Updated May 2026 · 8 min read
Figma Keyboard Shortcuts: Complete Guide for Designers
Figma is the industry-standard design tool, and its keyboard shortcut system is built for professional speed. Designers who rely on shortcuts can work 40–50% faster than those who reach for the mouse for every operation. This guide covers every major category — from basic tools to advanced component and auto layout shortcuts.
For the full interactive reference, see the Figma shortcuts cheat sheet.
Essential Tool Shortcuts
Single-key tool switching is the foundation of fast Figma work.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Move tool (Select) | V |
| Frame tool | F |
| Rectangle | R |
| Ellipse | O |
| Line | L |
| Pen tool | P |
| Text tool | T |
| Hand (pan canvas) | H |
| Scale tool | K |
| Slice tool | S |
Canvas Navigation
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Zoom in | Ctrl++ | ⌘++ |
| Zoom out | Ctrl+- | ⌘+- |
| Zoom to 100% | 0 | 0 |
| Zoom to fit page | Shift+1 | Shift+1 |
| Zoom to fit selection | Shift+2 | Shift+2 |
| Zoom to selected frame | Shift+0 | Shift+0 |
| Pan canvas | Hold Space + drag | Hold Space + drag |
| Hide UI panels | Ctrl+\ | ⌘+\ |
| Pixel preview | Ctrl+Shift+P | ⌘+Shift+P |
Frame & Layer Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Group selection | Ctrl+G | ⌘+G |
| Ungroup | Ctrl+Shift+G | ⌘+Shift+G |
| Frame selection | Ctrl+Alt+G | ⌘+Option+G |
| Duplicate | Ctrl+D | ⌘+D |
| Copy | Ctrl+C | ⌘+C |
| Paste in place | Ctrl+Shift+V | ⌘+Shift+V |
| Bring to front | Ctrl+] | ⌘+] |
| Send to back | Ctrl+[ | ⌘+[ |
| Flip horizontal | Shift+H | Shift+H |
| Flip vertical | Shift+V | Shift+V |
| Lock / unlock layer | Ctrl+Shift+L | ⌘+Shift+L |
| Hide / show layer | Ctrl+Shift+H | ⌘+Shift+H |
Component & Styles Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Create component | Ctrl+Alt+K | ⌘+Option+K |
| Detach from component | Ctrl+Alt+B | ⌘+Option+B |
| Show main component | Ctrl+Alt+B | ⌘+Option+B |
| Edit main component | Double-click instance | Double-click instance |
| Return to instance | Esc | Esc |
Text Editing Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | Ctrl+B | ⌘+B |
| Italic | Ctrl+I | ⌘+I |
| Underline | Ctrl+U | ⌘+U |
| Increase font size | Ctrl+Shift+> | ⌘+Shift+> |
| Decrease font size | Ctrl+Shift+< | ⌘+Shift+< |
| Align left / center / right | Ctrl+Shift+L/E/R | ⌘+Shift+L/E/R |
| Exit text edit | Esc | Esc |
Pro Tips for Figma Power Users
- Hold Ctrl while resizing to ignore constraints — when you resize a frame that has auto layout or constraints, holding Ctrl lets you resize it freely without triggering layout rules.
- Ctrl+D then arrow keys for repeated duplication — duplicate an element, move it to the desired offset, then keep pressing Ctrl+D to create more copies at that exact spacing.
- Alt+drag to measure distances — hold Alt and hover over another layer to see the exact pixel distance between them displayed on the canvas.
- Ctrl+R to rename a layer — layer names matter for handoff. Rename as you go rather than in batch at the end — it's much faster with the keyboard than the panel.
- Shift+A to add auto layout — select any group of elements and press Shift+A to instantly wrap them in an auto layout frame. This is faster than Frame → Add Auto Layout in the properties panel.
Download the Designer Shortcuts PDF
The Designer Pack PDF includes complete cheat sheets for Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Lightroom, Canva, and Blender. Print-ready and formatted for desk reference.
Related Shortcut References
- Figma Shortcuts — Full Interactive Reference
- Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts
- Illustrator Keyboard Shortcuts
- Canva Keyboard Shortcuts
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important Figma shortcut for designers?
V is the most important Figma shortcut — it selects the Move tool, which you use constantly. After placing elements or using other tools, pressing V returns you to the Move tool immediately. Combine it with K (Scale), F (Frame), and T (Text) to switch between the four most-used tools with single keys.
How do I zoom to fit my design in Figma?
Press Shift+1 to zoom the canvas to show everything on the current page. Press Shift+2 to zoom to fit your current selection. Press 0 to reset to 100% zoom, and press Shift+0 to zoom to the current frame.
How do I duplicate elements quickly in Figma?
Press Ctrl+D (Cmd+D on Mac) to duplicate a selected element. The duplicate appears offset from the original. If you then move the duplicate, the next Ctrl+D will repeat the exact same offset — perfect for creating evenly spaced grids or patterns.
How do I hide Figma's UI panels to see my design clearly?
Press Ctrl+\ (Cmd+\ on Mac) to hide all UI panels — the left sidebar, right properties panel, and toolbar — leaving just the canvas. Press the same shortcut again to bring them back. This is useful for presentations and screenshots.
What is the Figma shortcut to create a component?
Select the layers you want to turn into a component, then press Ctrl+Alt+K (Cmd+Option+K on Mac). This wraps the selection in a component frame (indicated by a purple icon). You can then create instances by pressing Ctrl+Alt+K on the main component or duplicating it.