Center Anything in Photoshop: Text, Images, or Any Layer
Centering layers precisely in Photoshop is fast with Select All and the Move Tool’s alignment buttons. You’ll learn how to center on the entire canvas and how to center relative to a specific shape or selection.
Step-by-step instructions
Center a layer on the entire canvas
Open Window → Layers (or press F7) and select the target layer.
Select → All (Ctrl/Cmd + A) to select the canvas.
Choose the Move Tool (V).
In the Options bar, click Align vertical centers and Align horizontal centers.
Deselect with Select → Deselect (Ctrl/Cmd + D).
Center an image layer (same method)
Select the image layer in the Layers panel.
Select → All (Ctrl/Cmd + A).
Choose the Move Tool (V).
Click Align vertical centers and Align horizontal centers in the Options bar.
Select → Deselect (Ctrl/Cmd + D).
Center a layer inside a specific shape (e.g., rectangle)
In the Layers panel, Ctrl/Cmd-click the rectangle layer thumbnail to load its selection.
Select the layer you want to center (e.g., a text layer).
Choose the Move Tool (V) and click Align vertical centers and Align horizontal centers.
Select → Deselect (Ctrl/Cmd + D).
