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Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts (CC 2024) — Complete Cheat Sheet
Edit images faster in Adobe Photoshop with shortcuts for tools, layers, selections, and view controls.
56 shortcuts across 5 categories · Windows · macOS
Adobe Photoshop's keyboard shortcuts give instant access to every tool, layer operation, and filter without leaving the canvas. Professional retouchers, designers, and photographers rely on single-key tool switching and modifier key combinations to stay in a creative flow.
Tools
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Move Tool | V | Select the Move tool to reposition layers |
| Marquee Selection | M | Activate the Rectangular Marquee selection tool |
| Lasso Tool | L | Activate the Lasso freehand selection tool |
| Magic Wand / Quick Select | W | Activate the Quick Selection or Magic Wand tool |
| Crop Tool | C | Activate the Crop tool |
| Eyedropper | I | Sample a color from the image |
| Brush Tool | B | Activate the Brush tool for painting |
| Eraser Tool | E | Activate the Eraser tool |
| Clone Stamp | S | Activate the Clone Stamp tool for retouching |
| Type Tool | T | Add text to the image |
| Pen Tool | P | Activate the Pen tool for precise path creation |
| Gradient Tool | G | Fill with a gradient |
| Hand Tool | H | Pan around the canvas |
| Zoom Tool | Z | Zoom in or out of the canvas |
| Increase Brush Size | [ | Make the current brush larger |
| Decrease Brush Size | ] | Make the current brush smaller |
Layers
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| New Layer | Ctrl + Shift + N | Create a new empty layer |
| Duplicate Layer | Ctrl + J | Duplicate the selected layer |
| Merge Down | Ctrl + E | Merge the current layer with the one below it |
| Merge Visible | Ctrl + Shift + E | Merge all visible layers into one |
| Flatten Image | Ctrl + Shift + Alt + E | Stamp all visible layers into a new layer |
| Group Layers | Ctrl + G | Group the selected layers into a folder |
| Ungroup Layers | Ctrl + Shift + G | Ungroup a layer group |
| Move Layer Up | Ctrl + ] | Move the selected layer one step up in the stack |
| Move Layer Down | Ctrl + [ | Move the selected layer one step down in the stack |
| Bring to Front | Ctrl + Shift + ] | Move the selected layer to the top of the stack |
| Send to Back | Ctrl + Shift + [ | Move the selected layer to the bottom of the stack |
| Toggle Layer Visibility | Click eye | Show or hide a layer by clicking its eye icon in the Layers panel |
Selection
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Select All | Ctrl + A | Select the entire canvas |
| Deselect | Ctrl + D | Remove the current selection |
| Reselect | Ctrl + Shift + D | Restore the last selection |
| Invert Selection | Ctrl + Shift + I | Invert the current selection |
| Feather Selection | Shift + F6 | Open the Feather dialog to soften selection edges |
| Transform Selection | Ctrl + T | Apply Free Transform to the selected content |
| Add to Selection | Shift + drag | Add to the existing selection by holding Shift while selecting |
| Subtract from Selection | Alt + drag | Remove an area from the selection by holding Alt while selecting |
View & Canvas
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Zoom In | Ctrl + + | Zoom into the canvas |
| Zoom Out | Ctrl + - | Zoom out of the canvas |
| Fit to Screen | Ctrl + 0 | Fit the entire image in the window |
| 100% Zoom | Ctrl + 1 | View the image at 100% (actual pixels) |
| Toggle Rulers | Ctrl + R | Show or hide rulers on the canvas edges |
| Toggle Guides | Ctrl + ; | Show or hide guide lines |
| Toggle Grid | Ctrl + ' | Show or hide the grid overlay |
| Rotate Canvas | R | Activate the Rotate View tool to rotate the canvas non-destructively |
| Reset Canvas Rotation | Esc | Reset the canvas rotation to 0° |
| Full Screen Mode | F | Cycle through screen modes (normal, full screen with menu, full screen) |
File & History
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| New Document | Ctrl + N | Create a new Photoshop document |
| Open | Ctrl + O | Open an existing image file |
| Save | Ctrl + S | Save the document in its current format |
| Save As | Ctrl + Shift + S | Save the document with a new name, format, or location |
| Export As | Ctrl + Shift + Alt + W | Export the image with web-optimized settings |
| Undo | Ctrl + Z | Undo the last action |
| Step Backward | Ctrl + Alt + Z | Step back through the history panel (multiple undo) |
| Step Forward | Ctrl + Shift + Z | Step forward through the history panel |
| Revert | F12 | Revert to the last saved version of the file |
| Close | Ctrl + W | Close the current document |
Photoshop Tips & Tricks
- Hold Spacebar to pan while using any tool: No need to switch to the Hand tool — hold the Spacebar at any time and your cursor temporarily becomes a hand for panning the canvas.
- Use [ and ] to resize your brush on the fly: While painting or erasing, press [ to shrink the brush and ] to enlarge it — much faster than dragging the slider in the options bar.
- Ctrl+Alt+Z is multiple undo: Regular Ctrl+Z toggles the last action. Ctrl+Alt+Z steps backward through your history — press it repeatedly to go back many steps.
Frequently Asked Questions — Photoshop
- How do I zoom in and out in Photoshop?
- Press Ctrl+= (Cmd+= on Mac) to zoom in and Ctrl+- (Cmd+-) to zoom out. Press Ctrl+0 (Cmd+0) to fit the canvas to the window. Hold Alt (Option) and scroll the mouse wheel to zoom in and out freely.
- How do I quickly switch between Photoshop tools?
- Every tool in Photoshop has a single-letter shortcut: B for Brush, E for Eraser, L for Lasso, M for Marquee selection, V for Move, T for Type, C for Crop, and Z for Zoom. Press Shift+the letter to cycle through tool variants.
- How do I undo multiple steps in Photoshop?
- Press Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z on Mac) repeatedly to step backward through your history. By default, Photoshop supports up to 1000 history states. You can also use the History panel (Window → History) to jump to any previous state.
How to Learn Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts
Adobe Photoshop's keyboard shortcuts are not a convenience feature — they are central to professional retouching and design workflows. When you're working on a complex composition with dozens of layers, or retouching a portrait where every brush stroke is deliberate, switching between tools by clicking the toolbar pulls your attention from the canvas. Photoshop's single-key tool shortcuts (B for Brush, E for Eraser, V for Move, C for Crop, L for Lasso) keep your eyes on the image and your intent on the work. The bracket keys [ and ] for brush size, and Shift+[ or Shift+] for hardness, are used so frequently in retouching that any professional who doesn't know them is working at a significant disadvantage.
The Photoshop shortcuts that separate intermediate users from professionals are the layer management shortcuts. Ctrl+J to duplicate a layer, Ctrl+G to group layers, Ctrl+E to merge selected layers, and Alt+click on a mask to view it directly are all operations that happen dozens of times in a complex project. The shortcuts for zooming (Ctrl++ and Ctrl+- or simply Z then click-drag) keep you efficiently moving between detail work and full-image evaluation. One often-overlooked shortcut is the X key, which swaps foreground and background colors — essential when painting masks. Building a Photoshop session where you barely touch the toolbar is a realistic goal that comes with deliberate shortcut practice.