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Adobe Photoshop is the most popular image editing software today. And to make designing in Photoshop simpler and more convenient, keyboard shortcuts are one of the things that beginners are most interested in. This article will summarize keyboard shortcuts in Photoshop to help make your design simpler.

This article provides instructions for use on an Acer Aspire 5 computer, Windows 10 operating system and Adobe Photoshop CS6 version.

You can perform these operations on computers running Windows, macOS, and on other versions of Adobe Photoshop.

Note: On Windows you use the Ctrl key, on Mac it will be the Cmd key.

Summary of keyboard shortcuts in Photoshop to help design quickly and simply

Shortcuts for selecting the right tool

Move: V
Create selection: M
Create a selection by color: W
Create a free selection: L
Cut image: C
Ruler, colored dots: I
Drawing tools, brush strokes, coloring: B
Sampled from image: S
Restore all previous image parameters: Y
Erasing, erasing: E
Fill color:G
Darken the image: O
Create vectors, draw lines: P
Create letters: T
Choose direction, route: A
Drawing ellipses, rectangles, lines, etc.: U
View photos when zoomed in: H
Rotation: R
Zoom out or zoom in: Z
Default color: D
Convert color between Foreground and Background: X
Quick Mask mode: Q
Change screen modes: F
Toggle Preserve Transparency: /
Reduce brush size: [
Increase brush size: ]
Select the next Brush: .
Select previous Brush: ,
Select the last Brush: >
Select the first Brush: <

Shortcuts in Photoshop have File function

Create new File: Ctrl + N
Open File: Ctrl + O
Open As: Alt + Shift + Ctrl + O:
Edit in ImageReady: Shift + Ctrl +W
Close open file: Ctrl +W
Close all open files: Alt + Ctrl +W
Close Photoshop and open Bridge: Shift + Ctrl + W
Save File: Ctrl + S
Save as: Shift + Ctrl + S or Alt + Ctrl + S
Save as web: Alt + Shift + Ctrl + S
Restore original image: F12
View file information: Alt + Shift + Ctrl + I
Page settings: Alt + Shift + Ctrl + P
Print One Copy in Photoshop: Alt + Shift + Ctrl + P
Exit the software: Ctrl + Q

Shortcuts in Photoshop have a setting function

General settings: Ctrl + K
Color settings: Shift + Ctrl + K
Shortcut settings: Alt + Shift + Ctrl + K
Menu settings: Alt + Shift + Ctrl + M

Shortcuts in Photoshop have a display function

Destination path: Shift + Ctrl + H
Toggle grid: Ctrl + ‘
Toggle Guides on and off: Ctrl + ;
Turn ruler on or off: Ctrl + R
Short press: Shift + Ctrl + ;
Key Guides: Alt + Ctrl + ;
Turn on and off the Actions panel: Alt + F9
Turn Brushes panel on and off: F5
Turn on and off the Color palette: F6
Turn on and off the Info panel: F8
Turn on and off the Layer panel: F7
Zoom in: Ctrl + +
Zoom out: Ctrl + –
Full display on screen: Ctrl + 0
Zoom in 100%: Alt + Ctrl + 0

Shortcuts in Photoshop have photo editing functions

Redo or Undo: Ctrl + Z
Return to the previous operation: Alt + Ctrl + Z
Return to the next operation: Shift + Ctrl + Z
Fade: Shift + Ctrl + F
Cut: Ctrl + X or F2
Copy: Ctrl + C or F3
Copy Merged: Shift + Ctrl + C
Paste: Ctrl + V or F4
Paste Into: Shift + Ctrl + V
Open the Fill dialog box: Shift + F5
Rotate freely, stretch: Ctrl + T
Adjust the light/dark level of the photo: Ctrl/Cmd + L
This command allows users to open the free resizing tool, users can rotate and adjust the symmetry of the image: Ctrl/Cmd + T
Adjust light and dark areas with Curves: Ctrl/Cmd + M
Color Balance: Ctrl/Cmd + B
Adjust Hue and Saturation: Ctrl/Cmd + U
Switch to Grayscale (Desaturate). This command helps convert colors to grayscale values, leaving only 1 gray mode for the image: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + U
Automatic tone correction: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + L
Adjust contrast automatically: Alt + Shift + Ctrl + L (Mac: Opt + Shift + Cmd + L)
Automatic color correction: Shift + Ctrl/Cmd + B
Handling optical errors: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + R
Adaptive Wide Angle – Adjusts the angle of the image: Alt + Shift + Ctrl + A (Mac: Opt + Shift + Cmd + A)
Content Aware Scale – This tool allows you to stretch the image without deforming the object in the image: Ctrl + Shift + Alt + C (Mac: Cmd + Shift + Opt + C)
Create clipping mask: Ctrl + Alt + G (Mac: Cmd + Opt + G)
Create blend modes: Shift + plus sign (+) or minus sign (-)
Open the black and white dialog box: Shift + Ctrl + Alt + B (Mac: Shift + Cmd + Opt + B)
Resize photos: Ctrl + Alt + I (Mac: Cmd + Opt + I)

Shortcuts in Photoshop have Layer functions

Create new layer: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N
Create a new layer after the currently selected layer: Ctrl/Cmd + New Layer icon
Fill the layer with color. This command helps you fill the white layer with the currently used foreground color or background color: Alt + Delete (foreground color) or Ctrl/Cmd + Delete (background color)
Flatten layers – Merge layers. After adding a new white layer on top of all existing layers, use the above key combination to merge all layers into 1 new layer. This creates a flat version of the image for the new layer but keeps the old layers intact: Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + Shift + E
Merge visible layers – Merge visible layers. This command allows you to merge all existing layers and create a new layer. When merging in this way, the old layers will be lost and cannot be separated unless you go back to what you just did: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + E
Merge selected layers. After selecting the layers you want to merge, use this key combination to merge them. After merging, they will have the name of the top layer with the word “merged” in brackets. If you want to display with a new layer name, just add the Shift key: Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + E
Copy and create a new layer similar to the selected layer: Ctrl/Cmd + J
Add layers by cropping. Just like creating a new layer by copying, this command does not work with the entire layer but with a selection. In addition, this selection, after being added to the new layer, will also be cut from the old layer: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + J
Bring the layer to the top: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + ]
Bring the layer to the bottom: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + [
Bring the layer above the previous layer: Ctrl/Cmd + ]
Move the layer below the layer after it: Ctrl/Cmd + [
Copy multiple layers. After selecting a selection, this command will help you copy that selection on all layers instead of just on 1 layer like a normal copy command: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + C

Shortcuts with Selecting

Reselect the canceled selection: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + D
Invert the selection: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + I
Select all layers (except background layer): Ctrl + Alt + A (Cmd + Opt + A for Mac)
Select the bottom layer: Alt/Opt + comma (,)
Select the top layer: Alt/Opt + period (.)
Copy selection. After selecting a selection, select the Move Tool and hold down the Alt key and drag and drop the selection to copy: Alt/Opt + drag and drop
Copy the selection vertically: Shift + Alt/Opt + drag and drop
Deselect: Ctrl/Cmd + D
Displays the image resizing tool: Ctrl/Cmd + T then Ctrl + 0
While drawing, move the selection area: Spacebar + Marquee Tool
Select each certain color channel: Ctrl/Cmd + 3 (Red), 4 (Green) or 5 (Blue)
Choose a certain color from the photo. When working with the Brush tool and want to get a color sample instead of using the Eyedropper tool, just select the Alt or Option key on your Mac. Releasing this key will return to the Brush tool: Alt/Opt + Brush Tool

Above is an article summarizing keyboard shortcuts in Photoshop. Hopefully this article will help you in the design process and make the design simpler. Good luck!