Keyboard Shortcuts
If you often find yourself using the mouse to change the current tool you are using, you might be able to speed up the process by memorizing a few keyboard shortcuts. If you forget which key goes to which function, take a look at the menus.
Don't like a particular shortcut, or wish a menu item had one? You can change or add shortcuts via the Keyboard System Preferences, under the "Application Shortcuts" section which you can read more about from Apple.
Tools
Move |
|
V |
Zoom |
|
Z |
Crop |
|
C |
Pan |
|
H |
Rectangular select |
|
M |
Elliptical select |
Shift-M |
⇧M |
Free select |
Shift-M |
⇧M |
Polygonal select |
Shift-M |
⇧M |
Magic wand select |
|
W |
Instant alpha |
|
E |
Paint |
|
B |
Pencil |
|
N |
Flood fill/paint bucket |
|
K |
Eraser |
|
E |
Clone |
Shift-O |
⇧O |
Smudge |
Shift-O |
⇧O |
Dodge |
Shift-O |
⇧O |
Burn |
Shift-O |
⇧O |
Gradient |
|
G |
Text |
|
T |
Circle text |
|
TT |
Path text |
|
TTT |
Bézier pen |
|
P |
Bézier freehand |
|
|
Bézier anchor select |
|
A |
Reset bézier control points |
Shift-C |
⇧C |
Line shape |
Semi-colon |
; |
Rectangle shape |
|
R |
Oval shape |
|
O |
Pick color |
Control-C |
^C |
Drawing & Color
Pick color |
Control-C |
^C |
Reset colors |
|
D |
Swap colors |
|
X |
Increase brush size |
Option-Control-Right drag or Right bracket |
] |
Decrease brush size |
Option-Control-Left drag or Left bracket |
[ |
Paint straight lines |
Shift-click |
|
Convert brush to eraser |
Option-Command-drag |
|
Toggle fill for a shape |
|
⇧F |
Toggle stroke for a shape |
|
⇧B |
Color profile |
|
⇧⌘K |
Layers
New layer |
Command-N |
⌘N |
New layer with selection |
Command-J |
⌘J |
New layer with cut selection |
Shift-Command-J |
⇧⌘J |
New shape layer |
Option-Shift-Command-N |
⌥⇧⌘N |
New group layer |
Command-G |
⌘G |
Ungroup layer |
Shift-Command-G |
⇧⌘G |
Delete layer |
Control-Command-Minus |
^⌘- |
Hide layer |
Control-Shift-Command-H |
^⇧⌘H |
Lock layer |
Option-Command-L |
⌥⌘L |
Duplicate layer |
Shift-Command-D |
⇧⌘D |
Bring to front |
Shift-Command-Right Bracket |
⇧⌘] |
Bring forward |
Option-Command-Right Bracket |
⌥⌘] |
Send backward |
Option-Command-Left Bracket |
⌥⌘[ |
Send to back |
Shift-Command-Left Bracket |
⇧⌘[ |
Merge down |
Command-E |
⌘E |
Merge visible |
Shift-Command-E |
⇧⌘E |
Merge visible to new layer |
Option-Shift-Command-E |
⌥⇧⌘E |
Select next layer |
Option-Right Bracket |
⌥] |
Select previous layer |
Option-Left Bracket |
⌥[ |
Cycle transparency |
Single Digit Numbers |
0,1-9 |
Delete contents of layer |
Delete Key |
⌫ |
Scale and rotate |
Command-T |
⌘T |
Perspective transform |
Shift-Command-T |
⇧⌘T |
Hide other layers |
Option-click layer visibility icon |
|
Magnification/Zoom
Zoom in |
Command-Plus |
⌘+ |
Zoom out |
Command-Minus |
⌘- |
100% zoom |
Command-1 |
⌘1 |
200% zoom |
Command-2 |
⌘2 |
400% zoom |
Command-3 |
⌘3 |
800% & 3500% toggle |
Command-4 |
⌘4 |
50% & 25% toggle |
Command-5 |
⌘5 |
Fit image in window |
Command-0 |
⌘0 |
Full screen toggle |
F |
F |
Zoom in/out |
Option-Mouse scroll |
|
Zoom window |
Command-Forward slash |
⌘/ |
Zoom all windows |
Option-Command-Forward slash |
⌥⌘/ |
Palettes
Show/hide palettes |
Tab |
Tab |
Gather palettes |
Control-Command-Backslash |
^⌘\ |
Colors palette |
Shift-Command-C |
⇧⌘C |
Filters Palette |
Shift-Command-F |
⇧⌘F |
General
Create new file |
Command-N |
⌘N |
New from clipboard |
Option-Command-N |
⌥⌘N |
Open existing file |
Command-O |
⌘O |
Open folder |
Shift-Command-O |
⇧⌘O |
Open preferences |
Command-Comma |
⌘, |
Close image |
Command-W |
⌘W |
Close all images |
Option-Command-W |
⌥⌘W |
Save image |
Command-S |
⌘S |
Save image as |
Shift-Command-S |
⇧⌘S |
Export image |
Option-Command-S |
⌥⌘S |
Web export image |
Option-Shift-Command-S |
⌥⇧⌘S |
File info |
Option-Shift-Command-I |
⌥⇧⌘I |
Minimize window |
Command-M |
⌘M |
Minimize all windows |
Option-Command-M |
⌥⌘M |
Hide Acorn |
Command-H |
⌘H |
Hide others |
Option-Command-H |
⌥⌘H |
Quit Acorn |
Command-Q |
⌘Q |
|
Command-P |
⌘P |
Page setup |
Shift-Command-P |
⇧⌘P |
Cycle through windows |
Command-Grave Accent |
⌘` |
Cycle through tabs |
Control-TAB |
^⇥ |
Make new image from screenshot |
Shift-Command-6 |
⇧⌘6 |
Selections
Rectangular |
|
M |
Elliptical |
Shift-M |
⌘M, S |
Free select |
Shift-M |
⌘M, S, L |
Polygonal |
Shift-M |
⌘M, S, L |
Magic wand |
|
W |
Select all |
Command-A |
⌘A |
Clear selection |
Command-D |
⌘D |
Hide selection |
Control-Command-H |
^⌘H |
Quick mask mode |
Q |
Q |
Inverse selection |
Shift-Command-I |
⇧⌘I |
View selection as marching.. |
Command-Backslash |
⌘\ |
Select next shape |
Control-Command-Right bracket |
^⌘] |
Select previous shape |
Control-Command-Left bracket |
^⌘[ |
Copy |
Command-C |
⌘C |
Cut |
Command-X |
⌘X |
Paste |
Command-V |
⌘V |
Add to selection |
Hold Shift key as you drag |
|
Subtract from selection |
Hold Option-Shift keys as you drag |
|
Constrain to circle/square |
Shift-drag after starting selection |
⇧ Drag |
Reposition origin while drawing |
Spacebar-drag |
|
Grow selection from middle |
Option-drag after starting selection |
|
Selection from layer |
Double-click layer thumbnail image |
|
Trim out selection |
Control-Option-Command-T |
^⌥⌘T |
Grow selection by 1 pixel |
Option-Arrow key |
|
Grow selection by 10 pixels |
Option-Shift-Arrow key |
|
Move selection |
Move tool or Arrow keys |
|
Copy and move selection |
Option-Command drag |
|
Paste into |
Shift-Command-V |
⇧⌘V |
Quick mask mode |
|
Q |
Marque / Selection / Lasso (M/S/L)
M selects the rectangular selection tool. Pressing shift-m or s multiple times will cycle through the rect, oval, free select, polygonal, and magic wand selection tools. Pressing L will toggle the free select and polygonal selection tools.
Editing
Undo last action |
Command-Z |
⌘Z |
Redo last action |
Shift-Command-Z |
⇧⌘Z |
Cancel operation |
Escape key |
ESC |
Fill with front color well |
Option-Delete |
⌥ ⌫ |
Fill with back color well |
Option-Shift-Delete |
⌥⇧⌫ |
Fill panel |
Shift-Delete |
⇧⌫ |
Delete layer contents |
Delete |
⌫ |
Resize image |
Option-Command-I |
⌥⌘I |
Resize canvas |
Option-Command-C |
⌥⌘C |
Rotate canvas 90 clockwise |
Command-Right Bracket |
⌘] |
Rotate " " counterclockwise |
Command-Left Bracket |
⌘[ |
Crop |
Option-Command-K |
⌥⌘K |
Trim to Edges |
Control-Command-T |
^⌘T |
Last filter |
Command-F |
⌘F |
Levels |
Command-L |
⌘L |
Auto-levels |
Shift-Command-L |
⇧⌘L |
Curves |
Shift-Command-M |
⇧⌘M |
Rulers, Guides, & Grids
Show ruler |
Command-R |
⌘R |
Toggle guides |
Option-Command-Semicolon |
⌥⌘; |
Toggle grid |
Command-Apostrophe |
⌘’ |
Shapes
Draw shape vectors/view shape outlines |
Command-Y |
⌘Y |
New shape layer |
Option-Shift-Command-N |
⌥⇧⌘N |
Bring to front |
Shift-Command-Up Arrow |
⇧⌘ ↑ |
Bring forward |
Command-Up Arrow |
⌘ ↑ |
Send backward |
Command-Down Arrow |
⌘↓ |
Send to back |
Shift-Command-Down Arrow |
⇧⌘ ↓ |
Select next shape |
Control-Command-Right Bracket |
^⌘] |
Select previous shape |
Control-Command-Left Bracket |
^⌘[ |
Toggle fill for selected shape |
Shift-F |
⇧F |
Toggle stroke for selected shape |
Shift-B |
⇧B |
Text
Text tool |
|
T |
Move tool |
|
V |
Bold |
Command-B |
⌘B |
Italic |
Command-I |
⌘I |
Underline |
Command-U |
⌘U |
Bigger |
Command-Greater Than |
⌘> |
Smaller |
Command-Lesser Than |
⌘< |
Tighten kerning |
Option-Command-Left Arrow |
⌥⌘← |
Tigthen kerning 10x |
Option-Shift-Command-Left Arrow |
⌥⇧⌘← |
Loosen kerning |
Option-Command-Right Arrow |
⌥⌘→ |
Loosen kerning 10x |
Option-Shift-Command-Right Arrow |
⌥⇧⌘→ |
Center text |
Command-Bar |
⌘| |
Spelling |
Command-Colon |
⌘: |
Check spelling |
Command-Semicolon |
⌘; |
Emoji & symboles |
Control-Command-Spacebar |
^⌘ Spacebar |
Other
Toggle Web Export Preview |
Spacebar |
|
Legend:
⌘ |
Command Key |
^ |
Control Key |
⌥ |
Option Key |
⇧ |
Shift Key |