Create designs and patterns from images in Photoshop tutorial.

Flip, Rotate and Mirror Designs and Patterns in Photoshop

Learn Photoshop with Photoshop Effects Tutorials at Photoshop Essentials.com

Step 5: Drag The Photo On Layer 1 To The Right Of The Original Image

Now that we've added our extra canvas space, we need to drag the copy of our image on Layer 1 into the new area. Select the Move Tool from the Tools palette, or press the letter V on your keyboard to select it with the shortcut:

The Move Tool in Photoshop. Image © 2010 Photoshop Essentials.com.
Select the Move Tool.

Make sure Layer 1 is selected in the Layers palette (selected layers are highlighted in blue). Hold down your Shift key, then click inside the document and drag the photo on Layer 1 over to the right side of the original image. Holding the Shift key down as you drag will limit the direction you can move, making it easy to drag the photo horizontally. When you're done, you should see two copies of the photo sitting side by side each other:

Dragging the image on Layer 1 into the new canvas area. Image © 2010 Photoshop Essentials.com.
Click and drag the copy of the image to the right of the original.

Step 6: Flip The Image On The Right Horizontally

So far, all we have are two identical twins. Let's create our first mirror effect by flipping the image on the right horizontally so it appears as a reflection of the one on the left. Go up to the Edit menu at the top of the screen, choose Transform, and then choose Flip Horizontal:

The Flip Horizontal command in Photoshop. Image © 2010 Photoshop Essentials.com.
Go to Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal.

The photo on the right instantly becomes a mirror reflection of the photo on the left, creating our first effect:

The right image is now a reflection of the left image. Image © 2010 Photoshop Essentials.com.
The image on the right is now a mirror copy of the one on the left.

Step 7: Merge The Two Layers Together

So far, so good, but as they say, but we've only just begun. Let's merge our two layers into a single layer by going up to the Layer menu at the top of the screen and choosing Merge Down, or press Ctrl+E (Win) / Command+E (Mac) to select the Merge Down command with the keyboard shortcut:

The Merge Down command in Photoshop. Image © 2010 Photoshop Essentials.com.
Go to Layer > Merge Down, or press Ctrl+E (Win) / Command+E (Mac).

Nothing will seem to have happened in the document, but if we look at our Layers palette, we can see that our two layers have been merged into a single layer:

The two layers have been merged in the Layers palette. Image © 2010 Photoshop Essentials.com.
The mirror effect is now contained on a single layer.

Step 8: Duplicate The Layer

Just as we did back in Step 3, let's duplicate the layer. Press Ctrl+J (Win) / Command+J (Mac) to quickly duplicate it using the keyboard shortcut. A copy of the layer appears above the original in the Layers palette:

Duplicating the Background layer in Photoshop. Image © 2010 Photoshop Essentials.com.
Press Ctrl+J (Win) / Command+J (Mac) to quickly duplicate the layer.

Step 9: Double The Height Of The Canvas

We're going to create another reflection of our image, this time vertically. For that, we need to double the height of our canvas and have the new canvas space appear below our existing image. Let's once again bring up the Canvas Size dialog box by going up to the Image menu at the top of the screen and choosing Canvas Size. When the dialog box appears, set the Width to 100 percent (which will leave the width of the canvas at its current size) and the Height to 200 percent. To force the extra space to appear below the image, click on the top middle square in the Anchor grid:

Doubling the height of the canvas in Photoshop. Image © 2010 Photoshop Essentials.com.
Enter 100 percent for the Width, 200 percent for the Height, and click on the top middle square in the Anchor grid.

Click OK to close out of the dialog box. Photoshop adds the additional canvas space below the image. If you can't see the entire canvas area because it has become too large to fit on your screen, go up to the View menu and choose the Fit on Screen command, or press Ctrl+0 (Win) / Command+0 (Mac). Photoshop will zoom the image out to whatever level is needed for it to fit:

The extra canvas space has been added below the image in Photoshop. Image © 2010 Photoshop Essentials.com.
The extra canvas space has been added below the image. Press Ctrl+0 (Win) / Command+0 (Mac) to fit the document on screen if needed.

Step 10: Drag The Image On Layer 1 Below The Original

With the Move Tool selected in the Tools panel and Layer 1 selected in the Layers palette, click inside the document and drag the photo on Layer 1 down below the original image. Hold down your Shift key as you drag to limit the direction you can move, making it easy to drag the photo straight down:

Dragging the image on Layer 1 down below the image on the Background layer in Photoshop. Image © 2010 Photoshop Essentials.com.
With the Move Tool selected, drag the image on Layer 1 down below the original image.

Step 11: Flip The Bottom Image Vertically

To turn the bottom image into a mirror reflection of the top image, go up to the Edit menu, choose Transform, and then choose Flip Vertical:

Selecting the Flip Vertical command in Photoshop. Image © 2010 Photoshop Essentials.com.
Go to Edit > Transform > Flip Vertical

We now have our second mirror reflection, this time vertically:

The second Photoshop mirror reflection effect. Image © 2010 Photoshop Essentials.com.
The bottom image is now a reflection of the top image.

So far, all we've been doing is making copies of the image and flipping them horizontally or vertically. Let's see how much further we can take things by rotating copies of the image and trying out different layer blend modes!

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