Adobe Photoshop is one of the most iconic and powerful pieces of creative software ever developed. Its capabilities can feel like pure magic, transforming ideas into stunning visuals — but that magic only happens once you’ve mastered its extensive features.
While Photoshop is a favorite design tool among creatives, its complexity and steep learning curve can slow you down. But don’t get scared off. You can dramatically improve your speed and efficiency by harnessing one simple yet powerful element: keyboard shortcuts.
To help, we’ve created the ultimate Photoshop shortcuts cheat sheet for PC and Mac users. With over 150 essential shortcuts, this guide will empower you to spend less time navigating menus and more time focusing on your creative work.
What we'll cover
Table of contents
- 1. File and document shortcuts
- 2. Selection and navigation shortcuts
- 3. Tool shortcuts
- 4. Layer management shortcuts
- 5. Text and typography shortcuts
- 6. Color and swatch management shortcuts
- 7. Brush and painting shortcuts
- 8. Image adjustments shortcuts
- 9. Transform and manipulation shortcuts
- 10. Blending and opacity shortcuts
- 11. View and preview shortcuts
- 12. Undo and history shortcuts
1. File and document shortcuts
Working with multiple files is part of any Photoshop user’s routine. These keyboard shortcuts let you quickly manage and switch between documents, optimizing your process and keeping your workflow smooth.
2. Selection and navigation shortcuts
After opening your files, navigating and selecting elements within the Photoshop interface is your next step. While a mouse or Wacom tablet can handle many tasks, keyboard shortcuts often provide the quickest way to move around.
Here are essential Photoshop shortcuts for selecting items and navigating efficiently.
3. Tool shortcuts
Photoshop offers handy single-character shortcuts for quick access to various selection tools — but their functionality depends on the context. For example, pressing the W key activates the Object Selection tool in the standard interface but switches to the Forward Warp tool in Liquify mode. (Some of the shortcuts below are the same for both contexts.)
Pro tip: Adding Shift cycles through related tools in a group.
4. Layer management shortcuts
Layers are the backbone of Photoshop, allowing you to organize and edit individual elements without affecting the rest of your project. This non-destructive workflow is key to producing polished, professional content. With the right shortcuts, you can navigate and manage layers more efficiently.
5. Text and typography shortcuts
Although Photoshop is best known for photo editing (it’s right there in the name!), it’s also a powerful tool for working with text. With the right Adobe plugins, you can even create your own fonts. From creating designs to adding typography effects, there are plenty of shortcuts to streamline your text editing workflow.
Keep in mind that Photoshop’s text-related shortcuts often differ from systemwide commands you already know for things like bold, italic, or underline. Additionally, shortcuts from other sections — such as copy and paste — work with text as long as you’re in the appropriate layer and using the correct selection tool.
6. Color and swatch management shortcuts
Managing color is a critical part of any design project. Photoshop’s Swatches feature makes it easy to keep track of recently used colors, putting them right at your fingertips. These shortcuts help you streamline color selection and management.
7. Brush and painting shortcuts
Painting and brush tools are crucial for creating and adjusting assets in Photoshop. With so many options available, it’s no surprise that there’s a wealth of keyboard shortcuts to make using these tools faster and more efficient.
8. Image adjustments shortcuts
Image editing is Photoshop’s bread and butter — and probably its most recognized function. These shortcuts let you access the tools you need quickly, making it easier to fine-tune your images.
9. Transform and manipulation shortcuts
Transforming and manipulating assets is a common task in Photoshop. Use these shortcuts to make the most of your time and stay in control as you adjust your designs.
10. Blending and opacity shortcuts
Blending modes are perfect for experimenting with effects while keeping your original assets intact. With Shift and the - and =/+ keys, you can quickly cycle through all 27 modes. Each blending mode also has its own shortcut, so start with the ones you use most and expand from there as you get comfortable.
11. View and preview shortcuts
Sometimes, you need to see your project differently than it appears in your editing interface. These shortcuts make it easy to adjust views and previews, giving you more control over how you examine your work in Photoshop.
12. Undo and history shortcuts
Photoshop’s undo system works sequentially, like a history, allowing you to step through your recent actions. These shortcuts let you quickly move forward and backward through your edits, helping you refine your work with ease.
Streamline your design workflows with Ziflow
Keyboard shortcuts can supercharge your Photoshop efficiency, but they can’t tackle the challenges that come after your design is complete. Wrapping up the initial design is just the beginning — creative work often goes through multiple rounds of feedback, approvals, and revisions before it’s finalized.
Ziflow is the ultimate productivity solution for creative teams, simplifying the design review and approval process with tools like markup, version control, and automated workflows. With powerful collaborative feedback features, your team can spend less time in lengthy discussions and more time delivering clear, actionable feedback that’s both frame-ready and pixel-perfect.
