How to Rotate in Paint 3D, and How to Flip

Paint 3D spreads rotation across three places, which is why people get stuck. Here is how to rotate in Paint 3D in each of them, and how to flip, or mirror, as well.

Rotate or flip the whole picture

Click the Canvas tab. Near the bottom of the right panel is a row called Rotate and flip with four buttons.

• The first two turn the canvas 90 degrees, one to the left and one to the right. Press twice to turn it upside down.
• The last two flip the canvas. One flips it along the X-axis and the other along the Y-axis, which gives you a mirror image.

Hover over a button to check which is which, or press one and use Undo if it went the wrong way. These buttons work in fixed steps. For any other angle, use a selection instead, as below.

Rotate or flip part of the picture

1. Click Select in the bar under the top tabs.
2. Drag a box around the part you want. Or click Select all in the right panel to take everything.
3. Drag the round handle above the box to turn it to any angle.
4. For exact 90 degree turns or a mirror flip, use the Rotate and flip buttons at the bottom of the right panel.

When you turn a box, the spot it used to cover can be left as an empty patch. If that looks wrong, press Undo and select a smaller area, or cut the object out with Magic select first. Our guide on how to remove a background in Paint 3D shows how.

Rotate text

2D text can be turned while you are still typing. Use the rotate handle on the text box, then press Shift + Enter to commit. After you commit, the text is part of the picture, so rotate it the same way as any other selection. This is also the trick behind a letter-by-letter arc, covered in our guide on how to curve text in Paint 3D.

Rotate a 3D object

Click Select, then click the 3D object. Round handles appear around it, and each one does a different job:

• Rotate on the z-axis spins the object flat on the screen, like a clock hand.
• Spin on the y-axis turns it around like a door opening, so you see its side.
• Freely rotate in any direction lets you tumble it any way you like.
• Slide forward and backwards on the z-axis moves it closer to you or further away. It does not rotate anything, but it lives in the same set of handles.

Hover over a handle to see its name before you drag it. The right panel also has a Rotate and flip row for quick 90 degree turns and mirror flips of the object.

Rotate with the keyboard

For small, careful changes, you can rotate without dragging. The app's own hint is to press Space to select a rotation control, then use the arrow keys to change the rotation. This is easier to control than a mouse when you only need a nudge.

Rotating the view is not rotating the object

In 3D view, you can turn the camera around your scene. That changes how you look at things, not the things themselves. Nothing in your picture actually rotates.

If the scene looks tilted and you are not sure why, open the three-dots menu at the top right and choose Reset view. That puts the camera back to a straight, front-on view.

Common problems

The picture turned the wrong way. Press Undo and use the other rotate button.

A white or empty patch appeared after rotating a selection. That is the area the selection used to cover. Undo, then cut the object out with Magic select before you turn it.

The 3D object tilted when I only wanted it flat. You used a handle other than Rotate on the z-axis. Press Undo and hover over the handles to find the right one.

Everything looks crooked, but the buttons did nothing. You probably rotated the view, not the picture. Use Reset view from the three-dots menu.

For the canvas size controls in the same panel, see our guide on how to resize an image in Paint 3D. For cutting the frame down, see our crop guide.

FAQ

Spotted something that does not match your screen? Email [email protected].