change artboard size photoshop

2025

3 min read 30-03-2025

Meta Description: Learn how to easily change artboard size in Photoshop! This comprehensive guide covers resizing single artboards, multiple artboards, and adjusting artboard properties. Master artboard manipulation for efficient workflow. Includes tips and tricks for seamless resizing. (158 characters)

Changing the size of your artboards in Photoshop is a crucial skill for any designer. Whether you need to enlarge your canvas, create variations of your design, or simply adjust your workspace, mastering this technique is essential for maintaining a smooth and efficient workflow. This guide will walk you through various methods of changing artboard size in Photoshop, catering to different needs and scenarios.

Understanding Artboards in Photoshop

Before diving into the resizing process, let's briefly clarify what artboards are. In Photoshop, artboards function as individual canvases within a single document. They allow you to design multiple variations of a project (like different screen sizes for a website or app) within one file, keeping everything organized. This is particularly useful for creating assets for various platforms and devices.

Methods to Change Artboard Size in Photoshop

There are several ways to change the size of your artboards, depending on whether you want to resize one or multiple artboards, and whether you want to adjust specific dimensions or proportions.

Method 1: Resizing a Single Artboard

This is the most common method. It's ideal when you need to adjust just one artboard without affecting the others.

Select the Artboard: In your Photoshop document, click on the artboard you wish to resize. The artboard will be highlighted with bounding boxes.
Access the Properties Panel: If the Properties panel isn't visible, go to Window > Properties.
Adjust Width and Height: In the Properties panel, locate the "Width" and "Height" fields. You can directly type in your desired dimensions (in pixels, inches, centimeters, etc.) or use the up/down arrows for fine adjustments.
Choose Units: Ensure you select the correct units from the dropdown menu next to the Width and Height fields (px, in, cm, mm, pt).
Resize: As you type or adjust the values, the artboard will resize in real-time.

Method 2: Resizing Multiple Artboards

If you need to make changes to several artboards at once, you can either resize them individually (using Method 1 repeatedly) or use a slightly more advanced approach. Note that there isn't a single button to resize all artboards simultaneously to the exact same size.

Select Multiple Artboards: Click and drag your cursor to select multiple artboards. Or, hold down the Shift key while clicking on individual artboards.
Resize Individually: Use Method 1 to resize each artboard. While this might seem repetitive, it offers the most control.

Method 3: Using the Free Transform Tool for Precise Control

For situations demanding more fine-tuned control or non-uniform scaling, the Free Transform tool comes in handy.

Select the Artboard: Select the artboard you want to resize.
Access the Free Transform Tool: Press Ctrl+T (Windows) or Cmd+T (macOS). Bounding boxes will appear around the artboard.
Resize: Click and drag the corner handles to resize the artboard. Holding down the Shift key will maintain the aspect ratio.
Press Enter: Hit Enter or Return to apply the transformation.

Method 4: Artboard Properties for Advanced Settings

The Artboard Properties panel offers additional control beyond simple resizing. You can adjust the bleed area, resolution, and more. This is helpful for print design. This panel can be found via Window > Properties when an artboard is selected.

Troubleshooting and Tips

Snapping: Use snapping options to precisely align your artboard to guides or other elements. You can enable/disable snapping in the View menu.
Resolution: Remember that changing the artboard size doesn't automatically change the resolution of the image within the artboard. You might need to resample your image separately to avoid pixelation.
Content Scaling: If you significantly increase the artboard size, the content might appear stretched. Consider resampling your image using the Image Size option (Image > Image Size) to maintain quality.

Conclusion

Mastering artboard resizing in Photoshop is crucial for streamlined workflow and efficient design. Whether you're adjusting a single artboard or dealing with multiple variations, the methods outlined above provide flexible solutions for all your artboard size adjustments. By combining these techniques and understanding the nuances of each approach, you'll be well-equipped to handle any artboard resizing challenge in your Photoshop projects. Remember to save your work frequently!