Use negative-scale mirroring, precise X/Y/W/H/angle controls, proportion lock, aperture-shaped Lens Blur, and Repeat edge pixels without leaving the layered Image Editor document.
Where: Open Image Editor → Move tool options or Edit → Transform; add Lens Blur from Adjust/filters
Key ideas
- Flip is a transform: Horizontal and vertical flips change the sign of scale without rasterizing the layer. Dragging a scale handle past its anchor mirrors instead of collapsing the object to a one-pixel sliver.
- Precise transform bar: The Move options bar exposes X, Y, W, H, angle, proportion lock, and Flip Horizontal/Vertical. Values stay live while dragging and commit on Enter or blur through the same transform actions as pointer edits.
- Lens-shaped bokeh: Lens Blur samples an aperture rather than applying a Gaussian blur. Blades and Rotation shape the bokeh, while gamma-aware averaging keeps bright highlights luminous.
- Repeat edge pixels: Blur filters can repeat only the image edges clipped by the document boundary, preventing a full-bleed layer from fading to transparency at the canvas edge.
Steps
- Select one layer, group, or multi-selection and choose the Move tool.
- Enter exact X, Y, W, H, and angle values, or drag a transform handle; enable proportion lock when width and height must stay linked.
- Use Flip Horizontal/Vertical in the options bar or Edit → Transform, or drag a scale handle through its opposite anchor for an interactive mirror.
- Add Lens Blur, choose the radius plus Blades and Rotation, and inspect small highlights at 100% zoom.
- Enable Repeat edge pixels for a full-bleed blur when the document border develops a transparent or washed rim; leave it off for a floating cutout that should blur into transparency.
Tips
- Use the History panel to compare a flip/transform before committing more edits.
- Judge Lens Blur at delivery size as well as 100%; small bokeh can disappear after downscaling.
- Repeat edge pixels is for document-clipped edges, not a replacement for extending the pixels of a cutout floating inside the canvas.
Limitations and important notes
- There is no dedicated flip keyboard shortcut because the relevant Shift+letter combinations belong to tool-family shortcuts.
- Repeated-edge behavior intentionally follows the document boundary, not every layer’s alpha boundary.
Troubleshooting
Typing width also changes height
Turn off the proportion lock before editing only one dimension.
A blur creates a pale line at the canvas edge
Enable Repeat edge pixels and confirm the affected side is actually clipped by the document boundary.