Make Photoshop Yours – Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts for Mac and PC

Photoshop keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet, a free spreadsheet download, plus a tutorial on how to create and modify your own keyboard shortcuts!

Photoshop’s Keyboard Shortcuts allows users the ability to quickly access tools, functions and effects without scrolling for them through menus, “more options” fly out panels and Tool Bar icons.

Some people consider mastery of Keyboard Shortcuts essential for professional imaging artists and believe that it’s mandatory to memorize and use them.

However, there are hundreds of them; a daunting task, plus most artists’ brains are visually oriented; they like to see and click on things and it’s perfectly acceptable to do so.

That being said, mastering Keyboard Shortcuts that are relevant to the style of work at hand speeds up workflow and eliminates the monotony of repetitive seeking and clicking.

In this article I am providing the ones most commonly used by photographers who use Photoshop to adjust and retouch their images.

I’m also confining the shortcuts to those that consist of 2-3 keys because I like to assign multiple key shortcuts to a Function key or as an option on my Wacom tablet.

To download all of the below shortcuts in a free spreadsheet, just click here.

PHOTOSHOP KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

When going for Keyboard Shortcuts that access specific tools and panels, press the first key and quickly the other as if you were playing a piano.

When using them to affect the way a tool or function is working, hold the key while accomplishing the task.

For File Handling

Command	Windows	Mac
Open a file from a folder	Ctrl + O	Command + O
Save a file with a new name (Save As)	Shift + Ctrl + S	Shift + Command + S
Save a file with new updates (Save)	Ctrl + S	Command + S
Close a file	Ctrl + W	Command + W
Close a file and open Bridge	Shift + Ctrl + W	Shift + Command + W
Make a new blank file / File New	Ctrl + N	Command + N

For File Navigation

Command	Windows	Mac
Fit image on screen	Ctrl + 0	Command + 0
Zoom in	Ctrl +	Command +
Zoom out	Ctrl –	Command –
View / Hide extras	Ctrl + H	Command + H
Drag image with Hand Tool	Spacebar drag	Spacebar drag
Fit image in window	Double click Hand Tool	Double click Hand Tool
Rotate file	Press and hold R and use stylus*	Press and hold R and use stylus*
Reset rotation	Press and hold R and choose reset from Main Menu Bar*	Press and hold R and choose reset from Main Menu Bar*
Toggle screen modes forward	F	F
Toggle screen modes reverse	Shift + F	Shift + F

* The Rotate Tool in the Tool Bar can be selected with Shift + R, but it requires another Keyboard Shortcut to get back to the Hand Tool, so pressing and holding the R key is generally faster.

For Image Adjustments

Command	Windows	Mac
Image / Adjust / Levels	Ctrl + L	Command + L
Image / Adjust / Curves	Ctrl + M	Command + M
Image / Adjust / Hue Saturation	Ctrl + U	Command + U
Image / Adjust / Color balance	Ctrl + B	Command + B
Image / Invert (also with layers and masks)	Ctrl + I	Command + I
Accept image adjustment	Enter	Return
Cancel window without change	Escape	Escape

The above shortcuts apply the change to the selected layer as an all over adjustment.

To apply adjustments over the selected layer with the option to use Layer Masks, opacity, etc, select adjustment options from the Adjustment button located at the bottom of the Layers Window.

It looks like a circle, half white and half black.

Working With Layers

Command	Windows	Mac
New Layer with window options	Shift + Ctrl + N	Shift + Command + N
Group layers	Ctrl + G	Command + G
Ungroup layers	Shift + Ctrl + G	Shift + Command + G
Merge selected layer down	Ctrl + E	Command + E
Create / Remove Clipping Mask	Alt + Ctrl + G	Option + Command + G
Add Layer Mask – Reveal All	Click on Layer Mask button at the bottom of the Layers window. It looks like a square with a circle in the middle of it.	Click on Layer Mask button at the bottom of the Layers window. It looks like a square with a circle in the middle of it.
Add Layer Mask – Hide All	Alt + click on the Layer Mask button at the bottom of the Layers Window.	Option + click on the Layer Mask button at the bottom of the Layers Window.
Invert Layer Mask	Ctrl + I	Command + I
New Layer via Copy from a selection	Ctrl + J	Command + J
New Layer via Cut from a selection	Shift + Ctrl + J	Shift + Command + J
Nudge what is on a layer by pixels	Move Tool – use arrows on keyboard	Move Tool – use arrows on keyboard
Transform what is on a layer	Ctrl + T	Command + T
Distort Transformation Box	Hold Ctrl and stretch	Hold Command and stretch
Rotate Transformation Box	Drag up and down outside the box	Drag up and down outside the box
Adjust size while constraining proportion	Hold Shift and use corner points	Hold Shift and use corner points
Change rotation axis point	Move center point to the area you want to rotate around	Move center point to the area you want to rotate around
Accept Transformation	Enter	Return
Cancel Transformation	Escape	Escape

Working With Selections

Command	Windows	Mac
Select All	Ctrl + A	Command + A
Deselect	Ctrl + D	Command + D
Reselect	Shift + Ctrl + D	Shift + Command + D
Select / Inverse	Shift + Ctrl + I	Shift + Command + I
Select All Layers	Shift + Ctrl + A	Shift + Command + A
Constrain Marquee to a square	Hold down Shift and drag	Hold down Shift and drag
Constrain Elliptical to a circle	Hold down Shift and drag	Hold down Shift and drag
Draw Selection from the center	Hold down Alt and drag	Hold down Option and drag
Constrain and draw from center	Hold down Shift and Alt and drag	Hold down Shift and Option and drag
Add to a selection	Hold down Shift and add what you want	Hold down Shift and add what you want
Remove part of a selection	Hold down Alt and draw the part you wish to remove	Hold down Option and draw the part you wish to remove
Nudge selection by pixels	Arrow Keys – up, down, right, left	Arrow Keys – up, down, right, left
Select Multiple Layers Contiguously	Hold down Shift + select the top and bottom ones	Hold down Shift + select the top and bottom ones
Select Multiple Layers non Contiguously	Hold Ctrl + click on each one	Hold Command + click on each one
Use Lasso tool over large area	Hold down Alt while drawing	Hold down Option while drawing

Working With Brushes

Command	Windows	Mac
Constrain Brush Tool to a straight line	Hold down Shift and click points	Hold down Shift and click points
Increase Brush Size	Bracket key – right one	Bracket key – right one
Decrease Brush Size	Bracket key – left one	Bracket key – left one
Choose Brush Opacity by %	Number keys (1=10%, 2=20% etc)	Number keys (1=10%, 2=20% etc)
Undo the last thing done	Ctrl + Z	Command + Z

The tools located in the Vertical Tool Bar may also be accessed using Keyboard Shortcuts, or by just clicking on the one you want visually.

Many of these tool boxes contain multiple options within that may be scrolled through just by repeatedly clicking the Keyboard Shortcut for that tool.

PHOTOSHOP TOOL SHORTCUTS

Command	Windows/Mac
Move Tool Box	V
Marquee Tool Box	M
Lasso Tool Box	L
Quick Selection Tool Box	W
Crop and Slice Tool Box	C
Eyedropper Sampler Ruler Tool Box	I
Healing Brush Tool Box	J
Brush Tool Box	B
Clone Stamp Tool Box	S
History Brush Tool Box	Y
Eraser Tool Box	E
Gradient Fill Tool Box	G
Dodge Burn Tool Box	O
Pen Tool Box	P
Text Tool Box	T
Path Selection Tool Box	A
Shapes Tool Box	U
Hand Tool	H
Rotate Tool	R
Default Color Box to black and white	D
Exchange foreground and background colors	X

When you are learning to use Keyboard Shortcuts, take it easy! Don’t try to learn them all at once; master a few of them and then add a few more.

I’d suggest starting with easy navigation shortcuts, like:

• Zoom In
• Zoom Out
• Fit on Screen
• File Save
• File Close
• Toggle Screen Mode (I suggest working in Full Screen Mode with Menu Bar)

Then add:

• Brush Opacity
• Brush Size
• New Layer
• New Layer via Copy
• Add Layer Mask
• Edit / Transform
• Add Adjustment Layer

From there, add more according to the tools and functions you use the most.

CREATE/MODIFY YOUR OWN CUSTOM PHOTOSHOP SHORTCUTS

If you want to modify an existing Photoshop shortcut or create custom Photoshop shortcuts for commands that have no default shortcut, follow the instructions below:

In Photoshop, go to Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts, or hit Alt + Shift + Ctrl + K (a shortcut to access the shortcut!)

Within the Keyboard Shortcuts window, choose a shortcut type from the “Shortcuts For:” drop down menu.

• Application Menus: Customize keyboard shortcuts for items in the menu bar
• Panel Menus: Customize keyboard shortcuts for items in panel menus
• Tools: Customize keyboard shortcuts for tools in the toolbox

Once you find the command that you want to create/modify, click on the blue arrow to view the existing shortcuts.

To modify – click on an existing shortcut and you’ll be able to modify it with your own personalized shortcut.

To create – click on the blank space next to a command and you’ll be able to create your own personalized shortcut.

If you want to undo a change, press the undo button, or Ctrl + Z.

Once you’re finished with customizing your own shortcuts, click on the OK button and it will save into the Photoshop Defaults set.

If you want to create your own set (not save into the Photoshop Defaults set), simply click on the save icon on the top and you’ll be able to name and save your personalized set.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Keyboard Shortcuts are designed to help you cut down on the time spent navigating the software so you can concentrate on the creative part of imaging.

Don’t feel like a dummy if you don’t know them all – the important part of digital imaging is the beautiful results you produce with your imagination and mastery of the tools and functions to create art.

Keyboard Shortcuts just help you get there a little faster!

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