Adobe Photoshop is a tool in every designer's toolkit. You should look for many things in menus, submenus, panels, panes and context menus. It is a lot to grab over.

 Adobe knows this! And rather than degrade everyone to clicking constantly, they designed some very instinctive shortcuts. Many of these shortcuts carry over between different products. So, knowing them will definitely be an advantage. 

In this blog, I will list some handy Photoshop keyboard shortcuts list. These are some of the must-know Photoshop keyboard shortcuts that will save you so much time in Video Editing.

Handy Photoshop keyboard shortcuts

1. Free Transform

One of the commonly used shortcuts is the free transform tool. You can rotate, scale (resize), reflect (mirror image), shear (slant), or distort an object using the Free Transform tool. In addition, you can distort and apply perspective to an object. This shortcut is essential to effectiveness.

  • Windows: CTRL + T
  • MacOS: CMD + T

2. New Layer from Copy and Cut

If you need to cut or copy an object and create a new layer of it, these are the shortcuts to create a new layer for each of the actions. 

  • Windows: CTRL + J (copy), SHIFT + CTRL + J (cut)
  • MacOS: CMD + J (copy), SHIFT + CMD + J (cut)

3. Fit to Screen

If you wish to see every pixel of your project and have zoomed so far, it will take an hour to zoom back out. Use these keyboard shortcuts to scale superbly to the viewport.

  • Windows: CTRL + 0 (zero)
  • MacOS: CMD + 0 (zero)

4. Flatten Layers

At times you might intensely level some layers. It gets easier if you follow the below said shortcuts. 

  • Windows: CTRL + ALT+SHIFT + E
  • MacOS: CMD + ALT + SHIFT + E

5. Merge Visible Layers

Merging layers is beneficial for two reasons: it minimizes the size of your project and organizes the layers panel. When you need to integrate a large number of layers in Photoshop, merging visible layers comes in handy. You can alter the visibility of the few layers you want to keep rather than manually selecting them.

  • Windows: SHIFT + CTRL + E
  • MacOS: SHIFT + CMD + E

6. Merge Down Layer

Sometimes you don't want everything to be merged into one file. It's only the layers that you're currently dealing with. Consequently, you may use this Photoshop keyboard shortcut to combine the current layer with the one immediately underneath it if necessary.

  • Windows: CTRL + E
  • MacOS: CMD + E

7. Bring Forward, Send Backward (Layer)

Layers can go off pointers, and manually pulling the load can be irritating. Press this with the layer spotlight to move it up the pointers.

  • Windows: CTRL + ] (right bracket)
  • macOS: CMD + ] (right bracket)

To move the layer toward the lowest of the pile, do this.

  • Windows: CTRL + [ (left bracket)
  • macOS: CMD + [ (left bracket)

8. Send to Back or Bring to Front (Layer)

If all need it at the uppermost or lowest of the store in one keystore, you can do it as well.

To bring a layer of all the processes to the upper:

  • Windows: SHIFT + CTRL + ] (right bracket)
  • MacOS: SHIFT + CMD + ] (right bracket)

If you send it all the way to the lowest:

  • Windows: SHIFT + CTRL + [ (left bracket)
  • MacOS: SHIFT + CMD + [ (left bracket)

9. Invert Selection

Have you ever chosen something but recognized that you need the image's facing part selected? You can do it by :

  • Windows: CTRL + SHIFT + I
  • MacOS: CMD + SHIFT + I

10. Deselect

If you are such, the default from the shortcut is clearly clicked out of it. But that does not work in Photoshop 90% of the time. When you try it, you will also get a system drive or disorder something up. Instead, the decline is exactly a keyboard shortcut aside, so let up easy.

  • Windows: CTRL + D
  • macOS: CMD + D

11. Brush Size

Remember the dullness of art when you observe it. That is the go with Photoshop brush size too. You can not see what you need, but having a calm phased keypress will help you see it shorter than you request by clicking around.

  • Windows and macOS – [ or ] (left or right bracket) for decrease or increase

12. Move (Content – Aware)

Content awareness is one of Photoshop's best points. Firstly you can make a choice or section, and then Photoshop does to best render the area it settled with a suitable flawless background, so it's like you never proceed at all. Try this shortcut.

  • Windows and macOS: J 
  • In case this does not work keep pressing J till it does. In line with multiple tools, repeatedly press the same shortcut to toggle between the variety.

13. Image Resize

If you want to rescale the full image, you can extra easily with that.

  • Windows: CTRL + ALT + I
  • MacOS: CMD + OPT + I

14. Change Canvas Size

If you like to change the clear area of an image but not scale the image itself, you have to do that by exchanging the canvas size, not the full image.

  • Windows: CTRL + ALT + C
  • macOS: CMD + OPT + I

15. Zoom In and Out

There are two reminder shortcuts for each of them. We make free use of both of them each time we start Photoshop.

If you are a rotate user:

  • Windows and macOS: ALT + Wheel Up and Down (in and out)

If you are a keyboard shortcut type of person:

  • Windows: CTRL – + and – (plus and minus for in/out)
  • macOS: CMD – + and – (plus and minus for in/out)

16. Incrementally Increase and Decrease Text Size

Operating text in Photoshop can be strong. It is not planned that expertly, so obtaining the characters to fit exactly where you want them to needs some framing from time to time; rather than applying the text control to change font size on purpose, these Photoshop keyboard shortcuts inch their way ahead of the ideal size.

  • Windows: CTRL + SHIFT – ,/. (comma or period)
  • MacOS: CMD + SHIFT – ,/. (comma or period)

17. Hide Palettes, Toolbars and Menus

You will like this if you choose to work in the best possible workspace. It goes great with keyboard shortcut use since nothing appears up for you to pop on. It is an important way to get a good look at your task and as near to a diversion-free way as Photoshop.

  • Windows and macOS: TAB

18. Create New Layer

Along with going round out the list is a shortcut that will save you extra time than you can notice, creating a new layer to task in instantly. No duplicate, no cutting, exactly a new blank layer at the pin of a few solutions. It is so much more satisfying than going to Layer – New – Layer repeatedly.

  • Windows: CTRL + SHIFT + N
  • MacOS: CMD + SHIFT + N

All set to save your time while designing?

You can use these keyboard shortcuts to save time in doing your project. All you have to do is to make sure you know these shortcuts.

There are many things you can do in Photoshop. I hope this blog was useful in helping you make the most out of it. 

Are you looking to create videos for your businesses? Headover to www.webdew.com to know more or Contact us!

Editor: Amrutha

Frequently Asked Questions

Photoshop has a wide range of shortcut keys that help users perform various tasks quickly. These shortcuts cover actions like selecting tools, navigating the workspace, and applying various commands, making editing more efficient.

In Photoshop, pressing Ctrl + J (or Command + J on Mac) duplicates the selected layer or group. It creates an identical copy of the selected content on a new layer, which can be useful for non-destructive editing or making adjustments.

Pressing F7 in Photoshop toggles the visibility of the Layers panel. It allows you to show or hide the panel where you manage and work with different layers in your project, providing more screen space for your composition.

There are numerous keyboard shortcuts in Photoshop, and 15 commonly used ones include Ctrl + N (New Document), Ctrl + S (Save), Ctrl + Z (Undo), Ctrl + C (Copy), Ctrl + V (Paste), Ctrl + T (Transform), Ctrl + A (Select All), Ctrl + D (Deselect), Ctrl + J (Duplicate Layer), Ctrl + E (Merge Layers), Ctrl + Shift + I (Invert Selection), Ctrl + 0 (Fit to Screen), Ctrl + H (Hide Extras), Ctrl + R (Show/Hide Rulers), and Ctrl + G (Group Layers). These shortcuts help streamline your workflow and save time during image editing.