Keys For Selecting Tools
Sr.No |
Shortcut Key |
Description |
---|---|---|
01 |
Shift + O |
Artboard tool |
02 |
V |
Selection tool |
03 |
A |
Direct Selection tool |
04 |
Y |
Magic Wand tool |
05 |
Q |
Lasso tool |
06 |
P |
Pen tool |
07 |
Shift + B |
Blob Brush tool |
08 |
+ (plus) |
Add Anchor Point tool |
09 |
– (minus) |
Delete Anchor Point tool |
10 |
Shift + C |
Convert Anchor Point tool |
11 |
T |
Type tool |
12 |
\ (backslash) |
Line Segment tool |
13 |
M |
Rectangle tool |
14 |
L |
Ellipse tool |
15 |
B |
Paintbrush tool |
16 |
N |
Pencil tool |
17 |
R |
Rotate tool |
18 |
O |
Reflect tool |
19 |
S |
Scale tool |
20 |
Shift + R |
Warp tool |
21 |
Shift+W |
Width Tool |
22 |
E |
Free Transform tool |
23 |
Shift+M |
Shape Builder Tool |
24 |
Shift+P |
Perspective Grid Tool |
25 |
Shift+V |
Perspective Selection Tool |
26 |
Shift + S |
Symbol Sprayer tool |
27 |
J |
Column Graph tool |
28 |
U |
Mesh tool |
29 |
G |
Gradient tool |
30 |
I |
Eyedropper tool |
31 |
W |
Blend tool |
32 |
K |
Live Paint Bucket tool |
33 |
Shift + L |
Live Paint Selection tool |
34 |
Shift + K |
Slice tool |
35 |
Shift + E |
Eraser tool |
36 |
C |
Scissors tool |
37 |
H |
Hand tool |
38 |
Z |
Zoom tool |
39 |
Press Alt |
Switch to Smooth tool while using Blob Brush tool |
Keys For Viewing Artwork
Sr.No |
Shortcut Key |
Description |
---|---|---|
01 |
F |
Toggle between screen modes: Normal Screen Mode, Full Screen Mode with Menu Bar, Full Screen Mode |
02 |
Double-click Hand tool |
Fit imageable area in window |
03 |
Double-click Zoom tool |
Magnify 100% |
04 |
Spacebar |
Switch to Hand tool (when not in text-edit mode) |
05 |
Ctrl + Spacebar |
Switch to Zoom tool in magnify mode |
06 |
Ctrl + Alt + Spacebar |
Switch to Zoom tool in reduce mode |
07 |
Spacebar |
Move Zoom marquee while dragging with the Zoom tool |
08 |
Control + Alt + Shift + 3 |
Hide unselected artwork |
09 |
Alt-drag guide |
Convert between horizontal and vertical guide |
10 |
Ctrl + Shift-double-click guide |
Release guide |
11 |
Ctrl + Shift + H |
Show/Hide artboards |
12 |
Ctrl + Alt + R |
Show/Hide artboard rulers |
13 |
Ctrl + Alt + 0 (zero) |
View all artboards in window |
14 |
Ctrl+Shift+V |
Paste in place on the active artboard |
15 |
Esc |
Exit Artboard tool mode |
16 |
Shift-drag |
Create artboard inside another artboard |
17 |
Ctrl+click |
Select multiple artboards in the Artboards panel |
18 |
Ctrl + F6 |
Navigate to next document |
19 |
Ctrl + Shift + F6 |
Navigate to previous document |
20 |
Ctrl + Alt + F6 |
Navigate to next document group |
21 |
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + F6 |
Navigate to previous document group |
22 |
Esc |
Exit Full Screen mode |
23 |
Alt + v |
Save multiple artboards to Illustrator CS3 or earlier format |
Keys For Drawing
Sr.No |
Shortcut Key |
Description |
---|---|---|
01 |
Shift-drag |
onstrain a shape’s proportions or orientation |
02 |
spacebar-drag |
Move a shape while drawing it |
03 |
Alt-drag |
Draw from the center of a shape (except for polygons, stars, and flares) |
04 |
Start dragging, then press the Up Arrow or Down Arrow |
Increase or decrease polygon sides, star points, arc angle, spiral winds, or flare rays |
05 |
Start dragging, then hold down Ctrl |
Keep the inner radius of a star constant |
06 |
Alt-drag |
Keep the sides of a star straight |
07 |
Start dragging, then hold down C |
Switch between an open and closed arc |
08 |
Start dragging, then hold down F |
Flip an arc, keeping the reference point constant |
09 |
Start dragging, then Alt-drag |
Add or subtract winds from a spiral while increasing the length of the spiral |
10 |
Start dragging then Ctrl-drag |
Change the decay rate of a spiral |
11 |
Start dragging, then press the Up Arrow or Down Arrow |
Add or remove horizontal lines from a rectangular grid or concentric lines from a polar grid |
12 |
Start dragging, then press the Right Arrow or Left Arrow |
Add or remove vertical lines from a rectangular grid or radial lines from a polar grid |
13 |
Start dragging, then press F |
Decrease the skew value for horizontal dividers in a rectangular grid or radial dividers in a polar grid by 10% |
14 |
Start dragging, then press V |
Increase the skew value for horizontal dividers in a rectangular grid or radial dividers in a polar grid by 10% |
15 |
Start dragging, then press X |
Decrease the skew value for vertical dividers in a rectangular grid or concentric dividers in a polar grid by 10% |
16 |
Start dragging, then press C |
Increase the skew value for vertical dividers in a rectangular grid or concentric dividers in a polar grid by 10% |
17 |
Alt-click Live Trace in the Control panel |
Create and expand a Live Trace object in one step |
18 |
] (right square bracket) |
Increase size of Blob Brush |
19 |
[ (left square bracket) |
Decrease size of Blob Brush |
20 |
Shift |
Constrain Blob Brush path horizontally or vertically |
21 |
Shift+D |
Switch through drawing modes |
22 |
Select the paths, then press Ctrl+J |
Join two or more paths |
23 |
Select the paths, then press Shift+Ctrl+Alt+j |
Create corner or smooth join |
Keys For Drawing in Perspective
Sr.No |
Shortcut Key |
Description |
---|---|---|
01 |
Shift+P |
Perspective Grid Tool |
02 |
Shift+V |
Perspective Selection Tool |
03 |
Ctrl+Shift+I |
Perspective Grid |
04 |
Press the number 5 key, then click and drag the object |
Moving objects perpendicularly |
05 |
Use the Perspective Selection tool and then press 1 for left grid, 2 for horizontal grid, 3 for right grid, or 4 for no active grid |
Switching perspective planes |
06 |
Ctrl+Alt+drag |
Copying objects in perspective |
07 |
Ctrl+D |
Repeat transforming objects in perspective |
08 |
Shift+D |
Switching between drawing modes |
Keys For Selecting
Sr.No |
Shortcut Key |
Description |
---|---|---|
01 |
Ctrl |
Switch to last-used selection tool (Selection tool, Direct Selection tool, or Group Selection tool) |
02 |
Alt |
Switch between Direct Selection tool and Group Selection tool |
03 |
Shift-click |
Add to a selection with Selection tool, Direct Selection tool, Group Selection tool, Live Paint Selection tool, or Magic Wand tool |
04 |
Shift-click |
Subtract a selection with Selection tool, Direct Selection tool, Group Selection tool, or LIve Paint Selection tool |
05 |
Alt-click |
Subtract from selection with Magic Wand tool |
06 |
Shift-drag |
Add to selection with Lasso tool |
07 |
Alt-drag |
Subtract from selection with Lasso tool |
08 |
Caps Lock |
Change pointer to cross hair for Lasso tool |
09 |
Ctrl + Alt + A |
Select artwork in active artboard |
10 |
Alt + c + o |
Create crop marks around selected objec |
11 |
Press Ctrl+click twice |
Select behind an object |
12 |
Ctrl+click twice |
Select behind in isolation mode |
Keys For Moving Selections
Sr.No |
Shortcut Key |
Description |
---|---|---|
01 |
Right Arrow, Left Arrow, Up Arrow, or Down Arrow |
Move selection in user-defined increments |
02 |
Shift + Right Arrow, Left Arrow, Up Arrow, or Down Arrow |
Move selection in 10x user-defined increments |
03 |
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + 2 |
Lock all deselected artwork |
04 |
Hold down Shift |
Constrain movement to 45° angle (except when using Reflect tool) |
Keys For Editing Shapes
Sr.No |
Shortcut Key |
Description |
---|---|---|
01 |
Alt |
Switch Pen tool to Convert Anchor Point tool |
02 |
Spacebar-drag |
Move current anchor point while drawing with Pen tool |
03 |
Alt-drag |
Cut a straight line with Knife tool |
04 |
Shift + Alt-drag |
Cut at 45° or 90° with Knife tool |
05 |
Alt + Shape mode |
Use shape mode buttons in Pathfinder panel to create compound paths |
06 |
Alt+click the closed region |
Erase unwanted closed regions created using Shape Builder tool |
07 |
Shift+M |
Select the Shape Builder tool |
08 |
Shift+click+drag |
Display rectangular marquee to easily merge multiple paths (when using Shape Builder tool) |
Keys For Painting Objects
Sr.No |
Shortcut Key |
Description |
---|---|---|
01 |
X |
Toggle between fill and stroke |
02 |
D |
Set fill and stroke to default |
03 |
Shift + X |
Swap fill and stroke |
04 |
> |
Select gradient fill mode |
05 |
< |
Select color fill mode |
06 |
/ (forward slash) |
Select no stroke/fill mode |
07 |
Shift + Eyedropper tool |
Sample color from an image or intermediate color from gradient |
08 |
Alt + Shift-click + Eyedropper tool |
Sample style and append appearance of currently selected item |
09 |
Ctrl + / (forward slash) |
Add new fill |
10 |
Ctrl + Alt + / (forward slash) |
Add new stroke |
11 |
Ctrl-click gradient button in Tools panel or Gradient panel |
Reset gradient to black and white |
12 |
Alt + o + j |
Open Mosaic options for selected raster object |
13 |
[ |
Decrease Bristle brush size |
14 |
] |
Increase Bristle brush size |
15 |
Number keys 1 – 0 |
Set Bristle brush paint opacity valu |
Keys for Working With Live Paint Groups
Sr.No |
Shortcut Key |
Description |
---|---|---|
01 |
Alt-click + Live Paint Bucket tool |
Switch to Eyedropper tool and sample fill and/or stroke |
02 |
Alt + Shift-click + Live Paint Bucket tool |
Switch to Eyedropper tool and sample color from an image or intermediate color from a gradient |
03 |
Shift + Live Paint Bucket tool |
Select opposite Live Paint Bucket tool options (if Paint Fills and Paint Strokes are currently selected, switch to Paint Fills only) |
04 |
Double-click + Live Paint Bucket tool |
Fill across unstroked edges into adjacent faces |
05 |
Triple-click + Live Paint Bucket tool |
Fill all faces that have same fill and stroke all edges that have same stroke |
06 |
Alt-click + Live Paint Selection tool |
Switch to Eyedropper tool and sample fill and/or stroke |
07 |
Alt + Shift-click + Live Paint Selection tool |
Switch to Eyedropper tool and sample color from an image or intermediate color from a gradient |
08 |
Shift-click + Live Paint Selection tool |
Add to/subtract from a selection |
09 |
Double-click + Live Paint Selection tool |
Select all connected faces /edges with same fill/stroke |
10 |
Triple-click + Live Paint Selection tool |
Select all faces/edges with same fill/stroke |
Keys for Transforming Objects
Sr.No |
Shortcut Key |
Description |
---|---|---|
01 |
Alt-click |
Set origin point and open dialog box when using Rotate tool, Scale tool, Reflect tool, or Shear tool |
02 |
Alt-drag |
Duplicate and transform selection when using Selection tool, Scale tool, Reflect tool, or Shear tool |
03 |
Tilde (~)-drag |
Transform pattern (independent of object) when using Selection tool, Scale tool, Reflect tool, or Shear tool |
Keys for Creating Variable Width Points
Sr.No |
Shortcut Key |
Description |
---|---|---|
01 |
Shift+click |
Select multiple width points |
02 |
Alt+drag |
Create non-uniform widths |
03 |
Alt+drag the width point |
Create a copy of the width point |
04 |
Shift+drag |
Change the position of multiple width points |
05 |
Delete |
Delete selected width point |
06 |
Esc |
Deselect a width point |
Keys For Working With Type
Sr.No |
Shortcut Key |
Description |
---|---|---|
01 |
Right Arrow or Left Arrow |
Move one character right or left |
02 |
Up Arrow or Down Arrow |
Move up or down one line |
03 |
Ctrl + Right Arrow or Left Arrow |
Move one word right or left |
04 |
Ctrl + Up Arrow or Down Arrow |
Move up or down one paragraph |
05 |
Shift + Ctrl + Right Arrow or Left Arrow |
Select one word right or left |
06 |
Shift + Ctrl + Up Arrow or Down Arrow |
Select one paragraph before or after |
07 |
Shift-click |
Extend existing selection |
08 |
Ctrl + Shift + L, R, or C |
Align paragraph left, right, or center |
09 |
Ctrl + Shift + J |
Justify paragraph |
10 |
Shift + Enter |
Insert soft return |
11 |
Ctrl + Alt + K |
Highlight kerning |
12 |
Ctrl + Shift + X |
Reset horizontal scale to 100% |
13 |
Ctrl + Shift + > or < |
Increase or decrease type size |
14 |
Alt + Up or Down Arrow (horizontal text) or Right or Left Arrow (vertical text) |
Increase or decrease leading |
15 |
Ctrl + Alt + Q |
Reset tracking/kerning to 0 |
16 |
Alt + Right or Left Arrow (horizontal text) or Up or Down Arrow (vertical text) |
Increase or decrease kerning and tracking |
17 |
Ctrl + Alt + Right or Left Arrow (horizontal text) or Up or Down Arrow (vertical text) |
Increase or decrease kerning and tracking by five times |
18 |
Alt + Shift + Up or Down Arrow (horizontal text) or Right or Left Arrow (vertical text) |
Increase or decrease baseline shift |
19 |
Shift |
Switch between Type and Vertical Type, Area Type and Vertical Area Type, and Path Type and Vertical Path Type tools |
20 |
Alt |
Switch between Area Type and Path Type, Vertical Area Type and Vertical Path Type tools |
Keys For Using Panels
Sr.No |
Shortcut Key |
Description |
---|---|---|
01 |
Alt-click New button |
Set options (except for Actions, Brushes, Swatches, and Symbols panels) |
02 |
Alt-click Delete button |
Delete without confirmation (except for Layers panel) |
03 |
Shift + Enter |
Apply value and keep text box active |
04 |
Shift-click |
Select range of actions, brushes, layers, links, styles, or swatches |
05 |
Ctrl-click |
Select noncontiguous actions, brushes, layers (same level only), links, styles, or swatches |
06 |
Tab |
Show/Hide all panels |
07 |
Shift + Tab |
Show/Hide all panels except the Tools panel and Control panel |
Keys For the Actions Panel
Sr.No |
Shortcut Key |
Description |
---|---|---|
01 |
Alt-click expansion triangle |
Expand/Collapse entire hierarchy for action set |
02 |
Double-click folder icon |
Set options for action set |
03 |
Ctrl-click Play Current Selection button |
Play a single command |
04 |
Alt-click New Action button |
Begin recording actions without confirmation |
Keys for The Brushes Panel
Sr.No |
Shortcut Key |
Description |
---|---|---|
01 |
Double-click brush |
Open Brush Options dialog box |
02 |
Drag brush to New Brush button |
Duplicate brush |
Keys for the Character and Paragraph Panels
Sr.No |
Shortcut Key |
Description |
---|---|---|
01 |
Up Arrow or Down Arrow |
Increase/decrease the selected value by a small increment |
02 |
Shift + Up Arrow or Down Arrow |
Increase/decreases the selected value by a large increment |
03 |
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + F |
Highlight the font name field in the Character panel |
Keys for The Color Panel
Sr.No |
Shortcut Key |
Description |
---|---|---|
01 |
Ctrl-click color bar |
Select the complement for the current color fill/stroke |
02 |
Alt-click color bar |
Change the nonactive fill/stroke |
03 |
Ctrl + Alt-click color bar |
Select the complement for the nonactive fill/stroke |
04 |
Ctrl + Shift-click color bar |
Select the inverse for the current fill/stroke |
05 |
Ctrl + Shift + Alt-click color bar |
Select the inverse for the nonactive fill/stroke |
06 |
Shift-click color bar |
Change the color mode |
07 |
Shift-drag color slider |
Move color sliders in tandem |
08 |
Double-click to right of a numerical field |
Switch between percentage and 0-255 values for RGB |
Keys For The Gradient Panel
Sr.No |
Shortcut Key |
Description |
---|---|---|
01 |
Alt-drag |
Duplicate color stops |
02 |
Alt-drag color stop onto another stop |
Swap color stops |
03 |
Alt-click swatch in the Swatches panel |
Apply swatch color to active (or selected) color stop |
04 |
Ctrl-click Gradient Fill box in the Gradient panel |
Reset the gradient fill to default black and white linear gradient |
05 |
Ctrl + Alt + G |
Show/Hide gradient arrow |
06 |
Alt-drag end point of gradient annotator |
Modify angle and end-point together |
07 |
Shift-drag |
Constrain Gradient tool or Gradient annotator while dragging |
08 |
G |
View Gradient annotator in selected gradient filled object |
Keys For the Layers Panel
Sr.No |
Shortcut Key |
Description |
---|---|---|
01 |
Alt-click layer name |
Select all objects on the layer |
02 |
Alt-click eye icon |
Show/hide all layers but the selected one |
03 |
Ctrl-click eye icon |
Select Outline/Preview view for the selected layer |
04 |
Ctrl + Alt-click eye icon |
Selects Outline/Preview view for all other layers |
05 |
Alt-click lock icon |
Lock/unlock all other layers |
06 |
Alt-click expansion triangle |
Expand all sublayers to display entire hierarchy |
07 |
Alt-click New Layer button |
Set options as you create new layer |
08 |
Alt-click New Sublayer button |
Set options as you create new sublayer |
09 |
Ctrl + Alt-click New Sublayer button |
Place new sublayer at bottom of layer list |
10 |
Ctrl-click New Layer button |
Place layer at top of layer list |
11 |
Ctrl + Alt-click New Layer button |
Place layer below selected layer |
12 |
Alt-drag selection |
Copy the selection to a layer, sublayer, or group |
Keys for The Swatches Panel
Sr.No |
Shortcut Key |
Description |
---|---|---|
01 |
Ctrl-click New Swatch button |
Create new spot color |
02 |
Ctrl + Shift-click New Swatch button |
Create new global process color |
03 |
Alt-drag a swatch over another |
Replace swatch with another |
Keys for The Transform Panel
Sr.No |
Shortcut Key |
Description |
---|---|---|
01 |
Shift + Enter |
Apply a value and keep focus in edit field |
02 |
Alt + Enter |
Apply a value and copy object |
03 |
Ctrl + Enter |
Apply a value and scale option proportionately for width or height |
Keys for The Transparency Panel
Sr.No |
Shortcut Key |
Description |
---|---|---|
01 |
Alt-click on mask thumbnail |
Change mask to grayscale image for editing |
02 |
Shift-click on mask thumbnail |
Disable opacity mask |
03 |
Shift-click on disabled mask thumbnail |
Re-enable opacity mask |
04 |
Click opacity field + Up Arrow or Down Arrow |
Increase/decrease opacity in 1% increments |
05 |
Shift-click opacity field + Up Arrow or Down Arrow |
Increase/decrease opacity in 10% increments |
Function Keys
Sr.No |
Shortcut Key |
Description |
---|---|---|
01 |
F1 |
Invoke Help |
02 |
F2 |
Cut |
03 |
F3 |
Copy |
04 |
F4 |
Paste |
05 |
F5 |
Show/hide Brushes panel |
06 |
F6 |
Show/hide Color pane |
07 |
F7 |
Show/hide Layers panel |
08 |
F8 |
Create new symbol |
09 |
Ctrl + F8 |
Show/hide Info panel |
10 |
Ctrl + F9 |
Show/hide Gradient panel |
11 |
Ctrl + F10 |
Show/hide Stroke panel |
12 |
Ctrl + F11 |
Show/hide Attributes panel |
13 |
F12 |
Revert |
14 |
Shift + F5 |
Show/hide Graphic Styles panel |
15 |
Shift + F6 |
Show/hide Appearance panel |
16 |
Shift + F7 |
Show/hide Align panel |