How To Zoom In And Out On Photoshop

Whilst it may seem obvious even to the most regular user of photoshop, you’d be surprised to learn just how many various methods of zooming in and out there are in Adobe Photoshop; each of which can serve a different function, and come in handy for different reasons.

To learn the various methods of zooming in Photoshop, just follow the tutorials below, and for any other information, see the FAQs at the end of the article.

How to Animated Zoom in Photoshop (Mac or Windows)

1. Open up the Photoshop app on your Mac or Windows PC, and load an image to test
2. Hover your mouse or trackpad mouse over the area of the image you want to enlarge
3. Hold down the ‘Z’ button on your keyboard (activating the ‘Zoom’ tool)
4. Now, click your mouse/trackpad, and Photoshop will zoom animatedly in on the area your mouse is hovering over. Release the mouse and ‘Z’ to stop zooming in.
5. To zoom back out (or out further than default), hold ALT (on Windows) or OPTION (on Mac) and repeat the process of clicking and holding with your mouse. 
6. To return the image to default zoom, press CTRL/CMD + 0 (Zero) on your keyboard, or double click the ‘Hand’ tool in the Photoshop sidebar.

How to Scrubby Zoom in Photoshop (Mac or Windows)

1. Open up the Photoshop app on your Mac or Windows PC, and load an image to test
2. Ensure that the ‘Scrubby Zoom’ box is ticked in the toolbar at the top of the screen
3. Hover your mouse or trackpad mouse over the area of the image you want to enlarge
4. Hold down the ‘Z’ button on your keyboard (activating the ‘Zoom’ tool)
5. Now, click your mouse/trackpad, and drag your mouse to the right to zoom in; click and hold your mouse and drag it back to the left to zoom out.. Release the mouse and ‘Z’ to stop zooming in.
6. To return the image to default zoom, press CTRL/CMD + 0 (Zero) on your keyboard, or double click the ‘Hand’ tool in the Photoshop sidebar.

Note: You can actually use ‘Scrubby Zoom’ when in the middle of using any other tool. To do so, ensure that the ‘Scrubby Zoom’ box is ticked up top, and then when you want to zoom, just hold down the spacebar + CTRL/CMD (Windows/Mac) + drag your cursor right or left (to zoom in or out, respectively)

How to Mouse/Trackpad Scroll Zoom in Photoshop (Mac or Windows)

1. Open up the Photoshop app on your Mac or Windows PC, and load an image to test
2. Head to ‘Preferences’ by clicking Photoshop > Preferences > Tools. 
3. In the Tools Settings window, ensure that the ‘Zoom with Scroll Wheel’ option is on by ticking the box next to it. Now click OK to confirm.
4. Back on the image, move your cursor to the area of the image you wish to enlarge, and either using your mouse’s scroll wheel, or two fingers on your laptop’s trackpad, you will be able to freely zoom in and out at your leisure.
5. To return the image to default zoom, press CTRL/CMD + 0 (Zero) on your keyboard, or double click the ‘Hand’ tool in the Photoshop sidebar.

How to Keyboard Shortcut Zoom in Photoshop (Mac or Windows)

1. Open up the Photoshop app on your Mac or Windows PC, and load an image to test
2. Now, hold down CTRL (Windows) or CMD (Mac) and hit the + (Plus) key to zoom in
3. To zoom out, hold CTRL (Windows) or CMD (Mac) and hit the – (Minus) key
4. To return the image to default zoom, press CTRL/CMD + 0 (Zero) on your keyboard, or double click the ‘Hand’ tool in the Photoshop sidebar.

How to Marquee Zoom in Photoshop (Mac or Windows)

1. Open up the Photoshop app on your Mac or Windows PC, and load an image to test
2. Ensure that the ‘Scrubby Zoom’ box is un-ticked in the toolbar at the top of the screen
3. Hold down the ‘Z’ button on your keyboard (activating the ‘Zoom’ tool)
4. Now click and drag with your mouse or trackpad to draw a box over the area of the image you wish to zoom in to/enlarge. Release your click once you’ve finished drawing the box, and Photoshop will zoom in until the selected area fills the work area of the screen.
5. To navigate the image at this zoom level, hold the spacebar down, and click and drag with your mouse or trackpad to move across the image
6. To return the image to default zoom, press CTRL/CMD + 0 (Zero) on your keyboard, or double click the ‘Hand’ tool in the Photoshop sidebar.

How to Navigator Window Zoom in Photoshop (Mac or Windows)

1. Open up the Photoshop app on your Mac or Windows PC, and load an image to test
2. Ensure that you can see the Navigator window (if not, click ‘Window’ at the top of the screen, and ensure ‘Navigator’ is selected)
3. In the Navigator window, you’ll see a Zoom scrollbar with a percentage of zoom to the left. You can either click the small mountain icon on the left to zoom out, or the larger two mountains icon on the right to zoom in. Alternatively you can click and drag the slider itself to do the same thing.
4. To return the image to default zoom, press CTRL/CMD + 0 (Zero) on your keyboard, or double click the ‘Hand’ tool in the Photoshop sidebar.

How to Number-Pad Zoom in Photoshop (Mac or Windows)

1. Open up the Photoshop app on your Mac or Windows PC, and load an image to test
2. In the bottom-left of the screen, you’ll see a small box with a percentage of the image’s zoom in it (located to the left of the image’s dimensions x pixels)
3. Click this box, and using your number-pad, type in the zoom level you want (150%, say). 
4. Press Enter on your keyboard, and Photoshop will snap the image to the newly input zoom level
5. To return the image to default zoom, press CTRL/CMD + 0 (Zero) on your keyboard, or double click the ‘Hand’ tool in the Photoshop sidebar.

And there you have it! Seven different ways to zoom in and out in the Adobe Photoshop app, whether you’re using Mac or Windows, a PC, laptop, or tablet. If you’ve any further queries, check out our FAQs below.

Frequently asked questions

What is Photoshop?

Photoshop is one of the world’s best known and most beloved picture editing softwares, created and licensed by Adobe. The term ‘photoshop’ has become synonymous in popular culture with the touching up and/or editing of photos, but in reality, the software has many more potential uses. You can use Photoshop to create, edit, rework and manipulate anything from simple designs and graphics, to complex 3D artworks and professional grade photographs.

How do I reset the zoom level in Photoshop?

Once you’re done working in the zoomed in or zoomed out view in Photoshop, or have accidentally triggered zoom and wish to return to default, on Windows simply press CTRL + 0 together (CMD + 0 on Mac). Alternatively, double click the ‘Hand’ tool in Photoshop’s left-hand sidebar, to make your image fit the size of the page/window (effectively restoring it to Photoshop’s default zoom).

What is the best method for zooming in Photoshop?

Since there are so many different ways to zoom in Photoshop, there really is no one preferable method. Ultimately, it’s down to you and your requirements. Personally, we like the ease and functionality of the scroll-wheel method using a mouse, as it feels quite natural, and allows us to direct the zoom on the area of the picture fairly accurately. We recommend trying out all of the different methods of zooming in and out in Photoshop, and determining for yourself which one works best with your mode of working.