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Leading lines definition


Defining Leading Lines in Photography (with 12 Examples!)

The term “Leading lines” is a compositional technique in which lines are used in a photograph to direct the viewers’ attention to the main subject of the image. The line(s) can be created by any elements in the scene such as roads, buildings, arrows, signs, or light and shadows.  These lines create  a natural  path for the viewer to follow and provide interest to the overall image.  In the following article, we’ll help you understand how leading lines work by providing you with examples from our community of award winning photographers.

Image by Pye Jirsa.

You can use this compositional tool in a variety of locations all by just shifting your perspective, changing your lens, or switching your angle at which you view your subjects.

The beautiful thing about the rules of composition is that they are more so just guidelines to offer photographers a starting point on how to create more interesting imagery. In addition to the examples showcased below, we recently put together an article on Adorama’s 42 West blog with six tips and examples for how to use leading lines into your own photography.

Leading Lines Photography Examples

We asked our community to show us their favorite images using leading lines as their main compositional tool and got such a strong variety of photos. We hope that these leading lines photography examples inspire you to create some interesting compositions of your own.

Kevin Holding – Website | Instagram

“This engagement session was for another wedding photographer and his fiancé. They wanted something different and creative for a location, so their pick was a shipping container yard in Long Beach, California. I was a kid in the candy store! There were colors, compelling geometry, and lines everywhere. As we walked around the yard, I turned my head abruptly and saw this 4-foot space between two skyscraper-like piles of shipping containers. As the couple got into place, my mind was stirring with composition ideas. I was initially drawn to all the repeating and leading lines gradually pointing down towards the couple and the opening. It had the potential of being very dynamic! I got down low, almost in a puddle to get this composition. I framed the couple in that square behind them, I moved them into the shadows for a silhouette, which also gave them a perfect reflection from the water that gathered. Lastly, I noticed a banner that was hanging on one of the containers which said “GIVE” and I knew I wanted that in the shot so I adjusted my aperture to f/4 to retain as much detail as possible. I also thought it would be lasting advice for the couple moving forward.”

Brandon Russell – Website | Instagram

“I made this one at the top of Mammoth Mountain this summer, at 11,000 feet. There was a bit of ambient light from the moon and the metro areas on the opposite side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains about 50 miles away. That much ambient light isn’t ideal but I like how it lit up the snow fence above them and gave me the latitude to shoot at a smaller aperture to create more depth of field.”

Marlies Hartmann – Website | Instagram

“This was an afterthought image once we concluded the formal images in the church. After burning incense during the entire ceremony, I didn’t realize how much atmosphere was still leftover, so as soon as we back-lit the bride it highlighted the ethereal nature of the light and really made her look angelic. I had my assistant holding a speedlight with a MagSphere and 1/4  MagMod CTO gel on a monopod about 3 feet in front of the bride.”

Angie Nelson – Website | Instagram

“I took this photo on a particularly gloomy day in San Francisco. I don’t get to play with architectural leading lines often, so I knew I wanted to give it a go with the iconic San Francisco Bay Bridge! This was shot with my Nikon D850, 35mm. f/5, 1/250s. I used one flash, camera right with a MagSphere and MagGrid to control the spill. I also had a 1/4  MagMod CTO gel to keep their skin temperature warm! My flash power was at 1/32 power.”

Kesha Lambert – Website | Instagram

“Roseborn, the model, was wearing this detailed bridal jumpsuit and I created a 7ft ponytail for her because it seemed fitting and it would serve the dual purpose of being the perfect prop. I wanted to incorporate movement and use the ponytail to draw the eye to the model because she was so effortlessly fly. To make this photo I first positioned Roseborn for light and composition, stood in front of her while holding the end of her ponytail and gently whipped the ponytail towards her with one hand while shooting through with the other. We got some fun shots out of it.”

Jesse La Plante – Website | Instagram

“We rarely get to shoot city weddings, which is a bummer because Denver has an eclectic array of interesting architecture. This is the Denver Art Museum, which I’ve always loved for its unique geometry. We lit this one from camera-right with two AD200s, each outfitted with a MagSphere. Our go-to lighting setup on bright sunny days is the MagBox + FocusDiffuser, but it was super windy, so we opted for the lower profile of the Spheres.”

Christian Cardona – Website | Instagram
Victoria Sprung – Website | Instagram

“When I set up this shot, it was originally my intention to get a cool backlit shot of the Bride walking down the aisle. When we were waiting for her to appear from behind the curtains, I noticed that the candles led right up to the end of the aisle, sort of pointing there. While doing a test shot, I realized that I could silhouette the people who were about to open the curtain for the Bride, and that made an even better, storytelling shot. Sometimes what you originally planned turns into something very different!”

Chad & Beth Winstead – Website | Instagram

“We used a 1/2 MagMod CTO gel and MagSphere behind our couple to create this surreal image of the couple on the beach. We wanted to create a warm backlight and add separation from the background while using the incoming tides to form a shape around our couple.”

Lissette & Orlando Suarez‎ – Website | Instagram

“This couple requested some open sky shots for their engagement session. However, it was really cloudy and we weren’t sure if the weather would break for some nice sunset shots. Nonetheless, we drove up to the top of a parking garage on the campus of Georgia Tech in the hopes of catching a break. While we were there I saw some outdoor stairs with tubular handrails and some iron cables against a concrete wall. I figured we could use those elements in combination with a mirror to get a funky shot. I went for a high key, minimalistic look making the sky white so we could just focus on the subjects and the elements we were using to draw attention to the couple. Stairs always provide great leading lines when shot from an angle. Using a Nikon D850 with a Sigma Art 35mm lens I kept the lens setting at F/1.8 so I could blur the edge of the mirror reflection with the composed scene. I positioned the couple at different levels of the stairs for a more layered and contemporary look. I then went down to the bottom of the stairs and sat on the floor. I had my wife holding a monopod at full extension behind me with a Profoto A1 and a MagSphere so I could add a little light to brighten up the subjects. All the time I was holding a replacement truck side-view mirror (You can buy these at any Auto Zone store) up against the lower half of my lens. From there it was just a matter of playing with the positioning of the mirror so I could have the reflection perfectly line up with the rails and the iron cables on the concrete wall. This type of setup also provides a very geometrical look to the image. About 10 minutes after this shot was completed the sun broke through the clouds a bit; delivering the colorful sky they were looking for. So it pays to work a scene even if it doesn’t seem to provide what you thought you would get from it.”

Rey Benasfre – Website | Instagram

“They have a ton of these little walkways where I live and I love using them for my compositions. I do this by centering my subjects so that the lines of the rails lead right to them. In this image, I had a Godox AD200 with a MagMod 1/2 MagMod CTO gel and MagSphere behind them for backlighting. When I backlight subjects this way it also creates a shadow in front of them which is another leading line element that leads right to my subjects. I also used a Godox AD600 in a MagBox held camera right by an assistant.

We hope this article helped you understand the true definition of leading lines photography and how you can incorporate more of these compositional tools in your portfolio.

Leading Lines in Photography: The Essential Guide

What are leading lines in photography, and how can they improve your compositions?

In this article, you’ll discover everything you need to know about leading lines, including:

  • Why every photographer should learn how to use leading lines (hint: they can majorly increase a photo’s impact)
  • Plenty of easy places to look for leading lines
  • How to use lines for beautiful, three-dimensional images
  • Much more!

So if you’re ready to become an expert, then let’s get started!

Leading lines in photography: a definition

Leading lines refer to lines that lead the viewer’s eye from one part of a composition to another. Usually, these lines start at the bottom of the frame and guide the eye upward, from the foreground of the image to the background.

When used as a compositional technique, leading lines generally move toward the main subject of a photo. For instance, a river might lead the eye toward a fog-covered mountain in the background, or a log might lead the eye toward a stunning sunset.

Note that leading lines can be anything: rivers or logs, as mentioned in the examples above, but also marks on a road, pointed rocks on a beach, lines in the sand, the walls of a house – if it looks like a line and is capable of guiding the viewer’s eye, then it can work!

Why are leading lines important?

Leading lines guide the viewer through a composition.

So by carefully positioning leading lines in the frame, you can draw attention to areas of a photo that matter, like a beautiful mountain or sunset on the ocean. In other words, you can use leading lines to get the viewer to look where you want them to look – and avoid areas you’d prefer they avoid.

You can also use leading lines to create flow, often referred to as dynamism, throughout a composition. Leading lines naturally take the viewer on a journey around the photo, which keeps them engaged (always a good thing!).

Plus, leading lines are a great way to create three-dimensionality (i.e., depth) in an image. By emphasizing the start of a line before letting it fall away into the backdrop, you create a 3D illusion that looks incredible in scenic landscape photography.

How to use leading lines: the basics

Working with leading lines requires two simple steps:

  1. Find a leading line
  2. Incorporate that leading line into your composition

Of course, this is easier said than done, but neither of the above steps is actually difficult; they just take a bit of perseverance. Let’s look at each step in turn.

Step 1: Find leading lines

No matter where you live, and no matter where you like to take photos…

…leading lines are all around.

It might not seem likely, but it’s true. After all, remember that leading lines are just lines, and plenty of those exist, right? The key is to find them (and incorporate them creatively into your compositions, as I discuss in the next section).

So where, specifically, should you look for leading lines?

Personally, I think the best place to start is with a path; paths are inherently leading because they go somewhere, and the path edges often create a vanishing point on the horizon (the place where two or more lines converge at theoretical infinity). Plus, you can find paths all over the place – in forests, at parks, in the city, even in the countryside (roads count as paths!).

The leading lines of this road converge at a vanishing point.

But you can find plenty of other leading lines, too. While photographers certainly use paths in their compositions, they also work with patterns in the sand, fallen logs, bunches of flowers, interesting rocks, bridges, fences, and more. Here’s a whole list of items to consider:

Human-made leading lines

  • roads
  • fences
  • boardwalks
  • bridges
  • bricks
  • anything in a row, such as lamp posts
  • buildings
  • doorways
  • window panes

Natural leading lines

  • rivers
  • shorelines
  • waves
  • sand dunes
  • trees
  • tall grass
  • cliffs
  • rocks
  • sunrays

Of course, the list is hardly exhaustive; there are always more leading lines out there just waiting to be found! So the next time you’re setting up a shot, take a moment to examine the scene for prominent lines. You’re bound to find some good ones, even if it takes a bit of searching.

The logs on the beach lead the viewer’s eye into the frame and lead up to the house.

Step 2: Incorporate leading lines into your composition

So you’ve found a leading line or two. Well done – but the work isn’t complete! Now it’s time to actually incorporate the leading lines into your composition, a deliberate, thoughtful process.

First, ask yourself: Where do I want this leading line to take the viewer? Oftentimes, the answer will involve an interesting feature in the background – such as a sunset – so you’ll need to adjust your camera position until the leading line points roughly in the right direction.

(If the leading line isn’t going where you want it to, you can try moving forward and backward or side to side along the line, or you can find another leading line that works better in your composition. A leading line that points away from your main subject is likely counterproductive. )

Next, ask yourself: Is the leading line interesting enough that it can act as a foreground subject? And can I get close enough to make it large in the frame?

If your leading line is interesting and you know you can get close, do it. The best photos often involve a strong leading line, one that draws the viewer into the foreground then leads them from foreground to background, like the stones in the photo below:

The soft leading line of the river’s edge creates depth.

Of course, some leading lines just can’t hold the viewer’s attention, or they’re not accessible, and that’s okay – leading lines are always powerful, even if they aren’t showstoppers. You can still use them, but make sure you find an interesting foreground subject that catches the eye or really tighten up your composition to focus on the main subject.

Finally, once you’ve roughly positioned your subject and any leading lines, evaluate the scene one more time. Think about ways that you could enhance the effects of the leading lines, perhaps by changing your camera position, by getting lower or higher, or even by using a wider or longer focal length.

Then take your shot!

Tips and tricks for working with leading lines

Now that you’re familiar with the basics, let’s discuss a few tips to improve your compositions with leading lines, starting with:

1. Use the widest lens you have available

You don’t need a wide-angle lens to create stunning leading line compositions.

But it really, really helps.

Why? Well, a wide-angle lens lets you capture an expansive scene – so you can position leading lines toward the bottom of the frame, then let them flow into the shot, slowly getting farther and farther away until they disappear (or reach your main subject).

Compare this to a telephoto composition, where the leading lines generally start close to the subject, then quickly terminate. Less dynamic, less interesting, and less three-dimensional.

Many landscape photographers shoot with ultra-wide focal lengths for this exact reason. They often find a leading line, use a wide-angle lens to emphasize it, and create a stunningly deep composition.

Make sense?

2. Don’t be afraid to incorporate multiple leading lines into a single composition

A single leading line is nice…

…but if you can find multiple leading lines, all guiding the viewer toward your main subject, your composition will be insanely strong.

For instance, you might use both edges of a road to point toward a distant mountain. Or you might use two lines in the sand – one starting in the bottom right, and one starting in the bottom left – to point toward a blue ocean.

Note that all of your leading lines should point toward the subject as much as possible. If the lines deviate from your subject, they’ll guide the viewer in the wrong direction, which will prevent them from fully appreciating the image. Getting two or more lines to converge toward your subject may take some creativity, but the end result will be worth it.

3. Use the near-far technique to create plenty of depth

The near-far technique is especially common in landscape photography. It’s a simple way to create tons of depth in your photos, and it’s how you can capture powerful photos like this one:

It’s also really simple to use. Here’s what you do:

First, make sure your leading line is suitably eye-catching. It should act as a subject in its own right – like an interesting rock or a patch of colorful flowers.

Second, make sure you use a wide focal length. I’d recommend working with at least 35mm (on a full-frame camera), but 24mm, 18mm, or even 14mm is better.

Third, mount your camera to a tripod and get down low over your subject. You want to make the leading line prominent in the frame, even if it means getting a few inches from your subject. And you’ll want to dial in a narrow aperture, such as f/8, f/11, or even f/16, in order to keep both the foreground and background sharp.

Your final shot will look incredible – with an interesting foreground subject, a line that leads the eye, plus (hopefully!) an interesting background subject to complete the composition.

How to use leading lines for better compositions: final words

Leading lines are the key compositional elements that carry our eye through a photograph. They can be used to tell a story, place emphasis, and draw a connection between two objects.

So start thinking about leading lines wherever you go. Practice finding leading lines in the chaos of everyday life. Your compositions will get very good, very fast!

Now over to you:

What do you think about leading lines? Do you plan to incorporate them into your photos? Do you have any examples of leading line photography? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Using guidelines or composition in photography

The most important decision a photographer makes is determining the compositional guidelines when creating an image. In this short article, I'll show you how different elements can become guides and add visual movement to your shots. And you will see what a huge contribution the right composition makes to a photograph.

NIKON 1 V2+ 6.7-13.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ ISO 160, 1/60, f/5.6

Lead lines often run from a corner in the lower left or right corner of the image, or through the bottom of the image. A good leading line gives a sense of flow and balance, thereby drawing the viewer's attention like a magnet.

Nikon 1 v2 + 6.7-13.0 mm F/3.5-5.6 @ ISO 400, 1/400, f/5.6

9000

School lines can serve as natural elements, as well as those created by man. The paving stones in the photo above create very strong guide lines, making it deeper. Note that adjacent stones are placed perpendicular, which introduces some "opposition" into the image. This emphasizes the guide lines.

Nikon 1 v2 + 6.7-13.0 mm F/3.5-5.6 @ ISO 160, 1/160, f/5.6

9000

sometimes you can place the lineing lines from the upper corner as shown in the image above. The strong contrast between the spokes of the umbrella and the light fabric helps to create very strong guiding lines, although its physical width is quite narrow.

NIKON D800 + 24.0-85.0 mm f/3.5-4.5 @ ISO 1600, 1/40, f/8.0

moss branch passing through the image from the upper right corner. Sometimes the main subject of the photo and the leading line are the same.

NIKON D800 + 24.0-85.0 mm f/3.5-4.5 @ ISO 800, 1/3200, f/8.0

Sometimes you find this pattern in nature where a series of lines converge and it serves as a completely different kind of guide line to draw the viewer's attention.

Nikon D800 + 24.0-85.0 mm F/3.5-4.5 @ ISO 100, 1/30, f/8.0

Technogenic structures, streets and adjacent sidewalks often provide strong guide lines.

NIKON D800 @ ISO 100, 10/4000, f/8.0

Guide lines can curve and form a softer entry point into the image. Our eye is often attracted to groups of three objects. Notice how the three red objects in the center of the composition above help focus the viewer's attention.

NIKON 1 V2 + 1 NIKKOR VR 10-30 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ ISO 160, 10/1000, f/5.0

A difference in texture or pattern naturally draws our attention and can form guide lines even if they are not included in the image from the corner, as in the photos above. The placement of bright red items helps emphasize the leading line of decorative floor tiles.

NIKON D800 + 16.0-35.0 mm f/4.0 @ ISO 800, 1/160, f/8.0

Some guide lines, like the path in the image above, can start out wide and then narrow sharply. This acts as a visual funnel to grab the viewer's attention. You also see the cut off part of the tree trunk on the right hand, which serves as an anchor from which the eye is drawn.

NIKON 1 V2 + 10.0 mm f/2.8 @ ISO 6400, 1/40, f/2.8

Buildings often give us the opportunity to compose shots with guide lines coming from both top and bottom corners, as shown above.

KODAK DX6490 ZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA @ ISO 80, 1/350, f/2.8

In the image above, the guide line extending from the lower left corner helps keep the main subject in the frame without letting the sky overpower it.

Nikon 1 v2 + 6.7-13.0 mm F/3.5-5.6 @ ISO 160, 1/125, f/5.6

9000

our view attracts contrast, and it also also can form a guide line, like the dark gray stones in the photo above.

Nikon D600 + 16. 0-35.0 9000 mm F/4.0 @ ISO 800, 1/250, F/13.0

We can find the ability to combine natural and artificial elements for creating guide lines. In the image above, you can see how the triangular shape of the beach umbrella, the white stand on the beach, and the natural curve of the beach line come together to create a guide line to lead the viewer's eye to the house on the other side of the picture.

Nikon 1 v2 + 6.7-13.0 mm F/3.5-5.6 @ ISO 400, 1/1000, f/5.6

9000

Color, pattern, contrast can be combined in a line like the chair cushion and armrest in the image above. The combination of pronounced horizontal lines, as well as a sharp vertical separation of colors in the rest of the image, creates some opposition and helps emphasize the short guide line in the lower left corner.

It's important to remember that there are a number of compositional techniques that can come into play when creating an image, and not every shot will have or need a guide line. But when we can use it, it adds interest to our photography and helps create movement in the frame.

Author: Thomas Stirr

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Using Grids and Guides in Photoshop

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    6. Perspective
    7. Using the Liquify filter
    8. Content-aware scale
    9. Transform images, shapes and paths
    10. Deformation
    11. Transformation
    12. Panorama
  16. Drawing and painting
    1. Drawing symmetrical ornaments
    2. Options for drawing a rectangle and changing the stroke
    3. Drawing details
    4. Drawing and editing shapes
    5. Paint tools
    6. Creating and modifying brushes
    7. Blend Modes
    8. Add color to outlines
    9. Edit contours
    10. Painting with mix brush
    11. Brush Presets
    12. Gradients
    13. Gradient interpolation
    14. Fill and stroke selections, layers, and paths
    15. Draw with the pen tool group
    16. Making patterns
    17. Creating a pattern with the Pattern Builder filter
    18. Circuit control
    19. Managing pattern libraries and presets
    20. Drawing with pen tablet
    21. Creating textured brushes
    22. Adding dynamic elements to brushes
    23. Gradient
    24. Draw stylized strokes with the Art History Brush
    25. Drawing with a pattern
    26. Synchronizing presets across multiple devices
  17. Text
    1. Adding and editing text
    2. Universal text editor
    3. Working with OpenType SVG 9 fonts0272
    4. Character formatting
    5. Paragraph formatting
    6. Creating text effects
    7. Text editing
    8. Leading and letter spacing
    9. Font for Arabic and Hebrew
    10. Fonts
    11. Troubleshooting Fonts
    12. Asian text
    13. Creating text
    14. Text Engine error when using the Type tool in Photoshop | Windows 8
  18. Video and animation
    1. Video editing in Photoshop
    2. Editing video and animation layers
    3. Introduction to video and animation
    4. Video and animation preview
    5. Drawing frames in video layers
    6. Import video files and image sequences
    7. Creating frame animations
    8. Creative Cloud 3D Animation (Preview)
    9. Creating timeline animations
    10. Creating images for video
  19. Filters and effects
    1. Using the Liquify filter
    2. Using Blur Gallery group effects
    3. Filter Basics
    4. Filter effects reference
    5. Adding lighting effects
    6. Using the Adaptive Wide Angle filter
    7. Oil Paint Filter
    8. Effects and Layer Styles
    9. Applying specific filters
    10. Image area feathering
  20. Saving and exporting
    1. Saving files in Photoshop
    2. Export files to Photoshop
    3. Supported file formats
    4. Saving files in other graphic formats
    5. Moving projects between Photoshop and Illustrator
    6. Saving and exporting video and animation
    7. Saving PDF files
    8. Digimarc copyright protection
  21. Printing
    1. Printing 3D objects
    2. Printing with Photoshop
    3. Printing and color management
    4. Checklists and PDF presentations
    5. Print photos in the new image layout
    6. Spot color printing
    7. Duplexes
    8. Printing images on a printing press
    9. Photoshop Color Enhancement
    10. Printing troubleshooting | Photoshop
  22. Automation
    1. Creation of operations
    2. Creating data-driven images
    3. Scenarios
    4. File batch processing
    5. Operation playback and management
    6. Adding conditional operations
    7. About actions and the Actions panel
    8. Recording tools in operations
    9. Adding a color mode change to an operation
    10. Photoshop UI Development Kit for Plugins and Scripts
  23. Color Management
    1. Understanding Color Management
    2. Accurate color assurance
    3. Color settings
    4. Working with color profiles
    5. Color management of documents for viewing on the web
    6. Color management for printing documents
    7. Color management of imported images
    8. Proofing
  24. Content authenticity
    1. Learn more about content credentials
    2. Identity and origin of NFT tokens
    3. Connecting accounts for creative attribution
  25. 3D objects and technical images
    1. 3D in Photoshop | Common questions about deprecated 3D features
    2. Creative Cloud 3D Animation (Preview)
    3. Printing 3D objects
    4. 3D drawing
    5. 3D Panel Enhancement | Photoshop
    6. 3D Concepts and Tools
    7. Rendering and saving 3D objects
    8. Creating 3D objects and animations
    9. Image stacks
    10. 3D graphics workflow
    11. Measurements
    12. DICOM files
    13. Photoshop and MATLAB
    14. Counting objects in an image
    15. Combining and transforming 3D objects
    16. Editing 3D textures
    17. HDR Exposure and Toning Compensation
    18. 3D panel settings

Guides and a grid help you position images or elements precisely.

Guides are non-printing lines that cover the image and can be moved or removed. In addition, they can be secured to prevent accidental movement.

Smart Guides help you align shapes, slices, and selections. They are displayed automatically when drawing a shape, selecting or creating a fragment. You can hide the smart guides if needed.

The grid is useful for arranging elements symmetrically. The grid is non-printing lines by default, but can also be displayed as dots.

Guides and grids work in a similar way.

  • Selections, selection borders, and tools snap to guides and grid when dragged within 8 screen pixels (not image pixels) of them. The guides are also snapped to the grid as they move. This feature can be turned on and off.

  • The distance between the guides, as well as the visibility of the guides and the grid and the snapping, can be different for different images.

  • The size of the grid cells, as well as the style of the guides, are the same for all images. The color of the guides now depends on the specific image.

Show or hide the grid, guides, or smart guides

  1. Do one of the following.

    • Select the menu command View > Show > Grid.

    • Select the menu command View > Show > Guides.

    • Choose View > Show > Smart Guides.

    • Select View > Construction Items. This command can also show or hide layer edges, selection edges, target paths, and slices.

Show guide

  1. If rulers are not displayed, choose View > Rulers.

    View image for best accuracy at 100% scale, or use the Info panel.

  2. To create a guide, do one of the following.

    • In the View > Guides > New Guide submenu, select an orientation (Horizontal or Vertical) in the dialog box, enter a position and a color, and click OK.

    • Drag away from the horizontal ruler to create a horizontal guide.

    Move to create a horizontal guide
    • Hold down Alt (on Windows) or Option (on Mac OS) and drag away from the vertical ruler to create a horizontal guide.

    • Drag away from the vertical ruler to create a vertical guide.

    • Hold down Alt (on Windows) or Option (on Mac OS) and drag away from the horizontal ruler to create a vertical guide.

    • Hold down the Shift key and drag away from the horizontal or vertical ruler to create a guide that snaps to ruler marks. As you drag the guide, the cursor turns into a double arrow.

  3. If you want to lock all guides, choose View > Guides and choose Lock Guides (optional).

Guide travel

  1. Select the Move tool or hold down the Ctrl (Windows) or Command (macOS) key to activate the Move tool and select or move multiple guides.

  2. Move the cursor over the guide (cursor changes to double arrow).

  3. Move the guide using one of the following methods.

    • Drag the guide to move it.

    • Change a horizontal guideline to a vertical one, or vice versa, by holding Alt (on Windows) or Option (on Mac OS), left-clicking, and dragging the guide.

    • Align the guide to the ruler marks by holding down the Shift key while dragging. The guide snaps to the grid when the grid is visible and View > Snap To > Gridlines is selected.

  4. You can now select guides (one or more) to modify. To select, click on the guide and a double arrow will appear.

    • To select one guide, press it until a double arrow appears. To edit a guide, go to the View > Guides > Edit Selected Guides submenu. You can also right-click on the selected guide to view the context menu.
    • To select multiple guides, click on one guide and use Shift+Alt (Windows) or Shift+Option (Mac) to select other guides. Once multiple guides are selected, other actions can be performed, including move, right-click, double-click, and preview. The keyboard shortcut for quickly selecting multiple guides is Shift+Alt-click.
      • To move a single guide, select it and drag it across the canvas to the desired location.
      • To move multiple guides, select the guides you want to move and hold down Shift+Alt (on Windows) or Shift+Option (on Mac) until a double arrow appears. Now click on the guides and drag them across the canvas to the right place.
        • Release the keys and continue dragging guides across the canvas.
        • Hold down the Shift key and move the guide to snap it to the ruler marks. Using shapes or a selection, select multiple guides (vertical and horizontal) and snap them to the edge of the shape. To learn more about binding, please see information on rulers in Photoshop .

Guide placement


You can also enter a specific location to place your guide. Once placed on the canvas, you can move it or change its color and orientation.

Enter a specific location for the guide

Removing guides from the image

  1. Do one of the following.

    • To remove a single guide, drag it outside the image window.
    • To remove all guides, select View > Guides > Remove Guides .
    • To remove selected guides, choose View > Guides > Delete Selected Guides.

Adjusting guide and grid settings

  1. Do one of the following.

    • Choose Edit > Preferences > Guides, Grid and Slices (in Windows).

    • (macOS) Choose Photoshop > Preferences > Guides, Grid, and Slices.

  2. In the Color boxes, select a color for the guides and grid. If Custom is selected, click the color field, select a color, and then click OK.

  3. In the Style boxes, select a color for the guides and grid.

  4. In the Line every box, enter a value for the distance between the guides. In the Internal division by field, enter the size of each division in the grid.

    Change the units for this parameter if necessary. If you select the % option, a grid will be created dividing the image into equal sections. For example, selecting 25% will create a uniform 4 x 4 grid.

  5. Click OK.

Updates in the June 2022 release of Photoshop 23.4

The latest enhancements to the Guides feature allow you to customize the guides functionality at the document level to optimize your creative work.

This includes the ability to color and edit guides with new keyboard shortcuts and a new context menu.

You can also delete guides using the Delete key and select multiple guides to change and move them.

Download the latest version of Photoshop to try out this exciting improvement!

Update Photoshop

Paint Guides

New dialog boxes (shown below) allow you to color one or more selected guides, making it much easier to identify and visualize guides.

Choose View > Guides > New Guide Layout. Choose View > Guides > New Guide. Edit Selected Guides dialog box
  1. To choose color options for guides, choose View > Guides > New Guide Layout.

  2. Select one of the default color options or create your own colors. You can always go back and change colors after creating the guide layout.

    Select a default color in the New Guide Layout dialogCreate your own colors using the Color Picker (guide color)

    You can also create different guide layout colors for each artboard.

Change guides

  1. To change guides, select multiple guides by clicking Option + Shift (Mac) or Alt + Shift (Win). Right-click and select Edit Selected Guides from the context menu.

    Photoshop's Edit Selected Guides context menu
  2. Change the Orientation and Color options and click OK.

    Photoshop 9's Edit Selected Guides dialog box0272
  3. You can also go to the View > Guides submenu to display the Edit Selected Guides dialog box.

    Select the Move tool and use the mouse pointer to mark the desired guideline. Then use the keyboard shortcuts option + shift (double-click) on a Mac or Alt + Shift (double-click) on a Windows PC to open the Edit Selected Guides dialog box.

Guide removal

  1. Select guides (one or more) as specified in section "Move guide" .

  2. To remove guides, go to the View > Guides submenu and select Clear Selected Guides. You can also select guides and remove them from the right-click context menu.

    You can also select multiple guides by pressing option + shift (on Mac) or Alt + Shift (on Win) and the Delete key.


    Learn more

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