4 Ways to Perfectly Mirror an Image in Photoshop

Photoshop Methods and Tools

We always say that there are many different methods to achieve the same result in Photoshop. Some are straightforward and quick, giving passable results, while some are obnoxiously difficult but give you that pitch-perfect effect. They're all valid if you reach the same goal, it's jsut a matter of finding the method that suits your style.

Today I would like to show you 4 different methods to mirror an image in Photoshop where you will notice that some are more practical than others, but they all end with the exact same result.

Method 1

Step 1

Open you image in Photoshop.

Step 2

Press Ctrl+J to duplicate the Background layer and name this layer as “Mirror”.

Step 3

Go to Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal.

Step 4

Go to Image > Canvas Size and apply the following settings.

Step 5

With the “Mirror” layer selected, select the Move Tool (V) and drag the layer until it snap on the left side of the canvas.

Method 2

Step 1

Open you image in Photoshop.

Step 2

Press Ctrl+J to duplicate the Background layer and name this layer as “Mirror”.

Step 3

Go to Edit > Transform > Scale. In the top toolbar set the Width to -100% and click the Commit Transform icon.

Step 4

Go to Image > Canvas Size and apply the following settings.

Step 5

With the “Mirror” layer selected, select the Move Tool (V) and drag the layer until it snap on the left side of the canvas.

Method 3

Step 1

Open you image in Photoshop.

Step 2

Press Ctrl+J to duplicate the Background layer and name this layer as “Mirror”.

Step 3

Go to Image > Canvas Size and apply the following settings.

Step 4

Press Ctrl+T on your keyboard.

Step 5

Drag the middle right anchor point to the left until it snap on the left side of the canvas and then hit the Enter key on your keyboard to commit the transformation.

Method 4

Step 1

Go to Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.

Step 2

Select “Application Menus”.

Step 3

Expand the “Edit” container and scroll down to the “Flip Horizontal” option.

Step 4

Click on the “Flip Horizontal” option and set any keyboard combination you like. In this case, I will set up mine to “Ctrl+.” Click Accept and then click OK.

Step 5

Open you image in Photoshop.

Step 6

Press Ctrl+J to duplicate the Background layer and name this layer as “Mirror”.

Step 7

Press “Ctrl+.” to flip the layer horizontally.

Step 8

Go to Image > Canvas Size and apply the following settings.

Step 9

With the “Mirror” layer selected, select the Move Tool (V) and drag the layer until it snap on the left side of the canvas.