How to Scale Any Architectural Drawing in Photoshop (With or Without a Scale Bar or Dimensions)

Architectural drawings such as plans, sections and elevations are generally to scale. Learn how to scale any architectural drawing in Adobe Photoshop to any scale you want (1 :50, 1:100, 1:200 or other).

The reason for architectural drawings being to scale is so that the information can be understood by those reading it in a way that is relevant to the real-world size of the built thing.

Scaled drawings are useful for architects, builders, contractors, surveyors, engineers, clients and anyone else reading the drawings.

Especially during architecture school, I see a lot of students not properly understanding how to scale their drawings. They might have a scaled model from Sketchup or Revit which they’ll take a screen-grab of. Immediately the scale is whacked out of proportion due to screen sizes being different.

Photoshop is usually the last (postproduction) tool used in an architect’s or student’s workflow.

To understand how to scale your drawings in photoshop on the correct and final page size is extremely important for any student or architect.
Let’s learn how to scale any architectural drawing in photoshop, with or without a scale bar or dimensions.

Prefer listening/reading? Check out the show notes:

0:00 Introduction
0:47 Scale With Scale Bar
2:25 Scale Without Scale Bar But Known Dimensions
2:58 Scale Without Scale Bar And No Known Dimensions

Check out my FREE online course for architecture students:
▼ 70 Hacks for Architecture Students▼

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[zulzeacon]

I learn more in youtube than lecturer "lecturing" us about stuff

[xuegao]

You are 👍. You give the smart and direct way to scale the revit drawing for my assignment. Thank you.

[dontbeabutt]

so simple and clever you're the best thank you!

[petep]

Thanks alot! Was a quick and easy way to do this.

[avichasan]

How did you manage to get up that pink line to scale everything @4:07

[waheedpix]

1:51 How did he move the plans around without the line he just made moving with it? I'm on a mac, so what does he mean by "hitting the alt key"?

[klejdidemiri]

One question if you move them, it doesn’t affect in stretching the lines?

[vickifirpo]

Hi! im trying to use de rectangle tool to now how long de house is but it shows me in pixels instead of mm, how can i change that?

[mansoorahmad]

would the bench still be 6mm in width if in 1:50 scale?

[Isabel-yzrp]

Thanks! But doesn't this method affects the pixel quality of the plan? Is there another way?

[CoreMaster]

Kinda useless when you don't want to change the size of the image but instead you want to change the scale to make for example 25m on the drawing = 2500cm in the photoshop when using ruler etc.

[sarah]

youre such a lifesaver, and that tomorrow is my submission due date, i feel like im fucked now lmfao. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH!

[emmanuelkibala]

I can't believe you are an architect and a drummer... that' s what I am as well

[peoplestvbypiyush]

Hey there, KYLE, i have mailed you an invitation, please check your mail, Waiting for your reply, Thanks

[shawncomrie]

Thanks but too fast for a slow old brain like mine!

[StickOnHair]

Dude, I've got a thousand layers. Theres gotta be a better way.

[markjones]

This is my ultimate frustration with youtube videos. I tried this on my photoshop. I have a 2019 v version, let me guess this one must be a 2020 version In all these videos the version is never included. News flash even in the same year upgrades is always added. Year by year new upgrades make the previous year obsolete. You people somehow just assume that a computer program is written in stone, that it never changes lol. meanwhile, I am desperately searching for info and it illudes me because of this.