Speedy Photoshop: 10 Essential Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts
If you're a Photoshop professional navigating the creative landscape, you already know that every second counts when you're working on intricate designs, retouching photos or crafting your best work. That's where the magic of keyboard shortcuts comes into play to really boost your workflow efficiency.
Let's dive into the world of essential Photoshop keyboard shortcuts that will really make a difference to how fast you can work.
Quick note: Ctrl key on Windows is the Cmd key on Mac. Alt key on Windows is the Option key on Mac.
1. Undo and Redo (Ctrl/Cmd+Z, Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+Z)
Everyone makes mistakes but in Photoshop, you can quickly undo or redo your actions. Pressing Ctrl/Cmd+Z will undo the last action and Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+Z will redo it. It's an incredibly useful way to experiment with different effects without the fear of irreversible changes.
2. Duplicate a Layer (Ctrl/Cmd+J)
Duplicating layers is a fundamental task in Photoshop. Do this every time you’re about to make some substantial changes to a layer. It lets you keep the original layer in case you need to go back to it later. Use Ctrl/Cmd+J to duplicate a selected layer.
3. Zoom In and Out (Ctrl/Cmd + or -)
Precision is key in Photoshop and zooming in and out quickly helps you focus on details or alternatively, get a bird's eye view of your image. Use Ctrl/Cmd + to zoom in and Ctrl/Cmd - to zoom out. It's a simple and effective way to navigate your Photoshop canvas with minimal effort.
4. Brush Sise and Hardness using the Square Bracket Keys [ and ]
Adjusting your brush size and hardness becomes very easy with the square bracket keys. Press the left bracket key to decrease the size and the right bracket key to increase it. You can combine this with the Shift key to modify the brush hardness. Mastering these shortcuts distinctly enhances your Photoshop painting and retouching capabilities. This is used for many tools, including the normal paintbrush, the eraser, the clone stamp tool, Quick Mask mode, dodge and burn and more.
5. Toggle Brush Tool Opacity (Number Keys 1-0)
Fine-tune your brush opacity on the fly by using the number keys. Pressing '5' sets the opacity to 50%, '2' sets it to 20% and so on. It's a quick way to achieve subtle adjustments and build up layers of Photoshop effects seamlessly.
6. Select All (Ctrl/Cmd+A) and Deselect (Ctrl/Cmd+D)
When you need to work with the entire canvas or remove a selection, Ctrl/Cmd+A selects everything, while Ctrl/Cmd+D deselects. These shortcuts save you from tedious manual selections and streamline your Photoshop image-editing process.
7. Toggle Full Screen Mode (F)
Get a closer look at your work in progress by toggling full-screen mode with the 'F' key. It's a great way to immerse yourself in your Photoshop composition and catch any details you might have missed in the standard view.
8. Layer Styles (Alt+Shift+Ctrl+E or Option+Shift+Cmd+E)
You can merge all visible layers into a new layer with this single shortcut. This is incredibly useful when you want to apply effects or filters to your entire Photoshop composition without flattening individual layers.
9. Quick Colour Sampling (Alt/Option)
Sampling colours on the fly is simple with the Alt/Option key. Hold down Alt/Option to activate the Eyedropper tool temporarily, allowing you to pick colours without switching tools. It's a small trick that adds up to significant time savings during any Photoshop session.

10. Save As (Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+S)
Don't let the fear of losing your work haunt you. Use Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+S to quickly save your project with a different name or in a different format. This shortcut ensures that your Photoshop files are always secure.
In conclusion, mastering these essential Photoshop keyboard shortcuts gives a real boost to your Photoshop work. They are the secret weapons of seasoned Photoshop professionals, enabling them to work faster and more efficiently. Incorporate these shortcuts into your workflow and you’ll find your productivity soars. Happy Photoshopping!
Related Training Courses
Useful Resources
- Photoshop keyboard shortcuts Use keyboard shortcuts to become more productive in Adobe
- Undo or redo in Photoshop Discover how the Undo and Redo commands can help you access earlier and later versions of your project
- Copying and pasting layers in Photoshop Learn how you can duplicate any layer, including the Background layer, within an image
- Zooming in and out in Photoshop Learn how to zoom in and out to get a new perspective on parts of your project
- Brush size in Photoshop How to change the Brush size in Photoshop
- Brush hardness in Photoshop Learn the keyboard shortcuts for adjusting the brush hardness up or down
- Brush opacity in Photoshop Discover how to change the opacity of a Brush in Photoshop
- Merge layers in Photoshop Learn how to merge layers in Photoshop
- Sampling colours in Photoshop Understand foreground and background colours in Photoshop