Flip Image Online

How to Flip an Image

Flipping is just mirroring. Pick an axis — horizontal or vertical — and the image reflects across it. Simple as that.

Think of it like holding a photo up to a mirror. A horizontal flip swaps left and right — so text goes backwards, a person's left hand becomes their right hand, and everything you're used to seeing on one side jumps to the other. A vertical flip turns the image upside down (while keeping left-right intact), like you flipped the photo over a table edge.

Here's where people get confused: flipping isn't the same thing as rotating. When you rotate, the image spins around its center — everything stays in the same relative position, just at a different angle. When you flip, you create an actual mirror image. Text reads backwards. Spatial relationships reverse. That's why fixing a mirrored selfie needs a flip, not a rotation — rotating a mirrored image just gives you a mirrored image at a different angle.

Horizontal Flip (Mirror)

This is the flip people need most often. It mirrors the image left-to-right. The classic use case? Selfies. Your front camera shows you a mirrored preview (because that's what you expect from a mirror), but some phones save the un-mirrored version. If the photo looks "off" to you — or if there's text in the background that reads backwards — a horizontal flip sorts it out. Designers also use it constantly to change which direction a person is facing in a layout.

Vertical Flip

Less common, but it has its moments. Vertical flip mirrors top-to-bottom — the sky ends up at the bottom, the ground at the top. You'll need this for correcting upside-down scans, creating reflection effects (picture a landscape mirrored in a lake), or certain artistic compositions where you deliberately want that disorienting inverted look.

Rotation

Included here because it often goes hand-in-hand with flipping. Rotation turns the image 90°, 180°, or 270° around its center point. The key difference from flipping: rotation doesn't create a mirror image. It just changes which way is "up." You'll typically rotate to fix a sideways phone photo, then maybe flip if the camera also mirrored it.

Image Flip Use Cases

Image Flip Tool Features

Frequently Asked Questions

When to Mirror an Image for Printing

If you're making anything that gets pressed, transferred, or applied face-down, you almost certainly need to mirror your design first. Here's a breakdown by printing method.

Iron-On & Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV)

Iron-on transfers and HTV are the most common reason people need to mirror images. The process works like this: you print or cut your design, place it face-down on fabric, and apply heat. Because the design is face-down during transfer, it needs to be mirrored beforehand so it reads correctly on the finished garment.

This applies to both inkjet iron-on transfer paper and heat transfer vinyl cut with machines like Cricut or Silhouette. For HTV specifically, you always cut on the backing (shiny) side, weed away the excess vinyl, then press the design face-down. If you forget to mirror, every letter and directional element will be backwards on the shirt.

Rule of thumb: If you're using iron-on transfer paper or HTV — mirror. Every time. No exceptions.

Sublimation Printing

Sublimation always requires mirroring. Always. The ink sublimates (turns from solid to gas) when heated and transfers from the paper to the substrate face-down. Whether you're sublimating onto mugs, t-shirts, phone cases, tote bags, or ceramic tiles — mirror the image first.

Most sublimation printer drivers have a "mirror" option in the print settings, but if yours doesn't (or if you're prepping files for someone else to print), flip the image horizontally here before saving.

Screen Printing

Screen printing can go either way depending on your workflow. If you're creating a film positive (transparency) and exposing it directly onto the screen, you typically need to mirror the artwork. The emulsion side of the screen faces the substrate, so the ink passes through in the correct orientation only if the original film was mirrored.

However, if you're using direct-to-screen (CTS) technology or your print shop handles the film output, they may mirror it for you. When in doubt, ask your printer — or just mirror here and let them know it's already flipped.

Vinyl Decals & Stickers

This one trips people up because it depends on how the vinyl is applied:

• Regular adhesive vinyl (on car bumpers, laptops, walls): Do NOT mirror. You apply it face-up, so what you see is what you get.
• Window decals applied to the inside of glass: Mirror. The design faces outward through the glass, so it needs to be reversed.
• Reverse-weeded vinyl: Mirror. This technique applies vinyl to the sticky side of transfer tape, then onto a surface — effectively flipping it during application.

Laser Engraving

Standard laser engraving on wood, leather, metal, or the front surface of acrylic does NOT require mirroring — the laser engraves what you see on screen.

The exception: back-engraving clear acrylic or glass. If you're engraving on the reverse side of a transparent material so the design is viewed from the front, you need to mirror the image. This technique is popular for awards, signage, and decorative pieces where you want a smooth front surface.

Canvas & Fine Art Printing

Standard canvas prints, giclée prints, and fine art reproductions do NOT require mirroring. The printer outputs the image directly onto the canvas or paper in the correct orientation. Mirroring is only needed for transfer-based processes, not direct printing.

Fix Mirrored Selfies

Why Are Selfies Mirrored?

When you open your front-facing camera, you see a mirrored preview — just like looking in a bathroom mirror. This feels natural because you've spent your whole life seeing yourself that way. Your brain expects your left hand to appear on the right side of the image, your hair part to be on the "wrong" side, and text to read backwards.

The tricky part: different phones handle the saved image differently. Some phones save exactly what you see in the preview (mirrored). Others quietly un-mirror the image when you take the shot, so the saved photo shows what other people actually see. This inconsistency is why selfies sometimes look "off" — you can't always predict which version your phone saved.

How to Unmirror a Selfie

Upload your selfie to this tool and click "Flip Horizontal." That's it. One click reverses the mirror effect so text in the background reads correctly and your face matches how other people see you in real life.

The easiest way to tell if your selfie is mirrored: look for any text in the image — a sign, a shirt logo, a book title. If it reads backwards, the image is mirrored and needs a horizontal flip. If it reads correctly, you're good.

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