Back to Dye Printing Tricks & Tips
Is there a scanner that can take a photo and scan it straight, every time? Does closing the lid causing a breeze to skew 9 out of 10 photos? Well, here's a quick way to straighten a scan.
After you realize your scan is crooked, grab the ruler tool (I know, you can't remember the last time you used it--it's above the paint bucket). Click on the left top corner of the photo and drag to the right top corner. Zoom in if you have to to get as close as possible (you'll see a guideline between the start and end points--use those to confirm a dead-on "trace").
Go to Image>Rotate>Arbitrary
Click "Okay." (PhotoShop will do the math. It figures out what degree your drawn ruler line just created.)
Check it out--if you drag the ruler tool correctly, PhotoShop will straighten up your image! No more: Transform, rotate, rotate, unrotate, Okay. Oops. Free Transform, numeric, try -2 degrees....try -1 degree....
It's also helpful if your photo is straight, but there's a background element that seems tilted, like a cinderblock wall, a column, or flagpole. Use the ruler to align the prominent detail and straighten it up.