Basic Photoshop Shortcuts

There are a number of basic shortcuts you absolutely need to know to use Photoshop effectively. Of course, these include the standard shortcuts that you use in most programs:

• Ctrl-N / Command-N for New Document
• Ctrl-O / Command-O for Open an Existing Document
• Ctrl-X / Command-X for Cut
• Ctrl-C / Command-C for Copy
• Ctrl-V / Command-V for Paste
• Ctrl-A / Command-A for Select All
• Ctrl-S / Command-S for Save
• Ctrl-Z / Command-Z for Undo

However, there are a number of other shortcuts that are essential for productive Photoshop use; you'll need to know these as well. In most cases, these shortcuts also work in Macromedia Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash, and other programs.

Hand Tool

The Hand Tool allows you to move the visible portion of an image within the document window without using scroll bars or scroll arrows.

To temporarily switch to the Hand Tool from another tool press the space bar (except when using the Text tool).

Double-clicking the Hand Tool resizes the image to the maximum document window area.

Clicking the Zoom Tool magnifies the image to the next preset percentage, centering the display around the point you click.

Pressing the Alt/Option key while clicking the Zoom Tool reduces the image to half its current size, centering the display around the point you click.

Double-clicking the Zoom Tool resizes the image to 100% view (i.e., each image pixel is represented by one screen pixel).

Dragging the Zoom Tool around a portion of the image enlarges that portion to the maximum viewing size.

Constraining Movement & Proportions

The Shift key generally constrains movement of selected items to either vertical, horizontal, or 45 degree directions. Begin dragging the item in some direction and then hold down the Shift key to constrain its direction.

The Shift key also is useful for constraining selections made with either the Rectangular or Elliptical Marquee tools to circles or squares; simply hold down the Shift key as you drag out the selection.

The Alt/Option key can be used in conjuntion with either the Rectangular or Elliptical Marquee tools to create selections that grow out from the center of the selection.

You can add onto a selection by holding down the Shift key as you make the new selection.

You can subtract from a selection by holding down the Alt/Option key as you make the new selection.

Transform

Pressing the Control-T (PC) or Command-T (Mac) keys surrounds the image with the Free Transform controls. These let you use the Scale, Rotate, Skew, Distort, and Perspective commands without having to select them from the menu.

Layer Masks

To view only the Layer Mask, instead of the image to which it's applied, Alt/Option-Click the mask's thumbnail in the Layers palette. Alt/Option-Click the mask's thumbnail again to see the normal view of the image and its Layer Mask.

Clipping Group

Clipping Groups use one layer as a mask for another. To create a clipping group Alt/Option-Click the cursor on the border between the two layers in the Layers Palette. The lower layer acts as a mask for the next-hgher layer.

Color Picker

The Color Picker allows you to select foreground and background colors by single-clicking on the respective color chips.

To set the color chips back to their defaults of black foreground and white background press the D key.

To exchange the foreground and background color swatches, press the X key.

Tutorials

Shortcuts