Have you ever wasted an entire mean solar day in Photoshop? So accept I. It's non similar yous outset out frantically. You lot have a simple goal in mind, similar cropping a photo, improving the resolution, or changing the size of the canvas. But then, yous see all the options. And before you know information technology, yous're attempting to solve The Riddle of the Sphinx.

Wouldn't it be nice if yous could but press a push button, and magically, Photoshop would do what you wanted information technology to do? Information technology turns out there are a wealth of Photoshop shortcuts that exercise exactly this.

Download Now: The Marketer's Guide to Photoshop

By pressing a few keys on your computer keyboard at the same time, y'all tin select tools, dispense images and layers, and even make adjustments to your project'due south sail. We'll evidence you how to do all of that (and more than) in this guide.

Save all of these shortcuts to your desktop past downloading the PDF version here.

Note: All of these shortcuts can be accessed on PC and Mac, only sometimes, they're unlike on each operating system. We've included both types beneath, and in the cases where they might be different, Mac instructions announced in italicized parentheses. Also, in these formulas, the plus sign (+) is nowadays only to represent the combination of key commands. On occasion, it might be part of the command itself, similar when you press the plus sign to zoom into a role of an image. Otherwise, don't press the plus sign between commands.

Getting Set Up

Yous'd think setting up your content in Photoshop would be second nature. Simply sometimes, the shortcuts to modify the background size, or zoom into your project aren't what yous recollect. Hither are some of the most crucial fundamental shortcuts to know:

Photoshop Shortcuts: Getting Set Up

ane. Change epitome size

Control + Alt + i (Command + Option + i )

two. Modify canvas size

Control + Alt + c (Command + Option + c )

three. Zoom in

Control + + (Command + + )

iv. Zoom out

Control + - (Command + - )

v. Scale Proportionately

Hold the shift key while selecting the object

six. Calibration in place (from center of the object)

Hold shift + option while selecting the object

7. Testify Rulers

Control + r (Command + r)

viii. Prove or hide the grid (the automatically-generated horizontal and vertical lines that aid align objects to the canvas.)

Control + ' (Control + ' )

Choosing the Correct Tools

These shortcuts will activate different groups of tools, like "Lasso," "Castor," or "Spot Healing Brush." Within these tools, though, there are different functions. Under the "Magic Wand" tool group, for example, you have the choice to execute a new selection or add and subtract from a current one.

Each i of these tools has a keyboard shortcut, and we've outlined some of them beneath.

 Photoshop Shortcuts: Choosing the Right Tools

nine. Arrow, a.k.a. Move Toolpointer-tool.png

five

10. Magic Wandmagic-wand-tool.png

w

11. Rectangular Marquee, a.thousand.a. the Select Toolmarquee-tool-1.png

m

12. Lassolasso-tool.png

l

13. Eyedroppereyedropper-tool.png

i

14. CropScreen Shot 2017-05-26 at 12.09.20 PM.png

c

15. EraserScreen Shot 2017-05-26 at 12.21.32 PM.png

e

16. Rectanglerectangle-tool.png

u

17. Horizontal Typetext-tool.png

t

xviii. BrushScreen Shot 2017-05-26 at 12.15.15 PM.png

b

nineteen. History Brush

history-brush-tool.png

y

20. Spot Healing Brushspot-healing-tool.png

j

21. GradientScreen Shot 2017-05-26 at 12.14.32 PM.png

thousand

22. Path Selectionpath-selection-tool.png

a

23. Handhand-tool.png

h

24. Rotate Viewrotate-view-tool.png

r

25. Penpen-tool.png

p

26. Clone Stampclone-stamp-tool.png

s

27. ContrivanceScreen Shot 2017-05-26 at 12.16.48 PM.png

o

28. Zoom Toolzoom-tool.png

z

29. Default Foreground and Background ColorsScreen Shot 2017-05-26 at 12.23.24 PM.png

d

30. Switch Foreground and Background ColorsScreen Shot 2017-05-26 at 12.25.24 PM.png

x

31. Edit in Quick Mask ModeScreen Shot 2017-05-26 at 12.26.26 PM.png

q

32. Change Screen ModeScreen Shot 2017-05-26 at 12.27.48 PM.png

x

33. Full Screen

f

Using the Castor Tool

With the brush settings, yous tin change the size, shape, and transparency of your castor strokes to achieve a number of different visual effects. To use these keyboard shortcuts, commencement select the Brush tool by pressing b.brush-tool.png

Photoshop Shortcuts: Using the Brush Tool

34. Select previous or next brush style

, or .

35. Select the first or final castor manner used

Shift + , or .

36. Display precise crosshair for brushes

Caps Lock or Shift + Caps Lock (Caps Lock)

37. Toggle airbrush option

Shift + Alt + p (Shift + Option + p)

Using the Marquee Tool (for Slicing/Selecting)

When used correctly, the marquee tool will let yous select individual elements, entire graphics, and make up one's mind what is copied, cut, and pasted into your graphics. To use these keyboard shortcuts, first select the Marquee tool past pressing grand.marquee-tool-2.png

Photoshop Shortcuts: Using the Marquee Tool

38. Toggle betwixt Piece tool and Slice Option tool

Control (Command)

39. Draw square slice

Shift + drag

40. Draw from center outward

Alt + elevate (Option + drag)

41. Depict square slice from middle outward

Shift + alt + elevate (Shift + option + drag)

42. Reposition the slice while creating the slice

Spacebar + drag

Using Dissimilar Blending Options

Blending options include a number of features to enhance the look of your graphic. You tin can always choose a blending selection by going to the top bill of fare bar, under Layer > Layer Fashion > Blending Options. Or, y'all can double-click whatsoever layer to bring up the options for that detail layer.

In one case you open blending options, you can use keyboard shortcuts to select them without moving your mouse. To use the shortcuts, select the Motion tool ("v"), then select the layer y'all'd like to use the blending options on. Below are some of the most popular modes.

Photoshop Shortcuts: Using Different Blending Options

43. Cycle through blending modes

Shift + + or –

44. Normal mode

Shift + Alt + n (Shift + Selection + n)

45. Deliquesce

Shift + Alt + i (Shift + Pick + i)

46. Darken

Shift + Alt + k (Shift + Option + 1000)

47. Lighten

Shift + Alt + thou (Shift + Option + m)

48. Multiply

Shift + Alt + m (Shift + Pick + m)

49. Overlay

Shift + Alt + o (Shift + Pick + o)

50. Hue

Shift + Alt + u (Shift + Selection + u)

51. Saturation

Shift + Alt + t (Shift + Selection + t)

52. Luminosity

Shift + Alt + y (Shift + Option + y)

For more niche blending shortcuts, check out these tips from Adobe.

Manipulating Layers & Objects

If you lot want to modify an object or get complex with multiple layers, here are some shortcuts yous might like to know:

Photoshop Shortcuts: Manipulating Layers and Objects

Click to Enlarge

53. Select all objects

Command + a (Command + a )

54. Deselect all objects

Command + d (Control + d )

55. Select the changed of the selected objects

Shift + Control + i (Shift + Command + i )

56. Select all layers

Control + Alt + a (Command + Option + a)

57. Merge all layers

Control + Shift + E (Command + Shift + e)

58. Select top layer

Alt + . (Option + .)

59. Select lesser layer

Alt + , (Option + ,)

Annotation: In shortcuts 55-57, the brackets ([ ]) are the keystrokes in the command, and "OR" refers to the actual word — equally in, press ane bracket OR the other, non the messages "o" and "r."

lx. Select side by side layer down or up

Alt + [ OR ] (Option + [ OR ])

61. Movement target layer down or up

Control + [ OR ] (Control + [ OR ])

62. Move layer to the lesser or top

Command + Shift + [ OR ] (Control + Shift + [ OR ])

63. Create a new layer

Shift + Command + n (Shift + Command + n)

64. Group selected layers

Control + thousand (Control + 1000)

65. Ungroup selected layers

Command + Shift + g (Command + Shift + chiliad)

66. Merge and flatten selected layers

Command + eastward (Command + eastward)

67. Combine all layers into a new layer on top of the other layers

Control + Shift + Alt + due east (Command + Shift + Option + e)

Note: This step gets you one, combined layer, with all elements of that layer in carve up layers below — which is different from a traditional merge-and-flatten layers command.

68. Transform your object (includes resizing and rotating)

Control + t (Control + t)

69. Multiple Undos

Control + Alt + z (Command + Pick + z)

And Finally — Save Your Work for Subsequently

Congratulations — you lot've finished working on your projection, and now, you're gear up to share information technology with the globe. Save time-saving your project past using these simple shortcuts:

Photoshop Shortcuts: Save For Later

lxx. Salvage as

Command + Shift + south (Command + Shift + s)

71. Save for web and devices

Control + Shift + Alt + s (Command + Shift + Option + south)

Marketer's Guide to Photoshop

New Call-to-action

Originally published January 7, 2022 7:00:00 AM, updated Jan 07 2022