The Zoom Tool and Hand Tool in Camera Raw in Photoshop – Instructions

Overview:

            This lesson shows you how to use the Zoom Tool and Hand Tool in the Camera Raw dialog box in Photoshop. The toolbar at the right side of the Camera Raw dialog box contains buttons for tools and buttons that change the panel to its left, where you can then access more tools and settings to edit the current camera raw image.

            You can click the “Edit” button in the toolbar, which is selected by default, to view its panel tabs to the left in the Edit panel. This is where you make most image adjustments to camera raw images in the Camera Raw dialog box. We’ll discuss the settings within each tab in this panel in detail in later lessons of this chapter.

How to Use the Zoom Tool in Camera Raw in Photoshop:

            After selecting the “Edit” button in the toolbar, then the default tool that appears when you hold your pointer over the preview image is the Zoom tool. To set the Zoom tool as the default tool to use in the Camera Raw dialog box if it is not selected, click the “Zoom tool” button in the toolbar at the right side of the Camera Raw dialog box.

            To zoom after selecting the Zoom tool, hold your pointer over the preview image and click to zoom in to the area at which you click. Then to  zoom out to fit the image in the preview area again, click again. To set the magnification level to use when you click the preview image to zoom in with the Zoom tool, select a choice from the “Select zoom level” drop-down.

            Alternatively, to set the magnification level by clicking and dragging with the Zoom tool, click and hold down with the Zoom tool in the preview image where you want to focus the magnification. To decrease the magnification level, then drag to the left and release when it is the desired magnification. Alternatively, to increase the magnification level, then drag to the right and release when it is the desired magnification.

A picture showing a user clicking and dragging to zoom with the Zoom Tool when using the Zoom Tool and Hand Tool in Camera Raw in Photoshop.

            Alternatively, to zoom into a selection area you choose, hold down the “Ctrl” key on your keyboard. Then click and drag to create a selection in the preview image to magnify. Then release the mouse button to magnify and display the selected area within the camera raw dialog box. Finally, release the “Ctrl” key.

            To temporarily switch to the Hand Tool after selecting the Zoom tool, hold down the “Spacebar” key on your keyboard. To temporarily switch to the White Balance Tool, instead, hold down the “Shift” key.

How to Use the Hand Tool in Camera Raw in Photoshop:

            To use the Hand Tool by default in the Camera Raw dialog box in Photoshop, click the “Hand Tool” button at the bottom of the toolbar at the right side of the Camera Raw dialog box. The Hand Tool lets you scroll and pan the preview image in the window.

            Click and drag the preview image when using the Hand Tool in the Camera Raw dialog box to move it in the preview window. To temporarily switch to the Zoom tool after selecting the Hand Tool, hold down the “Ctrl” key or “Alt” key on your keyboard. To temporarily switch to the White Balance Tool, instead, hold down the “Shift” key.

Instructions:

How to Use the Zoom Tool in the Camera Raw Dialog Box in Photoshop:

1. If you select the “Edit” button in the toolbar at the right side of the “Camera Raw” dialog box, then the default tool that appears when you hold your pointer over the preview image is the Zoom tool.
2. To set the Zoom tool as the default tool to use in the “Camera Raw” dialog box if it is not selected, click the “Zoom tool” button in the toolbar at the right side of the “Camera Raw” dialog box.

To Zoom In and Zoom Out Using the Zoom Tool in the Camera Raw Dialog Box in Photoshop:

1. To zoom after selecting the Zoom tool, hold your pointer over the preview image and click to zoom in to the area at which you click.
2. Then, to zoom out to fit the image in the preview area again, click again.
3. To set the magnification level to use when you click the preview image to zoom in with the Zoom tool, select a choice from the “Select zoom level” drop-down.
4. Alternatively, to set the magnification level by clicking and dragging with the Zoom tool, click and hold down with the Zoom tool in the preview image where you want to focus the magnification.
5. To decrease the magnification level, then drag to the left and release when it is the desired magnification.
6. Alternatively, to increase the magnification level, then drag to the right and release when it is the desired magnification.
7. Alternatively, to zoom into a selection area you choose, hold down the “Ctrl” key on your keyboard.
8. Then click and drag to create a selection in the preview image to magnify.
9. Then release the mouse button to magnify and display the selected area within the camera raw dialog box.
10. Then release the “Ctrl” key.

To Temporarily Switch Tools After Selecting the Zoom Tool:

1. To temporarily switch to the Hand Tool after selecting the Zoom tool, hold down the “Spacebar” key on your keyboard.
2. Alternatively, to temporarily switch to the White Balance Tool, instead, hold down the “Shift” key.

How to Use the Hand Tool in the Camera Raw Dialog Box in Photoshop:

1. To use the Hand Tool by default in the “Camera Raw” dialog box in Photoshop, click the “Hand Tool” button at the bottom of the toolbar at the right side of the “Camera Raw” dialog box.
2. Then click and drag the preview image when using the Hand Tool in the “Camera Raw” dialog box to move the preview image within the preview window.

To Temporarily Switch Tools After Selecting the Hand Tool:

1. To temporarily switch to the Zoom tool after selecting the Hand Tool, hold down the “Ctrl” key or “Alt” key on your keyboard.
2. To temporarily switch to the White Balance Tool, instead, hold down the “Shift” key.

Video Lesson:

            The following video lesson, titled “Learn How to Use the Zoom Tool and Hand Tool in Camera Raw in Adobe Photoshop: A Training Tutorial,” shows how to open a camera raw image in Photoshop. This video lesson is from our complete Photoshop tutorial, titled “Mastering Photoshop Made Easy.”