fbpx

How To Center Text And Layers In Photoshop (With One Click!)


It’s not particularly obvious to learn how to center text in Photoshop. Unlike dedicated word programs or design applications like Canva, Photoshop has a more roundabout way of centering text and layers. Fortunately, the process is very straightforward once you understand the steps.

To center something in Photoshop, first, select the desired layer from the layers panel, then press Command or Control + A to select your entire canvas. With a selection active, select your Move Tool by pressing V and click on the Align Horizontally and Align Vertically button found in the upper settings bar. Lastly, press Command or Control + D to deselect the active selection.

Now let’s talk about things more in-depth. In this post, I’ll share how to center text and image layers in Photoshop, but the same steps apply to any other type of layer (shapes, smart objects, etc) as well!

How To Center Text And Images In Photoshop (Video Tutorial)

How To Center Text And Layers With One Click

The most basic method of centering an object is to position it in the middle of your canvas. To do this, all you need is a keyboard shortcut and a single click of your mouse!

This technique is perfect for getting a proper alignment of your layer to the entire canvas. I’ll get into more how to center text to a specific area later in this post.

Here’s how to center text to your entire canvas:

With the layer you want to center highlighted in your layers panel, grab your move tool or press V on your keyboard.

Next, use the shortcut Command + A (Mac) or Control + A (PC) to select your entire canvas. You will now notice marching ants around your canvas, indicating a selection.

Screen Shot 2020-07-11 at 5.34.38 PM

On your top settings bar, you’ll notice a series of icons with rectangles and lines. Click on the icon for the ‘align horizontal centers’ option to center your layer within the selection.

Screen Shot 2020-07-11 at 5.35.03 PM

If you want to center your text vertically to your canvas, press the ‘align vertical centers’ option.

Screen Shot 2020-07-11 at 5.35.35 PM

You can use both of these buttons together to center your text to your canvas. Admittedly, that does require two clicks, but that’s only if you want to center both horizontally and vertically!

Screen Shot 2020-07-11 at 5.36.30 PM

Either way, this is one of the fastest and most effective ways to center a layer in Photoshop! Press Command + D (Mac) or Control + D (PC) to deselect the selection.

The Alignment Icons In Photoshop Explained

Now before we get too much further, it’s important to understand the meaning behind each alignment icon. If you remember these, it will be a lot easier to figure out how to align your text.

Horizontal Alignment Options:

– Align Left Edges 

Screen Shot 2020-07-11 at 5.36.59 PM

Will align the left edge or your layer to the left edge or your selection.

– Align Horizontal Centers

Screen Shot 2020-07-11 at 5.37.17 PM

Aligns the horizontal center of your layer to the horizontal center of your selection.

– Align Right Edges

Screen Shot 2020-07-11 at 5.37.40 PM

Aligns the right edge of your layer to the right edge of your selection.

Vertical Alignment Options:

– Align Top Edges

Screen Shot 2020-07-11 at 5.37.52 PM

Will align the top edge of your layer to the top edge of your selection.

– Align Vertical Centers

Screen Shot 2020-07-11 at 5.38.06 PM

Will align the vertical center of your layer to the vertical center of your selection.

– Align Bottom Edges

Screen Shot 2020-07-11 at 5.38.20 PM

Aligns the bottom edge of your layer to the bottom edge of your selection.

Using these options, you can position your text in just about any way you would want. It just depends on where your selection is.

How To Center Text To A Selection In Photoshop

There are times where you need to center text to a specific place in Photoshop. In that case, selecting your entire canvas isn’t going to prove very useful. Fortunately, you can create custom selections to center text in Photoshop.

Here’s how to do it:

Select your Rectangular Marquee Tool by pressing M or clicking on the Marquee icon in your toolbar.

Screen Shot 2020-07-11 at 5.41.56 PM

Next, click and drag out a selection based on where you want to center the text. In this example, I’ll draw my selection to fit in the top right corner.

You will now have an active selection represented by marching ants (the black and white line) around your selection.

Screen Shot 2020-07-11 at 5.42.26 PM

Select the layer you want to center by clicking on it in your layers panel.

Grab the Move Tool by pressing V or find it in your toolbar.

Select the alignment icons based on how you want to align your text. In this case, I want to align the horizontal and vertical centers.

Screen Shot 2020-07-11 at 5.45.30 PM

Now my text will automatically align to the inside of my selection! If you want to align your text to an edge, you can do so by selecting a different alignment option. Press Command + D (Mac) or Control + D (PC) to deselect the selection when you’re done.

Screen Shot 2020-07-11 at 5.45.56 PM

How To Center Text To A Shape In Photoshop

Another situation you may find yourself in is needing to center your text to a shape in Photoshop. Especially when the shape is complex and too difficult to select with the Marquee Tool, the options seem unclear. Luckily you can convert any shape into a selection with a simple shortcut method!

Here’s how to do it:

Once you’ve drawn out your shape (U), a new shape layer will appear in your layers panel. For this example, my shape layer is called ‘Ellipse 1’.

To turn this shape into a selection, hold the Command Key (Mac) or Control Key (PC) and click on the layer thumbnail. This will turn the outline of your shape into a selection.

Screen Shot 2020-07-11 at 5.50.59 PM

With this new selection active, click on the text layer you want to center.

Grab your Move Tool by pressing V or access it in the toolbar.

Click on the alignment icons based on how you want to position the text layer. In this case, I will choose to align horizontal and vertical centers to center my text in the circle.

Screen Shot 2020-07-11 at 5.45.30 PM

Since you created a selection of your shape, your text will automatically position itself inside. Once complete, press Command + D (Mac) or Control + D (PC) to deselect your selection.

Screen Shot 2020-07-11 at 5.52.36 PM

This is by far the easiest way to center text to a shape in Photoshop without any complicated manual selections.

How To Align Text Without A Selection

Just like in basic word programs like Pages or Word, you can align text to the left, center, or right in Photoshop. This can be useful to help further refine how your text is aligned to get a perfect position.

Here’s how to do it:

Grab your Text Tool by pressing T or accessing it in your toolbar. Click on the text layer you want to adjust the alignment of.

In the top settings bar, you’ll find three different alignment options.

The ‘left-align text’ option will align the right edge of your text to the center, moving your text left.

Screen Shot 2020-07-11 at 5.58.34 PM

The ‘center text’ option will align the center of your text to the middle of your text box.

Screen Shot 2020-07-11 at 5.58.02 PM

Lastly, the ‘right-align text’ option will align the left edge of the text to the center, moving your text right.

Screen Shot 2020-07-11 at 5.58.52 PM

Choose whichever option best suits your document.

This is a simple way to align your text to itself, without any particular selection. This method won’t center your text to your canvas, but it repositions the text based on the text box. It’s another excellent method to know about when learning how to center text in Photoshop!

Using Snap Guides To Center Text And Shapes

All the methods you’ve learned so far require a series of steps to center text or objects. What if you just want to drag your layer to the perfect position without any additional effort? That’s where snap guides come in.

Snap guides are an option in Photoshop that helps you to align any layer to different parts of your canvas. As you move around a layer, purple snap guides will appear to help you find the right position. It will even automatically shift your layer into the correct position for a nearby alignment!

If you aren’t already using them, snap guides are a handy tool for aligning layers in Photoshop.

How To Turn On Snap Guides

Go up to View > Snap To > All.

turn-on-snap-guides-in-photoshop

For general use and the best functionality, ‘All’ is your best option.

Now when you manually drag around a layer with the Move Tool, purple lines will appear to help you.

In the below example, you can see how the snap guides are used to center my layer both horizontally and vertically. No extra clicking or steps required! Snap guides are the ultimate solution if you prefer to drag your layers into position.

center-layer-with-snap-guides-photoshop

More Photoshop Tutorials For You:

Conclusion

Although not completely obvious at first, learning how to center text in Photoshop is very straight forward. There are a variety of different methods that you can deploy to center your text in a variety of situations. Whether it be to align text to the center of your canvas or a shape, it only takes a few clicks. By using the methods outlined here, you’ll be able to center text in Photoshop with ease!

Want more tutorials like this? Sign up for our weekly newsletter for more photography and photo editing tips!

– Brendan 🙂

Article By

Brendan Williams

Hey, I'm Brendan! I'm a professional photographer and photo retoucher who has spent the majority of his career shooting or retouching outdoor lifestyle and social media campaigns for brands like G-Adventures, xoxo Bella, P&G, Fitbit, Chevy, Tourism California, and more. You can view my photography portfolio here.

These days I primarily focus my efforts on this site, creating guides and tutorials that I wish I had earlier in my career. Each week I publish new tutorials on Photography, Photoshop, Lightroom, and Canva to help you unlock new skills and bring your creativity to new levels! Everything you learn here is backed by real experience, so you can finally skip the fluff and focus only on what matters.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
1 Comment
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

[…] How To Center Text & Layers […]


Continue Reading:

How To Whiten Teeth In Photoshop (2 Easy Ways)

Discover two surprisingly easy ways to whiten teeth in Photoshop with the help of a few beginner-friendly sliders.

How To Use Gradient Maps In Photoshop

Learn the ins and outs of how to use gradient maps in Photoshop to color grade your photos and transform your images for the better.

How To Make A Silhouette In Photoshop (2 Best Ways)

Here are two easy ways to make a silhouette in Photoshop. The first method creates a silhouette graphic, while the second in more realistic.

Adobe Lightroom System Requirements For Mac & PC

Here's a breakdown of the system requirements for Adobe Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC to make sure it will run smoothly on your computer.

How To Add A Watermark In Lightroom Classic & CC

Learn how to add a text or graphic watermark to a photo in Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC to protect your photos from theft.

How To Use Dehaze In Lightroom

Learn how to use dehaze in Lightroom along with five different ways you can use the dehaze tool to improve your images in Lightroom.

35+ Best Fonts For Logos In Canva

Here's a list of the best fonts for logos in Canva to help give you inspiration in your next logo design!

How To Create Curved Text In Canva

Learn how to quickly create curved text in Canva desktop and mobile with just a few clicks to spruce up any design!

35 Best Fonts For Teachers In Canva

Discover the best fonts for teachers in Canva to help with your next worksheet or presentation for your class!

The 9 Best SD Cards For Sony

Discover the best SD cards for Sony to find the most reliable and best valued memory cards for your photo and video needs.

The Best Canon Lens For Low Light (10 Top Picks)

Get a complete view of the best Canon lenses for low light photography and video along with tips to make the right buying decision.

Affinity Photo VS Photoshop – Which Should You Choose?

Let's take a deep look at the similarities and differences between Affinity Photo and Photoshop to see which program you should pick.