Top 10 list
of Basic Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts
(that Mom Wants You to Use)
Just
as mom wants you to brush and floss and wear clean undergarments,
she also wants you to use keyboard shortcuts. "They build character,
too!,” Dad would add. “When I was a kid, I begged my
parents for keyboard shortcuts! Begged!"
You may want to print out this list and post it by the computer for ready reference until they become second nature. If you plan to use Photoshop a lot, I guarantee it's worth the investment to use these shortcuts. You didn't like onions as a kid either, but you like them now, don't you? Don't take my word for it, listen to mom! On to the list. For clarity, I have color coded PC and Mac keyboard shortcuts.
Type a number |
To test out different levels of opacity for the current layer, you can simply type a number to change the layer's opacity. For example, type 7 and 5 will change the layer opacity to 75%. Typing 2 will change it to 20%. Note: This shortcut does not work if you have
any brush tools selected. Instead, it will change the
opacity of your brush. |
Right click with the Move Tool |
Being on the correct layer is important in Photoshop. You can automatically switch from one layer to another by right clicking with the Move tool and selecting the correct layer from the drop down list that appears. (On the Macintosh,
if you don't have a 2-button mouse, you can hold down the Control key and click to access this menu.) |
Hold ALT or Option and click on an Eye icon for a layer in Layers Panel |
This enables you to quickly hide all of the other layers except one next to where you click. When you have more than 5 layers, this becomes a fast way to check out what’s on a single layer. |
CTRL T |
The Free Rotate command enables you to rotate, skew, flip, or resize a selection or layer. This handy shortcut allows you to jump right into to editing it. A bounding box will appear around the object and you can |
CTRL
Z Command Z Undo |
Many folks know that CTRL Z (or Command Z) is the universal shortcut for Undo. In Photoshop, it only goes back one step, and if you press CTRL Z again, you redo the last step. If you want to go back further than just the last step, however, you can use the Step Backward command, CTRL ALT Z or Command Option Z. To Step Forward again, it’s CTRL SHIFT Z (Command SHIFT Z) |
[ and ] |
After you select a brush, you will often need your brush to be bigger or smaller. Instead of hunting through the Brushes drop down list to find the right size brush, you can simply use the right and left bracket keys (next to the p key). In Photoshop 7 and later, you can resize ANY brush including scatter brushes using this shortcut. Also, as a variation on this shortcut, if you want to make your brush fuzzier or sharper, hold down SHIFT and press your right or left bracket keys. |
Single key accelerators (Tool shortcuts) |
Each tool in the toolbox
has its own keyboard shortcut , also known as a single
key accelerator. Commit these to memory because you can
work without having the toolbox showing. |
TAB |
Are your panels in the way? This feature allows you to hide all of those panels at once so you can have some breathing room. Pressing TAB again calls them all back. You might also like using SHIFT TAB, which hides your panels but NOT the Tools panel or Tool Options bar.. |
CTRL D |
You will constantly make selections in Photoshop and you should always deselect using CTRL D (Command D) instead of clicking away. To reselect an the most recent selection you made, use CTRL SHIFT D. |
CTRL 0 |
After you have zoomed in to your document, in order to take a step back and see the big picture again, you can conveniently hit these two keys and "voila," instant big picture! |
PS: Mom also says you should call her more often!