To turn a photo to the left, do I type 90, -90 or 270 degrees?
Type -90. In the tool a positive angle turns clockwise, to the right, and a negative one counter-clockwise, to the left. As for 270, the field will not accept it: it takes values from -180 to 180 only. Easier than typing anything: the 'Rotate 90° left' button puts -90 in the field for you.
Direction and sign
- 90: a quarter turn clockwise. The top of the photo goes to the right.
- -90: a quarter turn counter-clockwise. The top of the photo goes to the left.
- 180: a half turn, where direction does not matter: -180 and 180 give the same result.
- Values in between, such as 1.5 or -12, are free angles that tilt the photo by that amount.
A quick way to remember: picture the hands of a wall clock. Positive goes with them, negative goes against them.
Why the field rejects 270
Every angle outside -180 to 180 has an equivalent inside that range that gives the same result: 270 clockwise is exactly -90. So the field is built on that range, and if you type 270 or 360 an error appears under the field and the download is disabled until you correct it.
The buttons do not have this problem, because the tool brings every result back into the same range automatically:
Three presses of 'Rotate 90° right' add up to 270, which the tool turns into -90, and that is the number that appears in the field.
One press of 'Rotate 90° left' gives -90 directly: the same result in fewer presses.
A 1600 × 1200 photo turned -90 becomes 1200 × 1600, the same dimensions as 90, but with its top pointing left rather than right.
How to tell which way your photo needs
- Open the Image rotator and flipper tool and choose the photo.
- Look at where the 'top' of the product points now. If it points right, the photo needs a left turn, -90. If it points left, it needs 90.
- If it is upside down, press 'Rotate 180°'.
- If you get it wrong, press the opposite button or 'Reset' to go back to zero, and download once the preview looks right.
The slider and the field together
The slider runs from -180 to 180 in whole degree steps, while the field accepts decimals. Type 2.5 in the field and the slider moves to the nearest whole degree, but the tool uses exactly the value you typed. Move the slider and its number is written into the field.
Common questions
Why do width and height swap at 90 and -90?
A quarter turn makes a landscape photo portrait and vice versa. At 180 the dimensions stay the same.
Where does the minus sign go?
Before the number, as on any calculator.
Does the direction affect quality?
No. 90 and -90 are both right-angle turns that move the pixels as they are.