Move and Free Transform

The Move tool (V) moves the selected layer. Useful settings and habits:

• Auto-Select (Options bar): clicking an object selects its layer. Handy, but turn it off if you keep grabbing the background by mistake.
• Arrow keys nudge by 1 pixel; Shift + arrow by 10 pixels.
• Smart guides (pink lines) appear when edges or centres line up.
• Align and distribute: select several layers and use the align buttons in the Options bar — for example align all text layers to the left edge.

Choose Edit → Free Transform (Ctrl + T). A box with handles appears.

• Scale: drag a corner. Photoshop keeps the proportions by default for most layers; hold Shift while dragging to stretch freely (you rarely want this).
• Scale from the centre: hold Alt while dragging.
• Rotate: move the pointer just outside a corner until it curves, then drag. Hold Shift to snap to 15° steps.
• Confirm: press Enter or click the tick. Cancel: press Esc.

More options are in Edit → Transform: Flip Horizontal, Flip Vertical, Skew, Distort, Perspective and Warp.