How to use a grid for alignment in PhotoShop

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Ever feel like your spacing is almost right but not quite? Layout grids eliminate that guesswork, making every icon, label, text box, and image fall into the perfect place.

examples of photoshop grids

This post answers the question, “How to make a grid in Photoshop?” and demonstrates three ways to create grids in Photoshop.

“Grids help designers position elements precisely.”
— And that’s exactly why they’re a must-have for your PhotoShop compositions.

Watch how to make grids in Photoshop

This video is in Photoshop, and it shows you how to use guides. So a simple way
is View > Show > Grid.

This gives you: this is an eight-by-eight field. We have four-by-four. So one-inch squares. In properties, there’s a rulers and grids area. You can turn on and off rulers, which is also Command R on your keyboard, turn on and off grid. And there’s also a background transparency grid that some people like to work with.

All right, so I’m going to turn off that auto grid. So a second option is View > New Guide or New Guide Layout. New Guide Layout lets you create a grid really quickly. You can also save grids that you make or use one of the presets. So there’s an 8-column, a 12-column, a 16-column, and a 24-column. Let’s go to eight. It has eight columns with a gutter. If we check rows, we can also make that eight rows with the same gutter. So you can see you can add margins, external margins to the outside of your page. So New Guide Layout, again, that’s View > New Guide Layout that you customize your guide layout grids in Photoshop. Alternatively, if you only need one or two guides, you can drag from your ruler.

There it is in the center. So, I’ve made four-by-four columns or four-by-four there, two columns two rows. And, you can also say View > New Guide. If it’s vertical or horizontal, and you can say exactly where you want it. So if I want one inch in and then I could say another New Guide and this time it’s going to be two inches in. And you can build it manually this way as well. So, New Guide and this time would be three inches. You can see I can slowly guide by guide build my grid. So those are examples of how you can make a guide to help organize your layout in Photoshop.

Option 1: How to turn on the visibility Photoshop’s grid

A simple way to turn on Photoshop’s default grid is to go to View > Show > Grid.

You can adjust the settings by opening the Properties Window and looking at the Rulers & Grids area.

Option 2: How to build your own grid in PhotoShop using Photoshop grid lines or guides

Using Rulers, you can manually drag guides onto your artboard. Using View > New Guide, you can specify precisely where you want a new guide placed on the X and Y axis.

Option 3: How to build a grid using the “New Guide Layout” option in PhotoShop

The New Guide Layout window allows you to select the number of columns and rows you want generated in Photoshop. Instead of creating or drawing grids manually, Photoshop can create a grid for you, and then you can adjust the width, height, gutter, and more. Make sure to tick your “Preview” checkbox so you can view the guide as you build it.

Access the New Guide Layout option by selecting View > New Guide Layout.

Questions about building grid guidelines in Photoshop

Do I need to hand draw a modular guide grid in PhotoShop?

Nope, there are preset grid guidelines in PhotoShop.

Will my Guide Layout Grids show when I export my file as an image?

No. This is a grid intended to be used as guidelines. The guideline grids will not be visible when you export your files as an image. However, your guidelines will be saved in your editable PSD file.

Can I change the thickness of my guidelines?

For the guide grid, currently, I do not believe there is a way to change the stroke on the guides. In Preferences > Guides, Grid & Slices, you can change colors and choose if the guide is dotted or solid. I’d keep checking back in this Preference area because in a future release, Adobe may decide to include an option for adjusting the thickness of the grid line.

What if my Properties panel does not list Grids and Rulers?

Yes, that could happen! Your properties panel changes content based on the layer you have selected in your layers Panel. To set Grids and Rulers you need the DOCUMENT to be selected, so make sure that NONE of your layers are highlighted in the Layers Panel.

Toggle open Grids and Rulers in Window > Properties for the document

Watch Video about Showing Rulers and Grids in Properties Panel

Hi PhotoShop users. This is a short that if you were looking for the Properties > Rulers and Grids and you can’t find them. And you’ve had the advice to “toggle open rulers and grids.” So this is my picture. You can see I have three layers happening. If I have a layer selected, notice my Properties changes. It’s now telling me information about that Layer. So anytime you have a Layer selected your Properties are going to linked to that layer. So if you want to change your Document Properties you need to make sure that none of your layers are selected and then you’ll get your properties for your document and you can toggle open and close Rulers and Grids. Hope this helps.

Happy Designing!

Have you ever wanted to make a Pop Art Design effect in Photoshop? Here’s a quick tutorial on how to create repeated outlines in Photoshop.

learn how to create a pop art effect for your images in Photoshop - multiple lines are created around subjects in photos

Have you ever tried to make and use guides in PowerPoint?

As a designer, you may need to work in PowerPoint, too. Did you know you can use guides in PowerPoint, too? Yep, you can add guidelines, but there is no drag-and-drop function like you’re used to in Adobe design products. Instead, right-click or Crtl+click on your slide. Select Guides > and then choose either Add Vertical Guide or Add Horizontal Guide. For more Powerpoint design tips, check out our other articles tagged as Powerpoint.

About the author

Kelly Barkhurst

Designer to Fullstack is my place to geek out and share tech solutions from my day-to-day as a graphic designer, programmer, and business owner (portfolio). I also write on Arts and Bricks, a parenting blog and decal shop that embraces my family’s love of Art and LEGO bricks!

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