How to Straighten an Image in Adobe Camera RAW (ACR)
In this tutorial, I’ll show you step-by-step how to straighten an image in Adobe Camera RAW. It’s a pretty quick adjustment that can make a big difference on your photos.
First, open your image into ACR
If you shoot in RAW format, attempting to open your image should pull it into Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) automatically.
JPEG shooters, you can open an image into ACR by going to Filter > Camera RAW Filter in Photoshop CC.
If you’re working in an earlier version of Photoshop, you can go to File > Open As instead. When the ‘Open As’ box pops up, find the image you wish to open and click it once to select it. Then, find the drop down menu at the bottom of the panel and change the File Type from ‘JPEG’ to ‘Camera Raw’ and hit ‘Open’.
Step 1. Select the Straighten Tool
Step 2. Adjust as Needed
Once you’ve double-clicked the Straighten Tool a bounding box will now appear on your image. You can drag the edges or turn this box as needed to suit your preferences. If you want to accept the new change, simply double click inside of this selection.
Step 3. Double Click to Accept
Once you accept the change by double clicking inside of the bounding box, your image will now straighten and fill the Preview Window. If you are happy with the straightening, you’re all done! You can now make your editing changes in ACR and then open your image in Photoshop to complete your post processing.
If, however, you are not satisfied with the straightening, you can move on to Step 4.
Step 4. Making Tweaks
If you are unhappy with the automatic straightening, you can go back to change it. Simply click the Straighten Tool in the top panel once more. You’ll notice that the bounding box reappears and your image will return to its original “tilt”.
You can either adjust the box manually until you’re happy, or use your mouse to drag the tool along the line you wish to straighten. (Sometimes there are several lines in an image and they may not all appear straight. You can choose which one you want to base the straightening off of. Feel free to choose different lines and experiment with which you like best.)
Once you’ve gotten it the way you want it, simply double-click inside the bounding box again to approve it. You can repeat these steps as needed until you are satisfied with the straightening.
(Photoshop Tip: Depending on which Photoshop version you have, you may also be able to find this straightening tool inside Photoshop under Filter > Lens Correction )
Related Posts:
• Dehazing an Image in Adobe Camera RAW
• How to Reduce Noise or Grain in Adobe Camera RAW
• How to Use the White Balance Tool in Adobe Camera RAW
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