Why are selfies mirrored?
When you take a selfie, the screen acts like a mirror, so framing your face feels natural. Some phones save the photo exactly like that mirrored preview, others save it the way other people see you, and many let you choose in the camera settings.
If a saved selfie shows backwards letters, flip the image horizontally to fix it. Your face may look slightly unfamiliar afterwards, because you are used to your mirror view, but this is how everyone else sees you.
Flip image horizontally, vertically, or rotate 180?
| Option | What happens | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Flip horizontal | Left and right swap, like a mirror | Selfies, backwards text, a face looking the wrong way in a layout |
| Flip vertical | Top and bottom swap, also mirrored | Water reflection effects, pattern and texture designs |
| Rotate 180 | The picture turns upside down, nothing mirrored | Photos and scans that are only upside down |
Flip vertical and rotate 180 both put the top at the bottom, but they differ. After a vertical flip, turn the picture over and any text still reads backwards. If letters are correct but upside down, use Rotate Image instead.
Ideas for mirrored pictures
- Iron on transfers: shirt transfer paper usually needs the design printed as a mirror image, so it reads correctly once pressed.
- Balanced layouts: two portraits facing each other on a banner or a photo album page.
- Product shots: point the front of a product toward the price or the text beside it. Check for logos first, since they will read backwards.
- Signs on glass: a design applied to the inside of a shop window is often printed mirrored, so it reads correctly from the street.
Flipping is not only for photos. Screenshots, logos and drawings work the same way, but any text in them will read backwards.
After flipping a product shot, you can cut it out with Remove Background.