71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro [+ PDF Cheatsheet] (2023)

Have you ever wasted an entire day in Photoshop?So have I. It's not like you start out aimlessly. You have a simple goal in mind, like cropping a photo, improving the resolution, or changing the size of the canvas. But then, you see all the options. And before you know it, you're attempting to solve The Riddle of the Sphinx.

71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (1)

Wouldn't it be nice if you could just press a button, and magically, Photoshop would do what you wanted it to do? It turns out there are a wealth of Photoshop shortcuts that do exactly this.

By pressing a few keys on your computer keyboard at the same time, you can select tools, manipulate images and layers, and even make adjustments to your project's canvas. We'll show you how to do all of that (and more) in this guide.

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

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

71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Save You Time

  1. Change image size
  2. Change canvas size
  3. Zoom in
  4. Zoom out
  5. Scale Proportionately
  6. Scale in place
  7. Show Rulers
  8. Show or hide the grid
  9. Pointer, a.k.a. Move Tool
  10. Magic Wand
  11. Rectangular Marquee, a.k.a. the Select Tool
  12. Lasso

Getting Set Up

You'd think setting up your content in Photoshop would be second nature. But sometimes, the shortcuts to change the background size, or zoom into your project aren't what you think. Here are some of the most crucial fundamental shortcuts to know:

71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (3)

1. Change image size

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

2. Change canvas size

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

3. Zoom in

Control + + (Command + + )

4. Zoom out

Control + - (Command + - )

5. Scale Proportionately

Hold the shift key while selecting the object

6. Scale in place (from center of the object)

Hold shift + option while selecting the object

7. Show Rulers

Control + r (Command + r)

8. Show or hide the grid (the automatically-generated horizontal and vertical lines that help align objects to the canvas.)

Control + ' (Command + ' )

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Choosing the Right Tools

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

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

71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (4)

9. Pointer, a.k.a. Move Tool71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (5)

v

10. Magic Wand71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (6)

w

11. Rectangular Marquee, a.k.a. the Select Tool71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (7)

m

12. Lasso71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (8)

l

13. Eyedropper71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (9)

i

14. Crop71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (10)

c

15. Eraser71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (11)

e

16. Rectangle71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (12)

u

17. Horizontal Type71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (13)

t

18. Brush71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (14)

b

19. History Brush

71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (15)

y

20. Spot Healing Brush71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (16)

j

21. Gradient71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (17)

g

22. Path Selection71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (18)

a

23. Hand71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (19)

h

24. Rotate View71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (20)

r

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25. Pen71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (21)

p

26. Clone Stamp71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (22)

s

27. Dodge71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (23)

o

28. Zoom Tool71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (24)

z

29. Default Foreground and Background Colors71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (25)

d

30. Switch Foreground and Background Colors71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (26)

x

31. Edit in Quick Mask Mode71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (27)

q

32. Change Screen Mode71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (28)

x

33. Full Screen

f

Using the Brush Tool

With the brush settings, you can change the size, shape, and transparency of your brush strokes to achieve a number of different visual effects. To use these keyboard shortcuts, first select the Brush tool by pressing b.71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (29)

71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (30)

34. Select previous or next brush style

, or .

35. Select the first or last brush style 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 you select individual elements, entire graphics, and determine what is copied, cut, and pasted into your graphics. To use these keyboard shortcuts, first select the Marquee tool by pressing m.71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (31)

71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (32)

38. Toggle between Slice tool and Slice Selection tool

Control (Command)

39. Draw square slice

Shift + drag

40. Draw from center outward

Alt + drag (Option + drag)

41. Draw square slice from center outward

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

42. Reposition the slice while creating the slice

Spacebar + drag

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Using Different Blending Options

Blending options include a number of features to enhance the look of your graphic. You can always choose a blending option by going to the top menu bar, under Layer > Layer Style > Blending Options. Or, you can double-click any layer to bring up the options for that particular layer.

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

71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (33)

43. Cycle through blending modes

Shift + + or –

44. Normal mode

Shift + Alt + n (Shift + Option + n)

45. Dissolve

Shift + Alt + i (Shift + Option + i)

46. Darken

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

47. Lighten

Shift + Alt + g (Shift + Option + g)

48. Multiply

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

49. Overlay

Shift + Alt + o (Shift + Option + o)

50. Hue

Shift + Alt + u (Shift + Option + u)

51. Saturation

Shift + Alt + t (Shift + Option + 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 want to modify an object or get complex with multiple layers, here are some shortcuts you might like to know:

71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (34)

Click to Enlarge

53. Select all objects

Control + a (Command + a )

54. Deselect all objects

Control + d (Command + d )

55. Select the inverse of the selected objects

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

56. Select all layers

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

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57. Merge all layers

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

58. Select top layer

Alt + . (Option + .)

59. Select bottom layer

Alt + , (Option + ,)

Note: In shortcuts 55-57, the brackets ([ ]) are the keystrokes in the command, and "OR" refers to the actual word — as in, press one bracket OR the other, not the letters "o" and "r."

60. Select next layer down or up

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

61. Move target layer down or up

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

62. Move layer to the bottom or top

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

63. Create a new layer

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

64. Group selected layers

Control + g (Command + g)

65. Ungroup selected layers

Control + Shift + g (Command + Shift + g)

66. Merge and flatten selected layers

Control + e (Command + e)

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

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

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

68. Transform your object (includes resizing and rotating)

Control + t (Command + t)

69. Multiple Undos

Control + Alt + z (Command + Option + z)

And Finally — Save Your Work for Later

Congratulations — you've finished working on your project, and now, you're ready to share it with the world. Save time-saving your project by using these simple shortcuts:

71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro[+ PDF Cheatsheet] (35)

70. Save as

Control + Shift + s (Command + Shift + s)

71. Save for web and devices

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

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Topics: Photoshop Tips

FAQs

What is the 70 shortcut in Photoshop? ›

70. Increase/decrease kerning or tracking. Adjust the space between your text in Photoshop with this handy keyboard command.

What is F7 used for in Photoshop? ›

Show And Hide The Layers Panel

By default, Photoshop's Layers panel appears in the panel column along the right of the screen: The Layers panel opens in the lower right of Photoshop's interface. You can show or hide the Layers panel by pressing the F7 key on your keyboard. Press F7 once to hide the Layers panel.

What does Ctrl SHIFT Z do in Photoshop? ›

This command lets you undo the very last edit you made.

What is Ctrl +J in Photoshop? ›

Must-Know Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts!
macOSWindows
Step BackCommand Option ZCtrl Alt Z
DuplicateCommand JCtrl J
Duplicate all visible LayersCommand Shift Option ECtrl Shift Alt E
Hide ExtrasCommand HCtrl H
19 more rows
Mar 1, 2023

What are the shortcut keys in Photoshop? ›

Each one of these tools has a keyboard shortcut, and we've outlined some of them below.
  • Pointer, a.k.a. Move Tool. v.
  • Magic Wand. w.
  • Rectangular Marquee, a.k.a. the Select Tool. m.
  • Lasso. l.
  • Eyedropper. i.
  • Crop. c.
  • Eraser. e.
  • Rectangle. u.
Jan 7, 2022

What is Ctrl Shift G in Photoshop? ›

Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts for Layers

⌘/Ctrl + Shift + G Ungroups layers. Alt/Option-click on the eye icon of a layer to hide all other layers than this one. Alt/Option -click between 2 layers to create a clipping mask between the 2 layers.

What are F7 keys used for? ›

More Information
Enhanced function keyWhat it does
ReplyF7: Replies to the e-mail in the active window.
SaveF11: Saves the file in the active window.
SendF9: Sends the e-mail in the active window.
SpellF10: Starts the spell checking program in the active document, if the document's program has this feature.
11 more rows

What is the golden code in Photoshop? ›

The hex code for gold is #FFD700. Like most orange and yellow hues, gold works well with colors found in nature like greens and blues.

What is F6 in Photoshop? ›

Show/hide color panel. F6.

What does the F key do in Photoshop? ›

Toggle Screen Modes - F

Press the "F" key to quickly toggle between the different screen modes (standard screen, full screen, and full screen with menu bar) using one key.

What does Ctrl O do in Photoshop? ›

Open File – This is where all starts from – opening a picture. Do this by pressing Ctrl + O. Create document – If you have no picture to open, create a new document by pressing Ctrl + N. Zooming in and out – You do this by pressing the Ctrl button and the plus and minus keys.

What does Ctrl M do in Photoshop? ›

If you now press Ctrl M (Mac: Command M), you'll create a new curves adjustment layer.

What does control K do? ›

Ctrl+K Insert a hyperlink. Ctrl+L Aligns the line or selected text to the left of the screen. Ctrl+M Indent the paragraph. Ctrl+N Opens new, blank document window.

What is the use of control G? ›

In most text editors and IDEs, Ctrl + G shortcut is used to go to a specific line in the file. For example, you could press Ctrl + G to open the Go To Line window, type 100, and press Enter to move the cursor to the 100th line.

What does F3 do in Photoshop? ›

Cut/Copy/Paste. Cut, copy, and paste are three of the most used commands in a photo editor's toolkit. Press F2 for cut, F3 for copy, and F4 for paste to save a little extra time in your workflow.

What are the 20 shortcuts? ›

What are the 20 shortcut keys?
  • Ctrl+W: Close.
  • Ctrl+A: Select all.
  • Alt+Tab: Switch apps.
  • Alt+F4: Close apps.
  • Win+D: Show or hide the desktop.
  • Win+left arrow or Win+right arrow: Snap windows.
  • Win+Tab: Open the Task view.
  • Tab and Shift+Tab: Move backwards and forward through options. etc.
May 30, 2023

What does F12 do? ›

The F12 key is a function key found at the top of almost all computer keyboards. The key is used to open Firebug, Chrome Developer Tools, or other browser debug tools.

What is the F9 key? ›

F9 key to easily access to the commonly-used Notifications & actions settings. Esc key to collapse the Notification Center.

What RGB is blue? ›

List of Blue Shades
NameHex CodeRGB Code
Blue#0000FFrgb(0, 0, 255)
Blue Gray#7393B3rgb(115, 147, 179)
Blue Green#088F8Frgb(8, 143, 143)
Bright Blue#0096FFrgb(0, 150, 255)
33 more rows

What is orange in Photoshop code? ›

ORANGE — HEX #ffa500. BURNT ORANGE — HEX #cc5500.

How many colors code in Photoshop? ›

All the possible hex color code number combinations gives 16,777,216 possible colors.

What is F12 in Photoshop? ›

F12 is supposed to be a shortcut for the menu item File-revert which resets an image to the state it was in when opened.

What does F11 do in Photoshop? ›

Keys for showing or hiding panels (expert mode)
ResultWindowsMac OS
Open HelpF1F1
Show/Hide History panelF10Option + F10
Show/Hide Layers panelF11Option + F11
Show/Hide Navigator panelF12Option + F12
6 more rows
Nov 8, 2021

What is Ctrl Alt Shift T in Photoshop? ›

Repeat the Last Transformation in a New Layer

To repeat this transformation, and place it in a new layer, press Ctrl Alt Shift T (Windows) or Command Option Shift T (macOS). In other words, it will rotate the circle 10 degrees from the previous location and place it in a new layer.

What is the Shift command G? ›

Shift-Command-G: Open a Go to Folder window. Shift-Command-H: Open the Home folder of the current macOS user account.

What is control Shift n? ›

Opens a new window in incognito mode. Ctrl+Shift+N. Opens a file from your computer in Google Chrome.

What is Ctrl +L? ›

For example, in Microsoft Word, Ctrl+L is used to align text with the left edge of a document (margin). Tip. On Apple computers, the most similar keyboard shortcut is Command + L .

What does Ctrl Shift QQ do? ›

Chromebook-Specific Shortcuts

Ctrl + Shift + Q – Log out of your Chromebook. Press the key combination twice to quit. Alt + E – Open the Chrome browser's menu. This only works if a Chrome browser window is open and focused.

What does command h do? ›

Command+H in word processors and text editors

In word processors and text editors, Command + H opens the find and replace tool that lets you search for a character, word, or phrase and replace it with something else. If you only want to find text and not replace, use the Command+F shortcut.

Why use control C? ›

Control-C is a common computer command. It is generated by pressing the C key while holding down the Ctrl key on most computer keyboards. In graphical user interface environments that use the control key to control the active program, control+C is often used to copy highlighted text to the clipboard.

What does Alt F4 do? ›

The Alt +F4 shortcut key is used to close active window. Q. The shortcut key to maximize or restore a selected window is _______________.

What does 72 DPI mean in Photoshop? ›

DPI stands for Dots per Inch, referring to the number of ink droplets a printer will produce per inch while printing an image. The more dots of ink per inch the picture has, the more detail you will see when printed.

What is 72 resolution in Photoshop? ›

This means that if Photoshop says your image has 72 pixels per inch (PPI), it means it will have 72 dots per inch when printed. The ideal resolution for most prints is 300 DPI (aka 300 PPI).

How do I export 72 DPI in Photoshop? ›

Open the desired image in Photoshop. Tap the gear icon to open the Document properties tab. Tap Image size. Under Resolution, enter the desired amount of DPI.

How do I make an image more attractive in Photoshop? ›

5 steps on how to beautify a photo in Photoshop.
  1. Crop and straighten. Start by making sure your photo is framed properly. ...
  2. Adjust white balance. White balance corrects your photo's overall color tone. ...
  3. Experiment with contrast. ...
  4. Work with color vibrancy and saturation. ...
  5. Sharpen.

How do you make old photos look better in Photoshop? ›

How to restore old pictures in Photoshop.
  1. Import your original photo into Photoshop. ...
  2. Create a new layer. ...
  3. Use the Spot Healing Brush to erase creases, fix tears in the photo or even remove blemishes caused by water damage and mould damage.

Is 300dpi better than 72 DPI? ›

So the higher the DPI, the more detail and clarity will be present in an image. For example, if you have two images with different resolutions – one at 72 dpi and another at 300 dpi – then the 300 dpi image will appear much sharper than its lower-resolution counterpart due to its increased level of detail.

Is 300 or 72 DPI better? ›

A 300 DPI image is considered to be a high quality photo for print. More dots = higher quality. PPI stands for pixels per square inch, which are squares of light that fit into an inch on a monitor. A 72 PPI image isn't appropriate for print because it will appear pixelated, like the right side of the image above.

What DPI is good for photo quality? ›

The industry standard for quality photographs and image is typically 300dpi. For businesses, producing an external document like a brochure, a booklet, or a flyer requires 300dpi. You might be able to get away with 250dpi if you are less concerned with the quality and resolution of the printing.

What is the difference between 72 and 300 in Photoshop? ›

The difference between 300dpi and 72dpi is found in the amount of pixel information (or dots) for every square inch of the image you are viewing. The more dots/pixels the image contains, the sharper the image will print. When designing graphics for commercial printing purposes, your images should be 300 dpi.

How do I change my resolution from 72 to 300 DPI? ›

Using Adobe Photoshop

To do this, open the image in Photoshop and select “Image” from the top menu. Then select “Image Size” from the drop-down menu. In the “Image Size” window, you will see the current DPI of the image. Change the DPI to 300 and click “OK”.

Are pixels and DPI the same? ›

However, the terms do not mean the same thing and there are distinct differences between the two: DPI refers to the number of printed dots contained within one inch of an image printed by a printer. PPI refers to the number of pixels contained within one inch of an image displayed on a computer monitor.

Does changing DPI affect quality? ›

All the images follow the same old rule more DPI better quality, that is higher the DPI, the better will be the quality of the image. Moreover, the resolution of a digital image is incomplete if you do not request the size of the print along with it. Colors in the image will also look better if the DPI is higher.

Is resolution and DPI the same thing? ›

These two acronyms are often used interchangeably although they do have different meanings. PPI (Pixels Per Inch) refers display resolution, or, how many individual pixels are displayed in one inch of a digital image. DPI (Dots Per Inch) refers to printer resolution, or, the number of dots of ink on a printed image.

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