it will look. Once you are happy, click ⏎ to apply your changes.

By default, this will resize layers from their top-left corners, but you can change this using the following keyboard operators:

You can use the operators w,h,x, andy as stand-ins for the width, height, X, and Y of the selected element. For example, if you set a rectangle’s height tow it will turn it into a square.

The Inspector also lets you use math to resize or move layers with the following:

You can also use percentages to change the height or width of layers relative to its group or Artboard. For example, setting a layer’s height to 10% in a 960 pixel-wide Artboard will change its width to 96px.

Finally, if you’re editing the corner radius of a rounded rectangle, you can use ; to specify a different value for each corner (e.g. 30;40;20;30).

You can click the lock icon that’s between the width and the height values or use the shortcut ⌥⌘L to make sure the layer resizes proportionately.

Resizing layers with keyboard shortcuts

For precise adjustments, you can select layers and resize them using the following keyboard shortcuts:

You can set your own values for these shortcuts in the Canvas tab in the Preferences window.