How to Fix Free Transform in Photoshop CC: Legacy mode

Classic Free Transform is back as of Photoshop CC 2019! Learn how to restore the original Free Transform behavior with the new Use Legacy Free Transform option!

In Photoshop CC 2019, Adobe made a sudden and surprising change to the Free Transform command. For years, the default behavior of Free Transform was to scale images non-proportionally. Clicking and dragging a handle let you freely adjust the size of the image without worrying about the aspect ratio. To scale the image proportionally, you had to press and hold your Shift key while dragging a corner handle.

But in CC 2019, Adobe turned Free Transform upside down, and now the default behavior is to scale images proportionally. Dragging a corner handle or a side handle now scales the image with the aspect ratio locked in place. And holding Shift as you drag scales the image non-proportionally.

If you're a long-time Photoshop user and you've been frustrated with this change, you're not alone. But just when you thought you were finally getting used to it, Adobe has updated Photoshop with a brand new Use Legacy Free Transform option that lets you easily restore Free Transform to its original behavior. Here's how to use it!

► Video chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:29 How Free Transform used to work
0:59 How Free Transform now works
1:19 How to update Photoshop
2:04 The Use Legacy Free Transform option
2:32 How to use Legacy Free Transform

► Help support new videos and download my tutorials as PDFs!

[PhotoshopEssentialsChannel]

Hi everyone, Steve here. If you've been frustrated with Adobe's changes to Free Transform in Photoshop CC 2019, you're not alone. But there's good news! Photoshop has been updated with a new "Use Legacy Free Transform" option that lets you easily restore Free Transform's classic behavior! In this quick video, I show you how to make sure your copy of Photoshop CC is updated to the latest version, and where to find this great new option! Please leave any comments or questions below, and as always, thank you so much for watching!

[Sidkain]

I came to this video to find out how I could make my Photoshop CC 2016 version default to fixed aspect ratio. Then I come to realize, y'all had been trying to reverse the default for years.

I'm so happy to see Adobe gave you the option to go back to what you were used to. I find it hilarious that this tutorial is the opposite of what I needed, but still explained exactly what I needed to know.

[hamishchilton]

Thank you! The change they made was so frustrating! Especially since Illustrator uses the legacy transform behavior as default.

[michaelbarras]

You saved me!!!! You are a lifesaver!!!! Very informative!!!! Very Well

[matusdanton]

Still works until now on Adobe Photoshop CC 2022. Thank you so much!

[tokyopulis]

that legacy settings saves me. Thanks man!

[jiveaces]

Meh, this option is most categorically off in my preferences yet it is stuck on legacy mode anyway which is really annoying.

[teshahyuuga]

Man. You are really helpful!! I just start thinking to back to my old photoshop version! BIG THUMBS UP!!!

[bbycarrts]

how can i use the side handles as well? i miss using those

[speedy_von_gofast]

Thank you, this new default transform were driving me nuts.

[UltraRiderGorizard]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I use Photoshop 2020 and it worked!!!

[cris]

Thank you for this tutorial. I found this video to late after i already figured out from internet how to get free transformation legagy just by holding SHIFT key.
Now comes the interesting part (after a while of using transformation tool a lot) : As a photoshop user now i realize that this blocked transformation should stay by default as it is, and when i need a free transformation without scaling, just hold SHIFT key .


At the beginning on launching my new Photoshop CC 2019 i was so frustrated and angry for what Adobe did to the product but now i agree that leaving this setting as it is by default is better and recommended.
I'd say around 70% of our photoshop projects needs locked scaling transformation and only 30% of our projects requires the legacy transformation.
So now i see it as an improvement to the Photoshop this locked transformation by default, and not as a messed up Photoshop tool.
As you said people can hold SHIFT key to lock the scaling resize process (inverse process), so its a matter of how people are getting used with this tool while working with photoshop.
However id say its more productive to leave the setting by default and use rescaling by holding SHIFT key, because we need in about 70-80% of our projects to have the scaling locked.
So yes, i'd say also, its more productive if you leave this setting by default as it is, but thats just my opnion. It depends also on what kind of projects are you working in Photoshop and some people might never use this tool and use Photoshop only for improving the colors of their camera/mobile photos (HDR projects).
The transformation tool is heavily used only in content creation such as covers, banners, logos, posters, etc where you need a lot of manually resizing stuff to do.

Liked video and subscribed to you channel for support. Please create more tutorials.

[baljeetkaur-stxq]

Thank u so much sir. I was wasting my time in seeing other videos thank u so mch

[danphyillaier]

Is there a way to back to the legacy way of rotating? In the free transform tool before, you could go anywhere outside the bounding box to rotate. Now if you go too far outside of the box it exits the transform tool. So now I have to be extra careful where I put my cursor to rotate. It slows me down, and causes me to have to re-transform way too often.

[khellstr]

This doesn't work with the Side handles ( hose that are in the middle of edges of the transform rectangle). It is quite frustrating and annoying negligence from the Adobe. And not the only one. I just hate that company, how they break the basic functionalities of their apps.

[RainWalking]

I found out the crop I needed. Perspective crop was what I was looking for.

[emilioincerto]

I teach many design classes and work with many professionals. I don't mean to bad mouth this software BUT I do not sing it's praises like I used to when you remove options like this every single release as you wait for community feedback.

[mediaBrewCommunications]

Thanks from Michigan's Upper Peninsula!

[dogusPiyadeci]

Thanks a lot. This was giving me a frenzy

[fightingcorsair]

Thank you! I was holding off updating Photoshop for years because of this change. I can now update.