I think I have a way to straighten out exactly without using the ruler.
Similar workflow yet slightly different and it does use Smart Objects. Not automated yet for just 50 rectangles not sure it is worth the overhead for full automation.
I am going to try this with just text steps and if questions can add clarity.
1) Create the rectangle you want using a Shape Layer with a color fill of the desired color.
2) Critical Step - Convert this Shape layer into a Smart Object
3) Only now, reduce the Layer opacity to taste (Don't do this before turning it into a Smart Object)
4) Use Cmd+T (Cntl+T on PCs) for free transform. Move and Rotate the Shape to the first position you want (Note - do not change the size of the shape). Close the free Transform
5) Use Cmd+J on the Shape Layer to Create a duplicate Smart Object. With this new Shape Layer selected use Cmd+T again to Move and Rotate to the second slightly overlapped position.
6) Repeat #5 for all ~50 desired Shapes
7) Make minor adjustments in position and rotation again for any desired Shape Layer using Cmd+T on the appropriately selected Shape Layer (Again, don't change the size)
8) Go back to the first created Shape Layer and turn on Free Transform with Cmd+T. Don't make any changes. Just highlight the angle of rotation in the Options Bar and copy to clipboard with Cmd+C (Cntl+C on PCs). Abort the Free Transform
9) Cmd+Click on Shape Thumbnail to create the boundary selection for that Shape
10) Select the Map background Layer and use Cmd+J (Cntl+J on PCs) to create the desired strip on its own Layer
11) With the New Strip Layer selected, turn on Free Transform with Cmd+T
12) In the Options bar paste in the clipboard of the rotation previously copied.
13) Now use the arrows key and if the rotation angle was negative, delete it to make it positive. If the angle was positive, place a minus sign in front. This reverses the initial Smart Object rotation and brings back the strip to the vertical position. The Smart Ojbect keeps cumulative track of any rotation changes made during the intial creation and adjustment phases of the overlay used.
14) Repeat steps 8 thru 13 for all of the Shape Layers and you should now have all strips created on their own Layer. You now can manipulate those strip Layers as desired for printing.
Some of the above steps could be turned into actions yet not sure if that wold be worth the energy vs just cranking thru the steps by hand
I think this does the trick for the rotation issue without using the ruler and hope this is something worth considering
John Wheeler
