04 | PHOTOSHOP SHORTCUTS |
EDITING/CUSTOMIZING SHORTCUTS
To edit/customize any shortcut, open Photoshop > Edit Menu > Keyboard Shortcuts. This menu allows you to edit any of the shortcuts and create shortcut sets to customize Photoshop for your use. All the shortcuts shown here are the default values.
RESTORING DEFAULT SHORTCUTS
To reset Photoshop’s shortcuts to their default settings:
1. Quit Photoshop.
2. Windows: Press and hold ⇧+Ctrl+Alt keys.
Mac: Press and hold ⇧+⌘+⌥ keys.
3. While holding keys, launch Photoshop.
4. Follow the instruction on screen to Delete the Adobe Photoshop Settings File.
20 POPULAR PHOTOSHOP SHORTCUTS
Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
Free Transform | Ctrl+T | ⌘+T |
Toggle between painting and erasing with the same brush | Hold down ` (grave accent) | Hold down ` (grave accent) |
Decrease Brush Size | [ | [ |
Increase Brush Size | ] | ] |
Decrease Brush Hardness | { | { |
Increase Brush Hardness | } | } |
Rotate the brush tip by 15 degrees | ⇧+← (counter-clockwise), ⇧+→ (clockwise) | ⇧+← (counter-clockwise), ⇧+→ (clockwise) |
Default Foreground/ Background colors | D | D |
Switch Foreground/ Background colors | X | X |
Fit layer(s) to screen | Alt-click layer | ⌥-click layer |
New layer via copy | Ctrl+J | ⌘+J |
New layer via cut | ⇧+Ctrl+J | ⇧+⌘+J |
Add to a selection | Any selection tool+⇧-drag | Any selection tool+⇧-drag |
Toggle auto-select with the Move tool | Ctrl-click | ⌘-click |
Close all open documents other than the current document | Ctrl+Alt+P | ⌘+⌥+P |
Cancel any modal dialog window (including the Start Workspace) | Esc | Esc |
Select the first edit field of the toolbar | Enter | Return |
Navigate between fields | Tab | Tab |
Navigate between fields in the opposite direction | Tab+⇧ | Tab+⇧ |
Change Cancel to Reset | Alt | ⌥ |
FUNCTION KEYS1
Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
Start Help | F1 | Help key |
Undo/Redo | F1 | |
Cut | F2 | F2 |
Copy | F3 | F3 |
Paste | F4 | F4 |
Show/Hide Brush panel | F5 | F5 |
Show/Hide Color panel | F6 | F6 |
Show/Hide Layers panel | F7 | F7 |
Show/Hide Info panel | F8 | F8 |
Show/Hide Actions panel | F9 | ⌥+F9 |
Revert | F12 | F12 |
Fill | ⇧+F5 | ⇧+F5 |
Feather Selection | ⇧+F6 | ⇧+F6 |
Inverse Selection | ⇧+F7 | ⇧+F7 |
1For Mac, press and hold the Fn key along with the function key (F1–F12) to override default Mac functions such as screen brightness, volume, etc.
SELECT TOOLS2
Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
Cycle through tools with the same shortcut key | ⇧-press shortcut key (if Use ⇧ Key for Tool Switch preference is selected) | ⇧-press shortcut key (if Use ⇧ Key for Tool Switch preference is selected) |
Cycle through hidden tools | Alt-click+tool (except Add Anchor Point, Delete Anchor Point, and Convert Point tools) | ⌥-click+tool (except Add Anchor Point, Delete Anchor Point, and Convert Point tools) |
Move tool | V | V |
Rectangular Marquee tool Elliptical Marquee tool | M | M |
Lasso tool Polygonal Lasso tool Magnetic Lasso tool | L | L |
Magic Wand tool Quick Selection tool | W | W |
|
Crop tool Slice tool Slice Select tool | C | C |
Eyedropper tool3 Color Sampler tool Ruler tool Note tool | I | I |
Spot Healing Brush tool Healing Brush tool Patch tool Red Eye tool | J | J |
Brush tool Pencil tool Color Replacement tool Mixer Brush tool | B | B |
Clone Stamp tool Pattern Stamp tool | S | S |
History Brush tool Art History Brush tool | Y | Y |
Eraser tool3 Background Eraser tool Magic Eraser tool | E | E |
Gradient tool Paint Bucket tool | G | G |
Dodge tool Burn tool Sponge tool | O | O |
Pen tool Freeform Pen tool | P | P |
Horizontal Type tool Vertical Type tool Horizontal Type mask tool Vertical Type mask tool | T | T |
Path Selection tool Direct Selection tool | A | A |
Rectangle tool Rounded Rectangle tool Ellipse tool Polygon tool Line tool Custom Shape tool | U | U |
Hand tool3 | H | H |
Rotate View tool | R | R |
Zoom tool3 | Z | Z |
Toggle Standard/Quick Mask modes | Q | Q |
Content-Aware Move tool | J | J |
Perspective Crop tool | C | C |
Artboard tool | V | V |
Rotate View tool | R | R |
Toggle Preserve Transparency | / (forward slash) | / (forward slash) |
Decrease Brush Hardness | { | { |
Increase Brush Hardness | } | } |
Previous Brush | , | , |
Next Brush | . | . |
First Brush | < | < |
Last Brush | > | > |
2Holding down a key temporarily activates a tool. Letting go of the key returns to the previous tool. In rows with multiple tools, repeatedly press the same shortcut to toggle through the group.
3Use same shortcut key for Liquify.
VIEW IMAGES4
Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
Cycle through open documents | Ctrl+Tab | Control+Tab |
Switch to previous document | ⇧+Ctrl+Tab | ⇧+⌘+` (grave accent) |
Close a file in Photoshop and open Bridge | ⇧+Ctrl+W | ⇧+⌘+W |
Toggle between Standard mode and Quick Mask mode | Q | Q |
Toggle (forward) between Standard screen mode, Full screen mode with menu bar, and Full screen mode | F | F |
Toggle (backward) between Standard screen mode, Full screen mode with menu bar, and Full screen mode | ⇧+F | ⇧+F |
Toggle (forward) canvas color | Spacebar+F (or right-click canvas background and select color) | Spacebar+F (or Control-click canvas background and select color) |
Toggle (backward) canvas color | Spacebar+⇧+F | Spacebar+⇧+F |
Fit image in window | Double-click Hand tool | Double-click Hand tool |
Magnify 100% | Double-click Zoom tool or Ctrl+1 | Double-click Zoom tool or ⌘+1 |
Switch to Hand tool (when not in text-edit mode) | Spacebar | Spacebar |
Simultaneously pan multiple documents with Hand tool | ⇧-drag | ⇧-drag |
Switch to Zoom In tool | Ctrl+Spacebar | ⌘+Spacebar |
Switch to Zoom Out tool | Alt+Spacebar | ⌥+Spacebar |
Move Zoom marquee while dragging with the Zoom tool | Spacebar-drag | Spacebar-drag |
Apply zoom percentage, and keep zoom percentage box active | ⇧+Enter in Navigator panel zoom percentage box | ⇧+Return in Navigator panel zoom percentage box |
Zoom in on specified area of an image | Ctrl-drag over preview in Navigator panel | ⌘-drag over preview in Navigator panel |
Temporarily zoom into an image | Hold down H and then click in the image and hold down the mouse button | Hold down H and then click in the image and hold down the mouse button |
Scroll image with Hand tool | Spacebar-drag, or drag view area box in Navigator panel | Spacebar-drag, or drag view area box in Navigator panel |
Scroll up or down 1 screen | Page Up or Page Down5 | Page Up or Page Down5 |
Scroll up or down 10 units | ⇧+Page Up or Page Down5 | ⇧+Page Up or Page Down5 |
Move view to upper-left corner or lower-right corner | Home or End | Home or End |
Toggle layer mask on/off as rubylith (layer mask must be selected) | (backslash) | (backslash) |
4This partial list provides shortcuts that don’t appear in menu commands or tool tips.
5Hold down Ctrl (Windows) or ⌘ (Mac) to scroll left (Page Up) or right (Page Down).
LAYERS PANEL
Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
Load layer transparency as a selection | Ctrl-click layer thumbnail | ⌘-click layer thumbnail |
Add to current selection | Ctrl+⇧-click layer thumbnail | ⌘+⇧-click layer thumbnail |
Subtract from current selection | Ctrl+Alt-click layer thumbnail | ⌘+⌥-click layer thumbnail |
Intersect with current selection | Ctrl+⇧+Alt-click layer thumbnail | ⌘+⇧+⌥-click layer thumbnail |
Load filter mask as a selection | Ctrl-click filter mask thumbnail | ⌘-click filter mask thumbnail |
New layer | Ctrl+⇧+N | ⌘+⇧+N |
New layer via copy | Ctrl+J | ⌘+J |
New layer via cut | ⇧+Ctrl+J | ⇧+⌘+J |
Group layers | Ctrl+G | ⌘+G |
Ungroup layers | Ctrl+⇧+G | ⌘+⇧+G |
Create/release clipping mask | Ctrl+Alt+G | ⌘+⌥+G |
Select all layers | Ctrl+Alt+A | ⌘+⌥+A |
Merge visible layers | Ctrl+⇧+E | ⌘+⇧+E |
Create new empty layer with dialog box | Alt-click New Layer button | ⌥-click New Layer button |
Create new layer below target layer | Ctrl-click New Layer button | ⌘-click New Layer button |
Select top layer | Alt+. (period) | ⌥+. (period) |
Select bottom layer | Alt+, (comma) | ⌥+, (comma) |
Add to layer selection in Layers panel | ⇧+Alt+[ or ] | ⇧+⌥+[ or ] |
Select next layer down/up | Alt+[ or ] | ⌥+[ or ] |
Move target layer down/up | Ctrl+[ or ] | ⌘+[ or ] |
Merge a copy of all visible layers into target layer | Ctrl+⇧+Alt+E | ⌘+⇧+⌥+E |
Merge layers | Highlight layers you want to merge, then Ctrl+E | Highlight the layers you want to merge, then ⌘+E |
Move layer to bottom or top | Ctrl+⇧+[ or ] | ⌘+⇧+[ or ] |
Copy current layer to layer below | Alt+Merge Down command from the Panel pop-up menu | ⌥+Merge Down ⌘ from the Panel pop-up menu |
Merge all visible layers to a new layer above the currently selected layer | Alt+Merge Visible command from the Panel pop-up menu | ⌥+Merge Visible ⌘ from the Panel pop-up menu |
Show/hide this layer/layer group only or all layers/ layer groups | Right-click the eye icon | Control-click the eye icon |
Show/hide all other currently visible layers | Alt-click the eye icon | ⌥-click the eye icon |
Toggle lock transparency for target layer, or last applied lock | / (forward slash) | / (forward slash) |
Edit layer effect/style, options | Double-click layer effect/style | Double-click layer effect/style |
Hide layer effect/style | Alt-double-click layer effect/style | ⌥-double-click layer effect/style |
Edit layer style | Double-click layer | Double-click layer |
Disable/enable vector mask | ⇧-click vector mask thumbnail | ⇧-click vector mask thumbnail |
Open Layer Mask Display Options dialog box | Double-click layer mask thumbnail | Double-click layer mask thumbnail |
Toggle layer mask on/off | ⇧-click layer mask thumbnail | ⇧-click layer mask thumbnail |
Toggle filter mask on/off | ⇧-click filter mask thumbnail | ⇧-click filter mask thumbnail |
Toggle between layer mask/ composite image | Alt-click layer mask thumbnail | ⌥-click layer mask thumbnail |
Toggle between filter mask/ composite image | Alt-click filter mask thumbnail | ⌥-click filter mask thumbnail |
Toggle rubylith mode for layer mask on/off | (backslash), or ⇧+Alt-click | (backslash), or ⇧+⌥-click |
Select all type; temporarily select Type tool | Double-click type layer thumbnail | Double-click type layer thumbnail |
Create a clipping mask | Alt-click the line dividing two layers | ⌥-click the line dividing two layers |
Rename layer | Double-click the layer name | Double-click the layer name |
Edit filter settings | Double-click the filter effect | Double-click the filter effect |
Edit the Filter Blending options | Double-click the Filter Blending icon | Double-click the Filter Blending icon |
Create new layer group below current layer/layer set | Ctrl-click New Group button | ⌘-click New Group button |
Create new layer group with dialog box | Alt-click New Group button | ⌥-click New Group button |
Create layer mask that hides all/selection | Alt-click Add Layer Mask button | ⌥-click Add Layer Mask button |
Create vector mask that reveals all/path area | Ctrl-click Add Layer Mask button | ⌘-click Add Layer Mask button |
Create vector mask that hides all or displays path area | Ctrl+Alt-click Add Layer Mask button | ⌘+⌥-click Add Layer Mask button |
Display layer group properties | Right-click layer group and choose Group Properties, or double-click group | Control-click the layer group and choose Group Properties, or double-click group |
Select/deselect multiple contiguous layers | ⇧-click | ⇧-click |
Select/deselect multiple discontiguous layers | Ctrl-click | ⌘-click |
CURVES
Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
Open the Curves dialog box | Ctrl+M | ⌘+M |
Select next point on the curve | + (plus) | + (plus) |
Select the previous point on the curve | – (minus) | – (minus) |
Select multiple points on the curve | ⇧-click the points | ⇧-click the points |
Deselect a point | Ctrl+D | ⌘+D |
To delete a point on the curve | Select a point and press Delete | Select a point and press Delete |
Move the selected point 1 unit | Arrow keys | Arrow keys |
Move the selected point 10 units | ⇧+Arrow keys | ⇧+Arrow keys |
Display highlights and shadows that will be clipped | Alt-drag black/ white point sliders | ⌥-drag black/ white point sliders |
Set a point to the composite curve | Ctrl-click the image | ⌘-click the image |
Set a point to the channel curves | ⇧+Ctrl-click the image | ⇧+⌘-click the image |
Toggle grid size | Alt-click the field | ⌥-click the field |
SELECT AND MOVE OBJECTS
Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
Reposition marquee while selecting6 | Any marquee tool (except single column and single row)+ Spacebar-drag | Any marquee tool (except single column and single row)+ Spacebar-drag |
Add to a selection | Any selection tool+⇧-drag | Any selection tool+⇧-drag |
Subtract from a selection | Any selection tool+Alt-drag | Any selection tool+⌥-drag |
Intersect a selection | Any selection tool (except Quick Selection tool)+ ⇧-Alt-drag | Any selection tool (except Quick Selection tool)+ ⇧-⌥-drag |
Constrain marquee to square or circle (if no other selections are active)6 | ⇧-drag | ⇧-drag |
Draw marquee from center (if no other selections are active)6 | Alt-drag | ⌥-drag |
Constrain shape and draw marquee from center6 | ⇧+Alt-drag | ⇧+⌥-drag |
Switch to Move tool | Ctrl (except when Hand, Slice, Path, Shape, or any Pen tool is selected) | ⌘ (except when Hand, Slice, Path, Shape, or any Pen tool is selected) |
Switch from Magnetic Lasso tool to Lasso tool | Alt-drag | ⌥-drag |
Switch from Magnetic Lasso tool to polygonal Lasso tool | Alt-click | ⌥-click |
Apply/cancel an operation of the Magnetic Lasso | Enter/Esc or Ctrl+. (period) | Return/Esc or ⌘+. (period) |
Move copy of selection | Move tool+Alt-drag selection6 | Move tool+⌥-drag selection6 |
Move selection area 1 pixel | Any selection+→, ←, ↑, or ↓7 | Any selection+→, ←, ↑, or ↓7 |
Move selection 1 pixel | Move tool+→, ←, ↑, or ↓6,7 | Move tool+→, ←, ↑, or ↓6,7 |
Move layer 1 pixel when nothing selected on layer | Ctrl+→, ←, ↑, or ↓7 | ⌘+→, ←, ↑, or ↓7 |
Increase/decrease detection width | Magnetic Lasso tool+[ or ] | Magnetic Lasso tool+[ or ] |
Accept cropping or exit cropping | Crop tool+Enter or Esc | Crop tool+Return or Esc |
Toggle crop shield off and on | / (forward slash) | / (forward slash) |
Make protractor | Ruler tool+Alt-drag end point | Ruler tool+⌥-drag end point |
Snap guide to ruler ticks (except when View > Snap is unchecked) | ⇧-drag guide | ⇧-drag guide |
Convert between horizontal and vertical guide | Alt-drag guide | ⌥-drag guide |
6Applies to shape tools.
7Hold down ⇧ to move 10 pixels.
PAINTING
Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
Select foreground color from color picker | Any painting tool+⇧+Alt+ right-click and drag | Any painting tool+ Control+⌥+⌘ and drag |
Select foreground color from image with Eyedropper tool | Any painting tool+Alt or any shape tool+Alt (except when Paths option is selected) | Any painting tool+⌥ or any shape tool+⌥ (except when Paths option is selected) |
Select background color | Eyedropper tool+Alt-click | Eyedropper tool+⌥-click |
Color sampler tool | Eyedropper tool+⇧ | Eyedropper tool+⇧ |
Deletes color sampler | Color sampler tool+Alt-click | Color sampler tool+⌥-click |
Sets opacity, tolerance, strength, or exposure for painting mode | Any painting or editing tool+number keys (e.g., 0 = 100%, 1 = 10%, 4 then 5 in quick succession = 45%) (when airbrush option is enabled, use ⇧+number keys) | Any painting or editing tool+number keys (e.g., 0 = 100%, 1 = 10%, 4 then 5 in quick succession = 45%) (when airbrush option is enabled, use ⇧+number keys) |
Sets flow for painting mode | Any painting or editing tool+⇧+number keys (e.g., 0 = 100%, 1 = 10%, 4 then 5 in quick succession = 45%) (when airbrush option is enabled, omit ⇧) | Any painting or editing tool+⇧+number keys (e.g., 0 = 100%, 1 = 10%, 4 then 5 in quick succession = 45%) (when airbrush option is enabled, omit ⇧) |
Mixer Brush changes Mix setting | Alt+⇧+number | ⌥+⇧+number |
Mixer Brush changes Wet setting | Number keys | Number keys |
Mixer Brush changes Wet and Mix to zero | 0 | 0 |
Cycle through blending modes | ⇧++ (plus) or – (minus) | ⇧++ (plus) or – (minus) |
Open Fill dialog box on the background or standard layer | Backspace or ⇧+Backspace | Delete or ⇧+Delete |
Fill with foreground or background color | Alt+Backspace or Ctrl+Backspace8 | ⌥+Delete or ⌘+Delete8 |
Fill from history | Ctrl+Alt+Backspace8 | ⌘+⌥+Delete8 |
Displays Fill dialog box | ⇧+Backspace | ⇧+Delete |
Lock transparent pixels on/off | / (forward slash) | / (forward slash) |
Connects points with a straight line | Any painting tool+⇧-click | Any painting tool+⇧-click |
8Hold down ⇧ to preserve transparency.
BLENDING MODES
Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
Cycle through blending modes | ⇧++ (plus) or – (minus) | ⇧++ (plus) or – (minus) |
Normal | ⇧+Alt+N | ⇧+⌥+N |
Dissolve | ⇧+Alt+I | ⇧+⌥+I |
Behind (Brush tool only) | ⇧+Alt+Q | ⇧+⌥+Q |
Clear (Brush tool only) | ⇧+Alt+R | ⇧+⌥+R |
Darken | ⇧+Alt+K | ⇧+⌥+K |
Multiply | ⇧+Alt+M | ⇧+⌥+M |
Color Burn | ⇧+Alt+B | ⇧+⌥+B |
Linear Burn | ⇧+Alt+A | ⇧+⌥+A |
Lighten | ⇧+Alt+G | ⇧+⌥+G |
Screen | ⇧+Alt+S | ⇧+⌥+S |
Color Dodge | ⇧+Alt+D | ⇧+⌥+D |
Linear Dodge | ⇧+Alt+W | ⇧+⌥+W |
Overlay | ⇧+Alt+O | ⇧+⌥+O |
Soft Light | ⇧+Alt+F | ⇧+⌥+F |
Hard Light | ⇧+Alt+H | ⇧+⌥+H |
Vivid Light | ⇧+Alt+V | ⇧+⌥+V |
Linear Light | ⇧+Alt+J | ⇧+⌥+J |
Pin Light | ⇧+Alt+Z | ⇧+⌥+Z |
Hard Mix | ⇧+Alt+L | ⇧+⌥+L |
Difference | ⇧+Alt+E | ⇧+⌥+E |
Exclusion | ⇧+Alt+X | ⇧+⌥+X |
Hue | ⇧+Alt+U | ⇧+⌥+U |
Saturation | ⇧+Alt+T | ⇧+⌥+T |
Color | ⇧+Alt+C | ⇧+⌥+C |
Luminosity | ⇧+Alt+Y | ⇧+⌥+Y |
Desaturate | Sponge tool+⇧+Alt+D | Sponge tool+⇧+⌥+D |
Saturate | Sponge tool+⇧+Alt+S | Sponge tool+⇧+⌥+S |
Dodge/burn shadows | Dodge tool/Burn tool+⇧+Alt+S | Dodge tool/Burn tool+⇧+⌥+S |
Dodge/burn midtones | Dodge tool/Burn tool+⇧+Alt+M | Dodge tool/Burn tool+⇧+⌥+M |
Dodge/burn highlights | Dodge tool/Burn tool+⇧+Alt+H | Dodge tool/Burn tool+⇧+⌥+H |
Set blending mode to Threshold for bitmap images, Normal for all other images | ⇧+Alt+N | ⇧+⌥+N |
CHANNELS
Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
Select individual channels | Ctrl+3 (red), 4 (green), 5 (blue) | ⌘+3 (red), 4 (green), 5 (blue) |
Select composite channel | Ctrl+2 | ⌘+2 |
Load channel as selection | Ctrl-click channel thumbnail, or Alt+Ctrl+3 (red), 4 (green), 5 (blue) | ⌘-click channel thumbnail, or ⌥+⌘+3 (red), 4 (green), 5 (blue) |
Add to current selection | Ctrl+⇧-click channel thumbnail | ⌘+⇧-click channel thumbnail |
Subtract from current selection | Ctrl+Alt-click channel thumbnail | ⌘+⌥-click channel thumbnail |
Intersect with current selection | Ctrl+⇧+Alt-click channel thumbnail | ⌘+⇧+⌥-click channel thumbnail |
Set options for Save Selection As Channel button | Alt-click Save Selection As Channel button | ⌥-click Save Selection As Channel button |
Create a new spot channel | Ctrl-click Create New Channel button | ⌘-click Create New Channel button |
Select/deselect multiple color-channel selection | ⇧-click color channel | ⇧-click color channel |
Select/deselect alpha channel and show/hide as a rubylith overlay | ⇧-click alpha channel | ⇧-click alpha channel |
Display channel options | Double-click alpha or spot channel thumbnail | Double-click alpha or spot channel thumbnail |
Toggle composite and grayscale mask in Quick Mask mode | Any tool, including the Brush Tool: ⇧+~ (tilde) Any tool, excluding the Brush Tool: ` (grave accent) | Any tool, including the Brush Tool: ⇧+~ (tilde) Any tool, excluding the Brush Tool: ` (grave accent) |