A photo of Dan Scott with the text scale and selection tools in figma overlayed

Mastering Figma: Scaling vs. Selection Tool Demystified

Daniel Scott

@dan

Hello, Figma enthusiasts! Today, we're unraveling the mysteries of the scaling and selection tools. If you've ever found yourself scratching your head over their quirks, fear not. We're here to guide you through it all.

This post is based on my Figma UI UX Design Essentials course. When you become a BYOL member, you gain access to this course as well as my 30+ additional courses on After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom, and more. As a BYOL member you will also enjoy personalized support, earn certificates, and tackle exciting community challenges. Head here to sign-up!

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1. The Selection Tool: Click, Drag, and Move

Let's start with the trusty selection tool. It's your go-to for clicking, dragging, and moving elements around your canvas. Click on any object with the selection tool, and you can easily move it to your heart's content. Simple, right? But here's where things get interesting.

move or selection tool highlighted in figma

The Move or Selection tool is your best friend in Figma for selecting, dragging and moving objects.

2. Scaling: The Secret Power of the Scale Tool

Now, what if you want to resize an object, but you also want to adjust its stroke, font size, or other attributes proportionally? That's where the scale tool comes into play. It's hiding right beneath the selection tool, ready to unleash its magic.

Here's the catch: if you try to resize an object using just the selection tool, you'll notice that the stroke remains unchanged. But fear not! Switch to the scale tool (shortcut: 'K'), click and drag the corner of your object, and behold the proportional resizing wonder. Not only does the object resize, but its stroke, font size, and other attributes scale along with it.

resizing a button with scale tool in figma

The Scale tool is the solution for resizing objects and frames in figma.

3. Grouping Objects: The Scale Tool's Best Friend

But wait, there's more! Even if you've grouped objects together, you'll still need to switch to the scale tool to resize them proportionally. Don't be fooled by grouping – it won't change this behavior. So remember, when it comes to scaling, 'K' is your shortcut to success.

resizing a grouped frame with scale tool in figma

The Scale tool also works great with grouped objects.

4. Shortcut Reminders: V for Selection, K for Scale

Now, let's talk shortcuts. While it might seem intuitive for 'S' to stand for scale, in Figma's world, it's 'K'. And for the selection tool? It's 'V'. Yes, it might take a bit of getting used to, but trust us, these shortcuts will become your best friends as you navigate the world of Figma.

move and scale tools shortcut keys in figma

Quickly toggle between the Move and Scale tools by using the shortcut keys V and K.

5. Wrapping Up: Thumbs Up and Subscribe!

And there you have it – the ins and outs of scaling versus the selection tool in Figma. What 's Next?

Dive deeper into Figma at Bring Your Own Laptop. When you become a BYOL member, you will gain access to my Figma courses as well as my 30+ additional courses on Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom, Premiere Pro, Webflow, and more. As a BYOL member you will also enjoy personalized support, earn certificates, and tackle exciting community challenges. Head here to sign-up!

See you in class! – Dan