Thanks John, that did the trick. For anyone else struggling with the 'perfect' conditions, here's a step by step for version 19 only.

1. Start a new document

2. Drag in a photo

3. Right click the 'lock aspect ratio' button in the toolbar with a padlock icon and make sure both options are unchecked. The two options are 'aspect ratio lock' and 'smart transform'.

4. Click the image to toggle from one state to another. One state displays a small magnifying glass top right and a rotator in the top right corner, the other has crosshairs in the middle and a rotator top centre.

5. Select the crosshairs state. The image can now be stretched using the four midpoint handles or the small circle in the bottom right.

Check out the video in John's comment above.

Further befuddlement

The crosshairs mode can temporarily be converted to the magnifier mode by holding down the alt key. I have been led to believe that in earlier versions, the alt key was used to do the stretching.

I have read comments somewhere about editing the photo using the select tool rather than the photo tool but in V19, right clicking a photo shows that it is always edited using the photo tool even if the select tool is the current tool.

If you have 'show object edit handles' selected (leftmost button on the toolbar for me with an icon of a curve and two red selection handles) small white square handles may or may not appear at the corners of the image depending on whether you clicked the button or the image last. They don't appear to do anything at all.

The only way I have found to skew an image is to use the toolbar. No combination of state and modifier key appears to do the skewing.

@Nigel-Leeming

Hi

. . . . The only way I have found to skew an image is to use the toolbar. No combination of state and modifier key appears to do the skewing. . . .

Do you mean like this?

Note there are several routes to getting to the Skew mode eg another is to select the image then click the Show handles icon - the black square handles should be visible, click once more on the image and the Skew controls appear

John EB

I think you're running a slightly different version to me John. I'm on 19.01 and the button you have top left is not part of v19.1. I'm guessing they're trying to streamline the buttons and operations to tidy up a bit and have confused everyone in the process. Or equally as likely, I'm too thick to find it.

@Nigel-Leeming

Hi

Does this help?

John EB

Hi John. It would help if it worked but it doesn't. This could be down to a difference between xara designer pro and xara photo and graphic designer. The leftmost button on the toolbar in xara pro, the one with 8 red handles, is not part of xara photo and graphic designer.

@Nigel-Leeming

Hi

For XPGD 19 see below you have to turn off Smart Transform :

HTH

John EB

Sorry John, I should have been a bit clearer. The squishing and squashing works fine, it was the skewing with the mouse I couldn't get to go. Funny how this all worked fine back in the days of the red sports car, and here we are 19 versions and I shudder to think how many years later struggling to get it to work properly or explain it sufficiently. Progress.