Aligning and distributing layers and elements easily
There are a number of times you need to align elements in a layered Photoshop document. Obviously this can be done manually with guides dropped into the document, but this is time consuming… And unnecessary! This is especially true when it comes to distributing elements evenly - your beautifully spaced elements can turn into a nightmare if one of the elements needs to be removed, meaning you have to visually space out these elements again - what a drag!
Because Photoshop doesnt have a specific align palette as most applications have, its built-in alignment features can be easily missed by many users, but they are in there - and very powerful too!
You make these appear in the main palette across the top of Photoshop by simply linking two or more layers together that you want to align or distribute in the layers palette. Once this is done you will see the alignment and distribution icons appear to the right of this palette. As with all icons, if you hover your mouse over them a ToolTip will appear explaining what each does - they are fairly self explanatory - align left, centre, right and the two real gems, distribute horizontally and vertically.
These commands work off the transparency in the given layer, so if things behave a little strangely ensure you dont have any stray pixels or semi transparent areas that shouldn’t be there in the layers you are trying to align.
When using the distribute commands simply move one layer to the far left or top, and another to the far right or bottom. Ensure all the other layers are roughly in-between these two layers, link them up in the layers palette and hit the according distribution icon. They will then space themselves perfectly evenly. The distribute functions are particularly good for repeating patterns or visualising page layout grids - anything you want perfectly spaced out really!