48+ Greatest Adobe Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts
As I am big Photoshop fan, I really love their keyboard shortcuts – it really helps to build up working speed using them in Your workflow. Keyboard shortcuts are keystrokes or keystroke combinations to quickly execute some command. If You like using Photoshop as designer, You will evaluate those keyboard shortcuts strength. However there are really huge amount of keyboard shortcuts in Photoshop, there is no way You can remember them all – and that’s really not worth it so I created my own list and included there not all, but just those worthy ones and little more.
And one more fun thing – imagine You go to new design agency – You can really retain great impression as great Photoshop master, if You use those shortcuts often enough in Your workflow. I just saw my boss face when he was watching how I work – I can say – feeling was really good! :)
Notes
I will be using ‘+’ - to define two or more keyboard combinations for example – CTRL + ALT + TAB etc.
I wrote this article using Windows, so if Your are using Macintosh – CONTROL = COMMAND
and ALT = OPTION
Global keyboard shortcuts
1.You can check all Your preferences pressing CTRL + K and learn more.
2. Press TAB – to show/hide tool panels;
3. Press SHIFT + TAB to show/hide only Your palette;
4. Press F repeatedly to cycle screen modes;
5. Press CTRL + TAB to switch to Your next document;
6. Press CTRL + SHIFT + TAB to switch to Your previous document;
7. Press CTRL + T to enter free transform mode;

Tip: You can scale proportionally from center Your transform by pressing and holding ALT + SHIFT, when You are dragging.
8. Press ALT + DELETE to fill the layer with foreground color or SHIFT + DELETE to fill with background color;
Tip: You can use ALT + BACKSPACE or SHIFT + BACKSPACE to fill non-transparent pixels.
9. Press X to switch foreground/background color;
10. Press D to reset foreground/background color to black/white;

Tip: You can use ALT + DELETE shortcut to fill just current selection.
11. If You work in high zoom pressing and holding SPACEBAR comes very handy by giving You hand tool to move small distance.
Also You can use it greatly with the marquee tool (or rectangle, shape tool etc.) – just start dragging on the document, and press SPACEBAR while holding Your mouse and move it to desired place, resize as You want it and repeat circle until You are pleased;

12. When You are working, there are lot of experimenting going on, so very handy becomes undo/redo shortcuts :
Press CTRL + Z to undo/redo previous activity;
Press CTRL + ALT + Z to undo multiple times;
13. While working with big files, it is very important to save often (every 5-10 min) – press CTRL + S to save Your document;
14. I always use this one – press CTRL + ALT + SHIFT + S to bring up ‘save for web & devices ‘ dialog;
15. If You often use filters remember this keyboard shortcut, to repeat previous accomplished filter : CTRL + F
16. To draw precise, symmetrical circle or square or straight line press and hold SHIFT, while drawing it.

17. To temporarily switch to move tool while using another press CTRL + CLICK + hold you mouse
18. Open FILL dialogue by pressing SHIFT + BACKSPACE

19. You can test Your fonts easily by selecting Your text, then selecting “set font family” form and just pressing UP or DOWN buttons.

20. A always hated that I just can’t simply apply my text by pressing ENTER button..that was until I heard about some great keyboard shortcut!
So how to approve and escape text editing mode? – easy. Just press Your numeric ENTER or CTRL + ENTER
21. Increase/decrease brush size pressing [ or ] – (left bracket or right bracket)
Toolbar
22. Use Your toolbar shortcuts to switch between tools faster!
Memorize shortcuts of tools You use the most.

You can easily see keyboard shortcut by mouseover on certain tool :

Use Your Zoom
tool wisely!
23. Double click on zoom tool to zoom Your document 100% size;
Tip: You can press CTRL + ALT + 0 to get actual pixels too (100 % size)!
24. Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom in/zoom out Your document:
Zoom in – CTRL + +
Zoom out – CTRL + -

or
use Your mouse scroll wheel to zoom in/zoom out - ALT + SCROLL WHEEL UP/ALT + SCROLL WHEEL DOWN
25. To temporarily switch to zoom
tool, while using another press:
Quick zoom in: CTRL + SPACE + CLICK
Quick zoom out: ALT + SPACE + CLICK
26. Use keyboard shortcuts CTRL + 0 to set Your image fit to window;
27. Press CTRL + W to close just Your current open document;
Palette
Note : check out Your palette keyboard shortcuts pressing ALT + W
28. Layers menu
Note: press F7 to show/hide Your layers menu.
29. Press CTRL + SHIFT + N to create new layer with dialog box;
30. Press CTRL + SHIFT + ALT + N to create new layer without opening dialog box;
31. Press CTRL + ALT + J to duplicate active layer with dialog box;
32. Press CTRL + J to duplicate active layer without opening dialog box ;
33. How to navigate between layers:
Mouse click on active layer and press SHIFT to select several layers:

Press and hold CONTROL to select or deselect definite layers;
34.Press CTRL+G to group selected layers in one group:
Tip: use CTRL + SHIFT + G to ungroup layers

35. Collapse or expand all groups in Your layers palette by pressing CTRL + CLICK on the group’s triangle:


36. Show/ hide Your layers by and holding Your mouse and dragging it up/down. Repeat to do inverse action:

37. To mask layers, do this trick – hold ALT + MOUSEOVER on the line between layers:

38. Click and drag background layer to make duplicate. I suggest to use this action starting every new file:

39. Press ALT + CLICK on
icon – to show/hide all layers, except active one:

40. Press CAPSLOCK to show cursor precise/standard mode;
41. Press CTRL + CLICK on layer
to make selection:

42. Press CTRL + I to inverse current selection;
43. Press CTRL + D to deselect current selection;
44. You maybe knew about deselect shortcut, but did You know how to reselect previous selection? Just press CTRL + SHIFT + D !
45. Press CTRL + E to merge selected layers or press CTRL + SHIFT + E to merge all visible layers into one;
46. If You ever wanted to make Your text longer or little bit shorter with tracking, You can do it easy with keyboard shortcuts – so first select Your text and then press CTRL + ALT + > or CTRL + ALT + < to set wider or thinner indent.
47. You can easily change Your layer or brush opacity
by just pressing number keys – 1 = 10%, 2 = 20%, 3 = 30% etc.
48. And lastly I want to provide You with great *.pdf file I found out there.
It is 4 page PDF document with ALL possible ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS3 shortcuts ! It’s great isn’t it? You can check out the list and maybe You’ll find some more great shortcuts You didn’t know about! Good luck shortcutting!
Oh, well and here is the link :
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online software
Posted 216 days ago 50Excellent guide for shortcuts.
Tim Weaver
Posted 220 days ago 49I link this tutorial, im used learning photoshop on tutplus.com, but i see this tutorial is easier to do
daniel reynolds digital
Posted 235 days ago 48Like other bloggers have said… this post has taught me a few new shortcuts when working for clients. thanks!
Lupitabondoe
Posted 264 days ago 47Nice! It’s so onerous to seek good quality data on the web at this time from educated sources, it is all wannabe’s and reused content material with just a few exceptions. I hope you keep up the nice work and I seemingly be back to learn extra of your posts sooner or later!
Faisal
Posted 633 days ago 46I guess everyone uses these shortcut in daily use of photoshop. what about filter shortcut or in depth shortcut.
3TurtleStudios
Posted 674 days ago 45Ah!! This one has all the shortcuts that i use everyday, anyway…
Ray
Posted 691 days ago 44Thanx for posting. I love shortcuts to! :)
Cortex Cerebri
Posted 702 days ago 43Useful article, but also useful PS CS3 shortcuts PDF file.
.-= Cortex Cerebri´s last blog ..Medjunarodni Telefonski Kodovi od Makedonija =-.
Technology Design
Posted 712 days ago 42this will make working more fast.
.-= Technology Design´s last blog ..Creative Home Office, A Reason to Work More =-.
Justin Plants
Posted 855 days ago 41Thank you, thank you, thank you! Keyboard shortcuts save me so much time. Seriously, they may cut out 30 minutes of work per day! Thank you.
Commander Selvam
Posted 892 days ago 40This is what i have been looking for finally i have found here;
Very useful for photoshop designer, I am eager to know more.
Joy
Posted 1004 days ago 39It’s funny, my husband is a web designer, but doesn’t really use Photoshop a whole lot (that’s where I usually come in).
I’ve gotten so used to using a lot of keyboard shortcuts over the years, that it’s become second nature for me to use them instead of clicking on menus and such. So when my husband is using Photoshop, he’ll ask me how to do certain things, or how to get a tool to show up, out of habit, I’ll tell him the keyboard shortcut. lol
Sheesham
Posted 1007 days ago 38Excellent, I love showing off with cool shortcuts :)
Frank Stallone
Posted 1035 days ago 37Hey, just thought you might want to know that #31 was exactly what I was looking for; more interesting than that is you came up #1 on Google for “adobe photoshop cs4 duplicate layer keystroke”. I am setting up my wacom tablet and I smiled when I saw your site. =)
Just thought you might like to know that. =D
Thanks! Frank
P.S. I hit Reset by accident [fail moment](instead of submit) but Control+Z Saved the day for all the fields. +1 brownie points there! LOL
Frank Stallones last blog post : MacHeist 3
Señor de M
Posted 1045 days ago 36Hey man.
Here is the 49!:
control+shift+i to reverse the selection (useful to remove those tiny trasparent pixel).
And THANKS!!!! I´ll put in practice more than 15 i did´n knew.
ashi ariuki
Posted 1048 days ago 35command + ] = mover layer up
command + [ = mover layer down
SJL Web Design
Posted 1061 days ago 34I love shortcuts, I especially like showing them off to work buddies! Thanks for the list and link to the pdf.
ProjectCenter
Posted 1062 days ago 33Great cheat sheet. Thank you.
joyaspx
Posted 1091 days ago 32thanks for sharing,it’s very useful!
joyaspxs last blog post : 高版本Windows系统如何安装A卡(启用photoshop cs4的硬件加速)
Web Design Bulgaria ®
Posted 1112 days ago 31Now prepare yourself for a little bulgarian traffic and visitors (all of them are freelancers, designers and bloggers)
:)
http://www.predpriemach.com/showthread.php?t=7502
“predpriemach” means something like “contractor”
Dainis Graveris
Posted 1112 days ago 30@web designer thanks for spreading the word about my website! Appreciated!
@Anton You’ve got some research I see :) Sure You can, but also know writing good content takes a lot of time, so know You’ll need to spend long sleepless nights to get some results :) And actually it’s 150,000 uniques now this month.
And yes, site is very new, so I am just taking place in google, rankings and so on. I don’t know how it will go – but I hope to continue this way and watch what will come out :) And I know many many websites like mine, I’ll share with my RSS feed in continuous articles :)
And yes, I know a little bit Russian too :) thanks for kind words – wish You good luck with Your works and blog!
Web Design Bulgaria ®
Posted 1112 days ago 29Hi again, Dainis Graveris!
I`m glad to see your response.
It`s really surprising and shocking knowing You run this website alone. Do Your visitors know it :)
A friend of mine and colleague Veselin Todorov gave me Your site URL 2 days ago. I don`t remember where and how he`s got it, but it does not matter.
I plan starting a blog about great web design resources.
May I write articles and recommend and link to Your site http://www.1stwebdesigner.com ?
“but statistics show ~1,000 uniques for 2 months”
I can`t believe this!
But if it`s true, things will change, you`ll see!
First of all, the domain name is great and cool!
The resources You have published are unique. If you know another web blog like yours, show it :)
I checked just now:
Domain Name: 1STWEBDESIGNER.COM
Created on: 30-Aug-08
The web site seems to be quite a new. That`s why You don`t have thousands visitors every day. In international google search (on english) I think it`s really tough to rank fast and make numbers of visitors. We will discuss this topic again in six months :))
And then the stats will be very different.
http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/about-us/
:)
Nice and young!
“I am designer from Latvia”
Now I understood how you have found out that Уеб Дизайн България translates Web Design Bulgaria :)
BTW my name is Anton.
See you around
Greetings from Bulgaria, again ;)
Уеб дизайнер
Posted 1112 days ago 28Аctually I’m that web designer :) And i have to say that your posts are abs unique. I’m very glad that Уеб Дизайн България liked the blog :) Keep the good work man,
Greetings from Bulgaria
Dainis Graveris
Posted 1114 days ago 27@Web Design Bulgaria – thanks for excellent feedback. Actually I alone run this website, just to clear out.
I don’t know how popular web and graphic design is in Your country, but statistics show ~1,000 uniques for 2 months and according to people count it’s pretty good :)
I am very glad You evaluate this site, keep coming back I think it will go only better and better over here! :)
I think spirerexia post is just spam, I am deleting that comment.
Уеб Дизайн България ®
Posted 1114 days ago 26According to trackabacks numbers this must be very popular article (and not only this and all in the web site). And now this came to Bulgaria also.
:)
This web site was given to me by a friend of mine, also Bulgarian web designer.
You will get more and more popularity.
And the person who had made this Photoshop resource is brilliant.
—–
spirearexia, what about the financial crisis??!!