How to use the Transform Panel in Lightroom

How to use the Transform Panel in Lightroom by Meg Loeks
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How to use the Transform Panel in Lightroom by Meg Loeks
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Let’s face it, sometimes the lines in our photos aren’t perfectly straight.

Gasp!

It’s true but you’re in luck because there is an easy fix. Lightroom has a great feature for correcting lines, the Transform Panel.

The Transform Panel, located in Lightroom’s Develop Module after the Lens Correction Panel and before the Effects Panel, is a handy little tool that tends to get overlooked. It is great for fixing those distracting lens distortions that usually come when using a wide-angle lens.

With a few simple steps, your image can go from a little wonky to perfectly straight in just a few simple steps.

Below you’ll find a quick video showing you how I use the Transform Panel when straightening out lines and distortion. I’d also like to take a moment to clarify some options you’ll find in the  Transform Panel.

Within the Transform Panel, you will find five Upright options you can use. This is what the options do:

  • Auto: Fixes vertical and horizontal distortion.
  • Guided: Instead of just one guide, this allows you to create two or more.
  • Level: Fixes horizontal distortion.
  • Vertical: Fixes vertical distortion.
  • Full: Combines auto, level and vertical corrections.

Under the Upright options you’ll find seven sliders: Vertical, Horizontal, Rotate, Aspect, Scale, X Offset and Y Offset. Use the slider to manually adjust the perspective within your photo.

Sometimes correcting lines and distortion is a subtle fix like the example I’m using here and sometimes it’s a major fix. Whichever it is for you and your image, I guarantee it won’t be as difficult as you may originally think.

Read all previously published Lightroom tutorials.

This article was updated on October 23, 2017.

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