76 Most Useful Adobe Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts

Adobe Photoshop is one of the most powerful design and graphics programs available, but it can be tricky to learn all the tips and tricks that make your editing tasks easier and faster. That’s why knowing Adobe Photoshop keyboard shortcuts is essential! Keyboard shortcuts allow you to bypass endless clicks and menu navigation, streamlining your workflow so you can get more work done in less time.

Instead of memorizing all the necessary Photoshop shortcut keyboards, you can save this article and use it as a cheat sheet whenever needed. Keep in mind that in most cases shortcuts for Windows and Mac users are the same. But in some cases, they can be different. If they are, the article will list both variations. The one for macOS will be displayed in parentheses.

Also, make sure to check our articles on the best Word keyboard shortcuts and the best Excel keyboard shortcuts for a complete boost in productivity.

Preparing Your Work

Before you start working in Photoshop, you might want to prepare the image or the canvas. This will help you enhance your workflow. Preparing a Photoshop document should be second nature to you if you often use the software, but using keyboard shortcuts saves time. Instead of wasting time finding the right tools, press a few buttons on your keyboard to change image size, zoom in or out, and scale your image. Here are the most basic shortcuts that’ll help you prepare your work in Photoshop:

	Preparing Your Work
Action	Windows	macOS
Change Image Size	CTRL + Alt + i	Command + Option + i
Change Canvas Size	CTRL + Alt + c	Command + Option + c
Zoom In	CTRL + +	Command + +
Zoom Out	CTRL + –	Command + –
Scale Proportionately	Hold Shift while selecting an object
Scale in Place	Hold shift + alt (option) while selecting an object
Show Rulers	CTRL + r	Command + r
Show/Hide the Grid	CTRL + ‘	Command + ‘

Selecting Tools

The tools with which you work in Photoshop come in groups. Each tool group has different functions. For example, under the Object Selection group, you’ll have options to make a quick selection, or to use a magic wand tool.
Each tool has a keyboard shortcut, and here’s the list of the most commonly used ones:

Selecting Tools
Move tool		v	Path Selection tool Direct Selection tool		a
Object Selection tool Quick Selection tool		w	Hand tool		h
Rectangular Marquee tool Elliptical Marquee Tool		m	Rotate View		r
Lasso tool Polygonal Lasso tool		l	Pen tool Freeform Pen tool		p
Eyedropper tool Color Sampler tool		i	Clone Stamp tool Pattern Stamp tool		s
Crop tool Perspective Crop tool		c	Dodge tool Burn tool		o
Eraser tool Background Eraser tool		e	Zoom Tool		z
Rectangle Rounded Rectangle		u	Default Foreground/Background colors		d
Horizontal Type tool Vertical Type tool		t	Switch Foreground/Background colors		x
Brush tool Pencil tool		b	Toggle Quick Mask Modes		q
History Brush tool Art history Brush tool		y	Change Screen Mode		f
Spot Healing Brush tool Healing Brush tool		j
Gradient tool Paint Bucket tool		g

Note: These quick shortcuts are the same for Windows and macOS users.

The Brush Tool

The brush is one of the most commonly used tools in Adobe Photoshop for obvious reasons.

Use these shortcuts to change the brush size, shape, and transparency of the brush strokes.

The Brush Tool
Increase size	]
Decrease size	[
Increase brush hardness	}
Decrease brush hardness	{
Select previous or next brush style	, or .
Display precise crosshair for brushes	Capslock Also Shift + Capslock
Toggle airbrush option	Shift + Alt + p (Shift + Option + p on Mac)

The Marquee Tool

Making quick and simple selections in Photoshop is easy. But the Marquee tool is capable of so much more than a simple drag and select. Use it to select individual elements in your image or the entire graphic. After making a proper selection you can easily copy, cut, and paste it into another place, document, or even layer.
Here are some of the commonly used Marquee tool shortcuts. But first, press M on your keyboard to select the tool.

The Marquee Tool
	Windows	macOS
Toggle between Slice Tool and Slice Selection Tool	CTRL	Command
Draw square slice	Shift + drag mouse	Shift + drag mouse
Draw from center outwards	Alt + drag mouse	Option + drag mouse
Draw square slice from center outwards	Shift + Alt + drag mouse	Shift + Option + drag mouse
Reposition the slice while creating it	Spacebar + drag mouse	Spacebar + drag mouse

Blending Options

Blending modes will improve the looks of your graphics or image you are working on. They determine how the colors blend between the layers. Some of the blending options make subtle changes, while others can drastically change the visual impression of your graphics.
To select the blending option go to Photoshop’s top bar menu and select Layer > Layer Style > Blending Options.

Alternatively, you can double-click any layer and that will bring up the options for that particular layer. You’ll find blending options there.

Once you open the blending options, you can use the following shortcuts. But don’t forget to first select the move tool (v) and then click on the layer you want to manipulate with blending options.

Blending Options
	Windows	macOS
Toggle different blending modes	Shift + + and Shift + –	Shift + + and Shift + –
Normal mode	Shift + Alt + n	Shift + Option + n
Dissolve	Shift + Alt + i	Shift + Option + i
Darken	Shift + Alt + k	Shift + Option + k
Lighten	Shift + Alt + g	Shift + Option + g
Multiply	Shift + Alt + m	Shift + Option + m
Overlay	Shift + Alt + o	Shift + Option + o
Hue	Shift + Alt + u	Shift + Option + u
Saturation	Shift + Alt + t	Shift + Option + t
Luminosity	Shift + Alt + y	Shift + Option + y

Working with Layers and Objects

Manipulating certain objects in your graph, or even multiple layers can be daunting work. But these shortcuts make it all seem so easy. These are also some of the most commonly used shortcuts in Photoshop by both professionals and those who are just starting out.

Manipulating Objects and Layers
	Windows	macOS
Select all objects	CTRL + a	Command + a
Deselect selected objects	CTRL + d	Command + d
Inverse the selection	Shift + CTRL + i	Shift + Command + i
Select all layers	CTRL + Alt + a	Command + Option + a
Merge all layers	CTRL + Shift + e	Command + Shift + e
Select top layer	Alt + .	Option + .
Select bottom layer	Alt + ,	Option + ,
Select next layer down or up	Alt + [ or ]	Option + [ or ]
Move target layer down or up	CTRL + [ or ]	Command + [ or ]
Move selected layer to the bottom or top	CTRL + Shift + [ or ]	Command + Shift + [ or ]
Create a new layer	Shift + CTRL + n	Shift + Command + n
New layer via copy	CTRL + j	Command + j
New Layer via cut	CTRL + Shift + J	Command + Option + j
Group selected layers	CTRL + g	Command + g
Ungroup selected layers	CTRL + Shift + g	Command + Shift + g
Merge and flatten selected layers	CTRL + e	Command + e
Merge selected layers on top of the other layers	Control + Shift + Alt + e	Command+ Shift+ Option + e
Free Transform objects	CTRL + t	Command + t
Undo last action	CTRL + z	Command +z
Undo multiple last actions	CTRL + Alt + z	Command + Option + Z

Saving Your Photoshop Document

Finally, let’s see which shortcuts you can use to save your work in Photoshop. It won’t matter if you finished it or not. You can always return to your work if you save it as a Photoshop (PSD) file.

Save your Photoshop Work
	Windows	macOS
Save as	CTRL + Shift + s	Command + Shift + s
Save for Web and Devices	CTRL + Shift + Alt + s	Command + Shift + Option + s

Even if you’re a beginner at using this software, taking the time to learn and practice these important key commands can really pay off in significantly reducing the time it takes to adjust intricate images. Don’t worry if it takes time to remember a certain shortcut though – practice makes perfect!