Using Photoshop Hotkeys

Did you know by using hotkeys you’re actually going to get better at design? There is no doubt that using hotkeys can greatly increase your productivity, and by using hotkeys, you will actually improve your design skills. Getting quicker at Photoshop means there is less time wasted looking for tools and more time creating beautiful artwork. Less time wasted means more time spent learning.

When I work in Photoshop I always have one hand on the keyboard ready to go for hotkeys and one hand on the mouse. You should already know the really common hotkeys, Ctrl + S (save), Ctrl + C (copy) and Ctrl + V (paste). Below is a Top 10 list of hotkeys that I use almost every time I work in Photoshop.

1. V
Selects your Move Tool

I use this hotkey the most. A lot of times I end up moving objects on my layers around until I get a composition I like. If I had to click the move tool every time I wanted to adjust something, it would take me forever.

2. Alt + Backspace / Ctrl + Backspace
Fills your layer with the current foreground color / Fills your layer with the current background color.

By using this hotkey, I can quickly fill blank layers with color in my palette. Using this tool saves me a ton of time by not having to use the paint bucket tool.

3. Ctrl + Click

Holding Ctrl and clicking on an object in your scene will usually select the layer you are clicking on. This may not work well with a file with tons of layers, and in that case, you can right click and select your layer. This saves a ton of time because I don’t have to go to my layers panel every time to select a different layer.

4. M
Marquee Selection Tool

The marquee selection tool is a very useful tool for me. It is a quick way to delete off edges, fill areas, and to (obviously) select areas.

5. C + N
New image

Creating a new file has never been easier than this. You can literally pull an image from online and be ready for editing in Photoshop in seconds by using these simple steps. Right click copy image, in Photoshop hit Ctrl + N, then hit Enter, then hit Ctrl + V. Of course, use only Creative Commons licensed photos, no stealing images.

6. Ctrl + J
Duplicates a layer.

Anytime you are afraid of messing up an image, just hit Ctrl + J and duplicate your layer. If you mess it up you always have a backup. It beats hitting Ctrl + Alt + Z a ton of times to undo and, you may not even get back to your original image

7. E
Eraser

Everyone needs to erase! I use this tool every now and then went I want to kick something back a little bit. Using a soft edge brush and turning the opacity down usually gives a little more control.

8. Ctrl + T
Free Transform

Scale down, rotate, and skew using free transform. This is the quick way to scale and rotate layers in Photoshop. Hit enter once you have a transformation you like.

Side Note: If you are using a raster image, then never scale up unless you like pixilated images or if you’re going to blur or filter that image somehow.

9. Ctrl + Z, Ctrl + Alt + Z
Undo, Step Backward

Mess something up? Hit Ctrl + Z. Need to go back two or more steps? Then hit Ctrl + Alt + Z. These hotkeys are a very useful combo.

10. Ctrl + (Plus Key ) , Ctrl – (Minus Key)
Zoom In, Zoom Out

Using this hotkey zooms in and out. Easily to 50%, 66%, 100% etc.. I like to use this if I am working with large image files.

I find these helpful to know when using Photoshop, mainly because I use these tools a quite bit. If you notice yourself using the same tools in Photoshop, do yourself the favor and learn the hotkeys. You will be surprised how much time you can actually save.

If you want to do a clipping mask use

Ctrl+Alt+G

Hold down the keys at the same time (unless you don't have any fingers)