Introduction
Adobe Photoshop is the industry-standard software for image editing, graphic design, and digital art. Mastering keyboard shortcuts is essential for improving efficiency and streamlining your workflow. This comprehensive cheatsheet organizes the most valuable Photoshop shortcuts by category, helping you work faster and more productively regardless of your experience level.
Essential File Management Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| New Document | Ctrl + N | ⌘ + N |
| Open Document | Ctrl + O | ⌘ + O |
| Save | Ctrl + S | ⌘ + S |
| Save As | Ctrl + Shift + S | ⌘ + Shift + S |
| Save for Web | Ctrl + Alt + Shift + S | ⌘ + Option + Shift + S |
| Ctrl + P | ⌘ + P | |
| Close Document | Ctrl + W | ⌘ + W |
| Close All Documents | Ctrl + Alt + W | ⌘ + Option + W |
| Exit/Quit Photoshop | Ctrl + Q | ⌘ + Q |
Navigation and View Control
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Zoom In | Ctrl + + | ⌘ + + |
| Zoom Out | Ctrl + – | ⌘ + – |
| Fit on Screen | Ctrl + 0 | ⌘ + 0 |
| 100% View (Actual Pixels) | Ctrl + 1 | ⌘ + 1 |
| Rotate Canvas | R (then drag) | R (then drag) |
| Hand Tool (Pan) | Spacebar (hold) | Spacebar (hold) |
| Scroll Up/Down | Page Up/Page Down | Page Up/Page Down |
| Scroll Left/Right | Ctrl + Page Up/Down | ⌘ + Page Up/Down |
| Jump to First/Last Layer | Home/End | Home/End |
| Toggle Rulers | Ctrl + R | ⌘ + R |
| Toggle Grid | Ctrl + ‘ | ⌘ + ‘ |
| Toggle Guides | Ctrl + ; | ⌘ + ; |
| Toggle Snap | Ctrl + Shift + ; | ⌘ + Shift + ; |
| Screen Modes | F (cycle through) | F (cycle through) |
| Hide/Show All Panels | Tab | Tab |
| Hide/Show All But Options | Shift + Tab | Shift + Tab |
Selection Tools and Operations
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Rectangular Marquee Tool | M | M |
| Elliptical Marquee Tool | Shift + M | Shift + M |
| Lasso Tool | L | L |
| Polygonal Lasso Tool | Shift + L | Shift + L |
| Magnetic Lasso Tool | Shift + L (cycle) | Shift + L (cycle) |
| Magic Wand Tool | W | W |
| Object Selection Tool | W (cycle) | W (cycle) |
| Quick Selection Tool | W (cycle) | W (cycle) |
| Select All | Ctrl + A | ⌘ + A |
| Deselect | Ctrl + D | ⌘ + D |
| Reselect | Ctrl + Shift + D | ⌘ + Shift + D |
| Inverse Selection | Ctrl + Shift + I | ⌘ + Shift + I |
| Feather Selection | Alt + Ctrl + D | Option + ⌘ + D |
| Grow Selection | Ctrl + Alt + ] | ⌘ + Option + ] |
| Similar Selection | Ctrl + Alt + ~ | ⌘ + Option + ~ |
| Transform Selection | Ctrl + T | ⌘ + T |
| Content-Aware Fill | Shift + Backspace | Shift + Delete |
| Select and Mask | Alt + Ctrl + R | Option + ⌘ + R |
Layer Management
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| New Layer | Ctrl + Shift + N | ⌘ + Shift + N |
| New Layer via Copy | Ctrl + J | ⌘ + J |
| New Layer via Cut | Ctrl + Shift + J | ⌘ + Shift + J |
| Create Clipping Mask | Ctrl + Alt + G | ⌘ + Option + G |
| Release Clipping Mask | Ctrl + Alt + Shift + G | ⌘ + Option + Shift + G |
| Group Layers | Ctrl + G | ⌘ + G |
| Ungroup Layers | Ctrl + Shift + G | ⌘ + Shift + G |
| Merge Layers | Ctrl + E | ⌘ + E |
| Merge Visible | Ctrl + Shift + E | ⌘ + Shift + E |
| Link Layers | Ctrl + Click layers | ⌘ + Click layers |
| Select All Layers | Ctrl + Alt + A | ⌘ + Option + A |
| Select Similar Layers | Right-click + “Select Similar Layers” | Right-click + “Select Similar Layers” |
| Move Layer Up | Ctrl + ] | ⌘ + ] |
| Move Layer Down | Ctrl + [ | ⌘ + [ |
| Move to Top | Ctrl + Shift + ] | ⌘ + Shift + ] |
| Move to Bottom | Ctrl + Shift + [ | ⌘ + Shift + [ |
| Toggle Layer Lock | / | / |
| Toggle Layer Visibility | Click eye icon | Click eye icon |
Layer Properties and Styles
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Layer Properties | Double-click layer thumbnail | Double-click layer thumbnail |
| Layer Style Dialog | Double-click layer (not thumbnail) | Double-click layer (not thumbnail) |
| Copy Layer Style | Right-click + “Copy Layer Style” | Right-click + “Copy Layer Style” |
| Paste Layer Style | Right-click + “Paste Layer Style” | Right-click + “Paste Layer Style” |
| Toggle Lock Transparent Pixels | / | / |
| Fill Dialog | Shift + Backspace | Shift + Delete |
| Fill with Foreground Color | Alt + Backspace | Option + Delete |
| Fill with Background Color | Ctrl + Backspace | ⌘ + Delete |
| Fill with History | Ctrl + Alt + Backspace | ⌘ + Option + Delete |
| Adjustment Layer Menu | Click adjustment layer icon | Click adjustment layer icon |
Essential Editing Tools
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Brush Tool | B | B |
| Pencil Tool | Shift + B | Shift + B |
| Color Replacement Tool | Shift + B (cycle) | Shift + B (cycle) |
| Mixer Brush Tool | Shift + B (cycle) | Shift + B (cycle) |
| Clone Stamp Tool | S | S |
| Pattern Stamp Tool | Shift + S | Shift + S |
| Healing Brush Tool | J | J |
| Spot Healing Brush Tool | Shift + J | Shift + J |
| Patch Tool | Shift + J (cycle) | Shift + J (cycle) |
| Eraser Tool | E | E |
| Background Eraser Tool | Shift + E | Shift + E |
| Magic Eraser Tool | Shift + E (cycle) | Shift + E (cycle) |
| Gradient Tool | G | G |
| Paint Bucket Tool | Shift + G | Shift + G |
| Dodge Tool | O | O |
| Burn Tool | Shift + O | Shift + O |
| Sponge Tool | Shift + O (cycle) | Shift + O (cycle) |
| Blur Tool | Shift + R (cycle) | Shift + R (cycle) |
| Sharpen Tool | Shift + R (cycle) | Shift + R (cycle) |
| Smudge Tool | Shift + R (cycle) | Shift + R (cycle) |
Brush Control
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Increase Brush Size | ] | ] |
| Decrease Brush Size | [ | [ |
| Increase Brush Hardness | Shift + ] | Shift + ] |
| Decrease Brush Hardness | Shift + [ | Shift + [ |
| Previous Brush | , (comma) | , (comma) |
| Next Brush | . (period) | . (period) |
| First Brush | < | < |
| Last Brush | > | > |
| Toggle Brush Panel | F5 | F5 |
Text Editing and Typography
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Type Tool | T | T |
| Vertical Type Tool | Shift + T | Shift + T |
| Horizontal/Vertical Toggle | Shift + T (cycle) | Shift + T (cycle) |
| Bold | Ctrl + Shift + B | ⌘ + Shift + B |
| Italic | Ctrl + Shift + I | ⌘ + Shift + I |
| Increase Font Size | Ctrl + Shift + > | ⌘ + Shift + > |
| Decrease Font Size | Ctrl + Shift + < | ⌘ + Shift + < |
| Align Left | Ctrl + Shift + L | ⌘ + Shift + L |
| Align Center | Ctrl + Shift + C | ⌘ + Shift + C |
| Align Right | Ctrl + Shift + R | ⌘ + Shift + R |
| Justify Text | Ctrl + Shift + J | ⌘ + Shift + J |
| Toggle Character Panel | Ctrl + T | ⌘ + T |
| Toggle Paragraph Panel | Ctrl + M | ⌘ + M |
| Commit Text Changes | Enter (on numeric keypad) | Return (on numeric keypad) |
| Cancel Text Changes | Esc | Esc |
Shape Tools
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Rectangle Tool | U | U |
| Rounded Rectangle Tool | Shift + U | Shift + U |
| Ellipse Tool | Shift + U (cycle) | Shift + U (cycle) |
| Polygon Tool | Shift + U (cycle) | Shift + U (cycle) |
| Line Tool | Shift + U (cycle) | Shift + U (cycle) |
| Custom Shape Tool | Shift + U (cycle) | Shift + U (cycle) |
| Draw Perfect Square/Circle | Shift + drag | Shift + drag |
| Draw from Center | Alt + drag | Option + drag |
| Add to Shape | Shift + click | Shift + click |
| Subtract from Shape | Alt + click | Option + click |
| Intersect Shapes | Alt + Shift + click | Option + Shift + click |
Pen Tool and Paths
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Pen Tool | P | P |
| Freeform Pen Tool | Shift + P | Shift + P |
| Curvature Pen Tool | Shift + P (cycle) | Shift + P (cycle) |
| Add Anchor Point Tool | + | + |
| Delete Anchor Point Tool | – | – |
| Convert Point Tool | Alt + click on point | Option + click on point |
| Direct Selection Tool | A | A |
| Path Selection Tool | Shift + A | Shift + A |
| Make Selection from Path | Enter | Return |
| Make Path from Selection | Ctrl + Enter | ⌘ + Return |
| Stroke Path with Brush | Alt + click stroke button | Option + click stroke button |
| Fill Path | Alt + click fill button | Option + click fill button |
Color and Swatches
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Set Foreground Color | Click foreground color box | Click foreground color box |
| Set Background Color | Click background color box | Click background color box |
| Swap Foreground/Background | X | X |
| Default Colors (Black/White) | D | D |
| Toggle Color Panel | F6 | F6 |
| Toggle Swatches Panel | F5 | F5 |
| Eyedropper Tool | I | I |
| Sample Foreground Color | Alt + click | Option + click |
| Color Sampler Tool | Shift + I | Shift + I |
| Color Picker Dialog | Ctrl + click foreground/background | ⌘ + click foreground/background |
Transformations
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Free Transform | Ctrl + T | ⌘ + T |
| Scale | Ctrl + T (then drag) | ⌘ + T (then drag) |
| Rotate | Ctrl + T (then move cursor outside) | ⌘ + T (then move cursor outside) |
| Distort | Ctrl + T (then Ctrl + drag corner) | ⌘ + T (then ⌘ + drag corner) |
| Perspective | Ctrl + T (then Ctrl + Alt + Shift + drag) | ⌘ + T (then ⌘ + Option + Shift + drag) |
| Warp | Ctrl + T (then right-click > Warp) | ⌘ + T (then Control + click > Warp) |
| Constrain Proportions | Shift + drag | Shift + drag |
| Transform from Center | Alt + drag | Option + drag |
| Precise Rotation (15° increments) | Shift + rotate | Shift + rotate |
| Apply Transformation | Enter | Return |
| Cancel Transformation | Esc | Esc |
History and Undo
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Undo | Ctrl + Z | ⌘ + Z |
| Redo | Ctrl + Shift + Z | ⌘ + Shift + Z |
| Step Forward | Ctrl + Shift + Z | ⌘ + Shift + Z |
| Step Backward | Ctrl + Alt + Z | ⌘ + Option + Z |
| Toggle History Panel | F7 | F7 |
| New Snapshot | Click camera icon in History | Click camera icon in History |
| Clear History | Click trash icon in History | Click trash icon in History |
| History Brush | Y | Y |
| Art History Brush | Shift + Y | Shift + Y |
Filter and Adjustments
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Last Filter | Ctrl + F | ⌘ + F |
| Last Filter with Dialog | Ctrl + Alt + F | ⌘ + Option + F |
| Fade Last Filter | Ctrl + Shift + F | ⌘ + Shift + F |
| Filter Gallery | Ctrl + F (if last used) | ⌘ + F (if last used) |
| Liquify | Ctrl + Shift + X | ⌘ + Shift + X |
| Levels | Ctrl + L | ⌘ + L |
| Auto Levels | Ctrl + Shift + L | ⌘ + Shift + L |
| Curves | Ctrl + M | ⌘ + M |
| Auto Curves | Ctrl + Shift + M | ⌘ + Shift + M |
| Color Balance | Ctrl + B | ⌘ + B |
| Hue/Saturation | Ctrl + U | ⌘ + U |
| Desaturate | Ctrl + Shift + U | ⌘ + Shift + U |
| Invert | Ctrl + I | ⌘ + I |
| Auto Contrast | Ctrl + Alt + Shift + L | ⌘ + Option + Shift + L |
Panels and Workspaces
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Toggle Layers Panel | F7 | F7 |
| Toggle Info Panel | F8 | F8 |
| Toggle Actions Panel | F9 | F9 |
| New Action | Click create new action icon | Click create new action icon |
| Start Recording Action | Click record button | Click record button |
| Stop Recording Action | Click stop button | Click stop button |
| Run Action | Select action + click play | Select action + click play |
| Toggle Properties Panel | Alt + Enter | Option + Return |
| Toggle Character Panel | Ctrl + T | ⌘ + T |
| Show/Hide All Panels | Tab | Tab |
| Show/Hide All But Options | Shift + Tab | Shift + Tab |
Advanced Techniques
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Export Layers to Files | File > Export > Layers to Files | File > Export > Layers to Files |
| Script Events Manager | File > Scripts > Script Events Manager | File > Scripts > Script Events Manager |
| Record Measurements | Analysis > Record Measurements | Analysis > Record Measurements |
| Image Processor | File > Scripts > Image Processor | File > Scripts > Image Processor |
| Contact Sheet II | File > Automate > Contact Sheet II | File > Automate > Contact Sheet II |
| Photomerge | File > Automate > Photomerge | File > Automate > Photomerge |
| Create Droplet | File > Automate > Create Droplet | File > Automate > Create Droplet |
| Batch Process | File > Automate > Batch | File > Automate > Batch |
Tool Modifiers (Hold While Using Tools)
| Key Combination | Effect |
|---|---|
| Shift (while drawing) | Constrain to straight lines or perfect shapes |
| Alt/Option (while drawing) | Draw from center |
| Shift + Alt/Option | Draw constrained shape from center |
| Spacebar (while drawing) | Repositions shape while drawing |
| [ or ] | Change brush size while painting |
| Shift + [ or ] | Change brush hardness while painting |
| Shift (with Lasso) | Add straight line segments |
| Alt/Option (with Selection) | Subtract from selection |
| Shift (with Selection) | Add to selection |
| Alt + Shift/Option + Shift | Intersect with selection |
| Alt/Option (with Move tool) | Duplicate while moving |
| Shift (with Move tool) | Constrain movement (45° angles) |
Common Troubleshooting Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Rebuild Preferences | Ctrl + Alt + Shift on startup | ⌘ + Option + Shift on startup |
| Purge Clipboard | Edit > Purge > Clipboard | Edit > Purge > Clipboard |
| Purge Histories | Edit > Purge > Histories | Edit > Purge > Histories |
| Purge All | Edit > Purge > All | Edit > Purge > All |
| Check System Info | Help > System Info | Help > System Info |
| Performance Settings | Edit > Preferences > Performance | Photoshop > Preferences > Performance |
| Scratch Disk Settings | Edit > Preferences > Scratch Disks | Photoshop > Preferences > Scratch Disks |
Resources for Further Learning
Official Adobe Resources
- Adobe Photoshop User Guide: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/user-guide.html
- Adobe Photoshop YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Photoshop
- Adobe Creative Cloud tutorials
Third-Party Learning
- Phlearn: Premium Photoshop tutorials
- CreativeLive: Live and recorded Photoshop courses
- LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com): Structured Photoshop courses
- PiXimperfect YouTube channel: Advanced techniques and tricks
Photoshop Plugins
- Camera Raw (built-in)
- Nik Collection by DxO
- Topaz Labs plugins
- ON1 Effects
Community
- Behance’s Photoshop community
- Reddit r/photoshop forum
- DeviantArt Photoshop groups
- Adobe Photoshop Forums
This comprehensive keyboard shortcut cheatsheet covers the most essential Photoshop shortcuts to dramatically speed up your workflow. Print it out or keep it handy on your device to reference as you work. As you incorporate these shortcuts into your daily practice, they’ll become muscle memory, making your Photoshop experience much more efficient and enjoyable.