71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Help You Edit Photos Like a Pro [+ PDF Cheatsheet]

Have you ever wasted an entire day in Photoshop? So have I. It's not like you start out aimlessly. You have a simple goal in mind, like cropping a photo, improving the resolution, or changing the size of the canvas. But then, you see all the options. And before you know it, you're attempting to solve The Riddle of the Sphinx.

Wouldn't it be nice if you could just press a button, and magically, Photoshop would do what you wanted it to do? It turns out there are a wealth of Photoshop shortcuts that do exactly this.

By pressing a few keys on your computer keyboard at the same time, you can select tools, manipulate images and layers, and even make adjustments to your project's canvas. We'll show you how to do all of that (and more) in this guide.

Save all of these shortcuts to your desktop by downloading the PDF version here.

Note: All of these shortcuts can be accessed on PC and Mac, but sometimes, they're different on each operating system. We've included both types below, and in the cases where they might be different, Mac instructions appear in italicized parentheses. Also, in these formulas, the plus sign (+) is present only to represent the combination of key commands. On occasion, it might be part of the command itself, like when you press the plus sign to zoom into a part of an image. Otherwise, don't press the plus sign between commands.

71 Photoshop Shortcuts to Save You Time Change image size Change canvas size Zoom in Zoom out Scale Proportionately Scale in place Show Rulers Show or hide the grid Pointer, a.k.a. Move Tool Magic Wand Rectangular Marquee, a.k.a. the Select Tool Lasso

Getting Set Up

You'd think setting up your content in Photoshop would be second nature. But sometimes, the shortcuts to change the background size, or zoom into your project aren't what you think. Here are some of the most crucial fundamental shortcuts to know:

1. Change image size

Control + Alt + i (Command + Option + i )

2. Change canvas size

Control + Alt + c (Command + Option + c )

3. Zoom in

Control + + (Command + + )

4. Zoom out

Control + - (Command + - )

5. Scale Proportionately

Hold the shift key while selecting the object

6. Scale in place (from center of the object)

Hold shift + option while selecting the object

7. Show Rulers

Control + r (Command + r)

8. Show or hide the grid (the automatically-generated horizontal and vertical lines that help align objects to the canvas.)

Control + ' (Command + ' )

Choosing the Right Tools

These shortcuts will activate different groups of tools, like "Lasso," "Brush," or "Spot Healing Brush." Within these tools, though, there are different functions. Under the "Magic Wand" tool group, for example, you have the option to execute a new selection or add and subtract from a current one.

Each one of these tools has a keyboard shortcut, and we've outlined some of them below.

9. Pointer, a.k.a. Move Tool

v

10. Magic Wand

w

11. Rectangular Marquee, a.k.a. the Select Tool

m

12. Lasso

l

13. Eyedropper

i

14. Crop

c

15. Eraser

e

16. Rectangle

u

17. Horizontal Type

t

18. Brush

b

19. History Brush

y

20. Spot Healing Brush

j

21. Gradient

g

22. Path Selection

a

23. Hand

h

24. Rotate View

r

25. Pen

p

26. Clone Stamp

s

27. Dodge

o

28. Zoom Tool

z

29. Default Foreground and Background Colors

d

30. Switch Foreground and Background Colors

x

31. Edit in Quick Mask Mode

q

32. Change Screen Mode

x

33. Full Screen

f

Using the Brush Tool

With the brush settings, you can change the size, shape, and transparency of your brush strokes to achieve a number of different visual effects. To use these keyboard shortcuts, first select the Brush tool by pressing b.

34. Select previous or next brush style

, or .

35. Select the first or last brush style used

Shift + , or .

36. Display precise crosshair for brushes

Caps Lock or Shift + Caps Lock (Caps Lock)

37. Toggle airbrush option

Shift + Alt + p (Shift + Option + p)

Using the Marquee Tool (for Slicing/Selecting)

When used correctly, the marquee tool will let you select individual elements, entire graphics, and determine what is copied, cut, and pasted into your graphics. To use these keyboard shortcuts, first select the Marquee tool by pressing m.

38. Toggle between Slice tool and Slice Selection tool

Control (Command)

39. Draw square slice

Shift + drag

40. Draw from center outward

Alt + drag (Option + drag)

41. Draw square slice from center outward

Shift + alt + drag (Shift + option + drag)

42. Reposition the slice while creating the slice

Spacebar + drag

Using Different Blending Options

Blending options include a number of features to enhance the look of your graphic. You can always choose a blending option by going to the top menu bar, under Layer > Layer Style > Blending Options. Or, you can double-click any layer to bring up the options for that particular layer.

Once you open blending options, you can use keyboard shortcuts to select them without moving your mouse. To use the shortcuts, select the Move tool ("v"), and then select the layer you'd like to use the blending options on. Below are some of the most popular modes.

43. Cycle through blending modes

Shift + + or –

44. Normal mode

Shift + Alt + n (Shift + Option + n)

45. Dissolve

Shift + Alt + i (Shift + Option + i)

46. Darken

Shift + Alt + k (Shift + Option + k)

47. Lighten

Shift + Alt + g (Shift + Option + g)

48. Multiply

Shift + Alt + m (Shift + Option + m)

49. Overlay

Shift + Alt + o (Shift + Option + o)

50. Hue

Shift + Alt + u (Shift + Option + u)

51. Saturation

Shift + Alt + t (Shift + Option + t)

52. Luminosity

Shift + Alt + y (Shift + Option + y)

For more niche blending shortcuts, check out these tips from Adobe.

Manipulating Layers & Objects

If you want to modify an object or get complex with multiple layers, here are some shortcuts you might like to know:

Click to Enlarge

53. Select all objects

Control + a (Command + a )

54. Deselect all objects

Control + d (Command + d )

55. Select the inverse of the selected objects

Shift + Control + i (Shift + Command + i )

56. Select all layers

Control + Alt + a (Command + Option + a)

57. Merge all layers

Control + Shift + E (Command + Shift + e)

58. Select top layer

Alt + . (Option + .)

59. Select bottom layer

Alt + , (Option + ,)

Note: In shortcuts 55-57, the brackets ([ ]) are the keystrokes in the command, and "OR" refers to the actual word — as in, press one bracket OR the other, not the letters "o" and "r."

60. Select next layer down or up

Alt + [ OR ] (Option + [ OR ])

61. Move target layer down or up

Control + [ OR ] (Command + [ OR ])

62. Move layer to the bottom or top

Control + Shift + [ OR ] (Command + Shift + [ OR ])

63. Create a new layer

Shift + Control + n (Shift + Command + n)

64. Group selected layers

Control + g (Command + g)

65. Ungroup selected layers

Control + Shift + g (Command + Shift + g)

66. Merge and flatten selected layers

Control + e (Command + e)

67. Combine all layers into a new layer on top of the other layers

Control + Shift + Alt + e (Command + Shift + Option + e)

Note: This step gets you one, combined layer, with all elements of that layer in separate layers below — which is different from a traditional merge-and-flatten layers command.

68. Transform your object (includes resizing and rotating)

Control + t (Command + t)

69. Multiple Undos

Control + Alt + z (Command + Option + z)

And Finally — Save Your Work for Later

Congratulations — you've finished working on your project, and now, you're ready to share it with the world. Save time-saving your project by using these simple shortcuts:

70. Save as

Control + Shift + s (Command + Shift + s)

71. Save for web and devices

Control + Shift + Alt + s (Command + Shift + Option + s)

15 top features in Photoshop CC

Adobe Creative Cloud's image-editing powerhouse Photoshop CC slots into the centre of your creative workflow perfectly. Not only does it integrate beautifully with the likes of After Effects CC and Illustrator CC, it also enables you to upload to the Cloud or Behance without even leaving the app. In addition, Generator technology will add a new dimension to your workflow. But do you know all the cool features in the latest edition of Photoshop? Here are 15 phenomenal things that may have passed you by...

01. Connected to Behance

When you join Creative Cloud, you can quickly sign up to Behance and, of course, its ProSite personal portfolio tool - both are free within the CC subscription. The best part? If you want to showcase a WIP, final illustration or anything you've created in Photoshop on Behance, you can upload it directly from Photoshop itself. Just go to File>Share to Behance. If you haven't linked your Behance account, you'll receive step-by-step instructions the first time you try to share. Also, you can sync Behance with ProSite, meaning that a Creative Cloud membership provides a very simple way to publish new work to your portfolio site.

02. Smart Sharpen

The Smart Sharpen filter will save you so much time that you won't know what to do with it all!

In terms of the new features in Photoshop CC, one great addition is the Smart Sharpen filter. Found in the Filter>Sharpen menu, it enables you to quickly reduce noise and halo effects, using adaptive sharpening technology. You can, of course, dynamically preview the effect, as well as compare the result to Photoshop's legacy sharpening tool with the check of a box. You can use presets or save your own, using Amount, Radius and Reduce Noise sliders (amongst many other options) to get the required result.

03. Generator technology

The Photoshop 14.1 update contains a brilliant new feature - and technology - called Generator. This is a brilliant workflow addition, and essentially enables you to quickly create image assets in real-time as you work. Simply add a file extension to the name of your layer or layer group, and Photoshop will automatically create a JPG, PNG or GIF from the contents of that layer. If you make a change to that layer, the file is immediately updated. You can even add scaling factors. It's a huge new feature.

04. Save to Cloud

Picture this: a client wants to see a work in progress but doesn't really understand file formats and the like. Now, using Photoshop CC you can save your files directly to Creative Cloud and then, using the desktop app or browser-based dialog, choose to share files. The client simply receives an email and can view the project in their browser. How's that for a quick and easy project update? What's more, saving files to the Cloud enables you to manage them across multiple machines - desktop, laptop and even mobile devices.

05. Intelligent upsampling

Scaling up lo-res images is now simple (and plugin-free) with intelligent upsampling

You've been sent a low-res image by a client who wants it blown up to a huge size. What do you do? It used to be that you would have to resort to the likes of the (albeit excellent) plugin Genuine Fractals to upsample your images without a glaring loss of quality. Thankfully, in Photoshop CC you can now do this directly in the app. Combine this with being able to easily share files via Creative Cloud, and suddenly it's easy to show your client exactly what the low-res image will look like at the requested size.

06. Extended features included

Before Creative Cloud, two versions of Photoshop existed: Photoshop and Photoshop Extended. The latter included powerful image, video, analysis and 3D tools. With Creative Cloud and Photoshop CC you now get all of this in one version - so you don't have to pay any more to get all the exciting features of Photoshop Extended. It may seem a little, but if you want to build 3D into your workflow, it's a lot…

07. Multi-shape and path selection

The ability to select multiple paths, shapes and vector masks at once is, again, a simple yet very useful addition. Even in multi-layered documents with lots of paths, you can easily target the path and any layer you want right on the canvas using a new Filter mode (rather like the Filter mode in the Layers panel introduced in CS6).

08. Conditional actions

Actions are an important part of any professional Photoshop user's workflow - and with Photoshop CC they have become much better. For processing files they are brilliant: you use if/then statements to determine image properties before applying your action. They are all based on the rules you set up, so you are in complete control.

09. Editable rounded rectangles

The editable rounded rectangles feature is great for web designers

For a web designer who wants to export shapes as CSS data for use in another Adobe app such as Muse, editable rounded rectangles can be a lifesaver. You can resize shapes, edit them and re-edit them - before or after they're created.

Photoshop CC brings with it some improved 3D tools. For one, the 3D Scene Panel has been enhanced to make it easier to switch between a 2D and 3D workflow (thanks to a more conventional naming scheme and options). Secondly, higher quality live previews help you achieve great looks in less time. Plus, you can easily create better glow effects, scene illumination, and lighting for bumps and textures. Remember that After Effects now comes with Cinema 4D Lite, making your Creative Cloud 3D workflow - particularly across motion projects - a real breeze.

11. CSS From Layers

Web designers rejoice: the new CSS From Layers feature enables you to generate CSS code for specific design elements, and simply copy and paste the code into Dreamweaver or Muse to get the results you want. Let's say you designed a rounded rectangle element on a layer. Just Ctrl/right-click a layer or layer group and choose Copy CSS from the Context menu. It's as easy as that, and a great way to quickly move from mockups in Photoshop to live code in Dreamweaver or Muse.

12. Colour import from web files

With this clever new feature you can import colour swatches directly from HTML, CSS or SVG files - which is great when you need to find inspiration for a colour scheme or require help to match an existing scheme. It's another solid example of the excellent workflow features of Photoshop and the rest of Creative Cloud - and undoubtedly one you'll use again and again.

13. Improved type styles

The improved styles functionality in CC makes it incredibly easy to quickly set type styles and apply them across your Photoshop document, enabling you to maintain consistency and accuracy across your design projects.

14. Camera Shake Reduction

We've spoken about Photoshop CC's camera shake reduction previously, but it is still a handy feature

The new Camera Shake Reduction feature is great for when you've got some shaky shots you need to save for a client mockup or website. Whether your blur was caused by slow shutter speed or a long focal length, Camera Shake Reduction analyses its trajectory and helps restore sharpness - all in an intuitive dialog of course.

15. Expanded Smart Object support

Being able to apply effects non-destructively, without actually affecting the pixels, is a huge bonus. It enables you to experiment with different effects without committing or saving a duplicate of the file. In Photoshop CC you can apply Blur Gallery and liquify effects: your original file will stay intact as you push, pull, pucker or bloat the image or video. You can edit or remove the effects at any time, even after saving your file.

This feature first appeared in The Ultimate Guide To Adobe Creative Cloud (opens in new tab).

Now read these:

Photoshop tips, tricks and fixes to try today

Free Photoshop brushes (opens in new tab) every creative must have

every creative must have Free Photoshop actions (opens in new tab) to create stunning effects

to create stunning effects The best Photoshop plugins (opens in new tab)

What features of Photoshop CC do you love - or hate? Tell us in the comments...

Essential features in Photoshop to Master Editing

Editing images is a necessity for most business firms today. The digitized marketing mechanism involves advanced photo editing skills from eCommerce firms to traditional stores. You should know how to use photoshop features when you refine the images. Most business firms reach out to established photo editing service providers for Photoshop services. This makes the images polished and visually appealing. Even good shots can be enhanced further using the various Photoshop features. You need to have comprehensive knowledge about the basic features of Photoshop when you encounter a need to manipulate the picture.

Quick Overview

Why Photoshop?

Using Photoshop, you can enhance the look of the photos, adjust the brightness and contrast and add or remove certain objects from the picture. In addition, image editors in the established companies use different editing techniques to enhance the photos, making them look more appealing.

How does Photoshop Work?

Photoshop is software that helps you to edit your digital photos. It is used by professional photographers, graphic designers, and photo editors to improve the look of the photos. Photoshop contains a wide range of tools and features that help you improve your photos' look.

The basic tools found in Photoshop are a brush, pencil, eraser, and marquee. You can use these tools to edit the photos. The tools are used to select and adjust the photo. The selection tools are used to select a specific area in the photo. The adjustment tools are used to adjust the brightness, contrast, and colour of the photo.

Photoshop Features and Tools Explained

Here are 8 most significant features of Photoshop software that all professional photo editors and photographers must be using.

Hue and saturation Hue and Saturation are some of the most important elements in Photoshop. It enables the editor to control the colours in the photos, adjusting their hue and saturation. You need to click on 'Adjustments' under the 'Image' option. Adjusting the hue will change the colours in the photograph. You can use the feature to change the richness of colours and their intensity in the image. This will make the image look more natural. However, it will not bring about any drastic change in the colours. This is one of the best photoshop tricks for photographers.

Layers Photoshop users must be familiar with the 'Layers' feature. It allows the users to work on certain image parts while keeping the others unchanged. Therefore, the editors can incorporate the necessary changes in certain image sections without disturbing the others. It requires advanced skills to operate this feature. The experts will make the desired manipulations when you reach out to a reputed company for image touch-up services . Optimally using this feature gives you the needed freedom for selective editing, which is imperative for effective image manipulations .

Levels If you want to adjust the colour balance and tonal range in the picture, you can use the 'Levels' feature. This effectively changes the intensity of the shadows, midtones and highlights of the picture. In the form of a histogram, a visual guide helps the users make the changes accurately in the images. You will find this feature under the 'Image -> Adjustments' option. You may look at the various photo editing tips for beginners online to get a detailed idea of Levels as it is one of the basic provisions of Photoshop.

Adjustments Integrating the layer adjustments is one of the basic photoshop editing skills that a professional must possess. You can create adjustment layers and edit them in the adjustment panel easily. Adjustment layers in Photoshop serve as image alterations that are non-destructive to the entire image. The users can easily turn the adjustment layer on and off without disturbing the other layers. This is most commonly used in tone colour correction in photoshop (Levels and Curves adjustments). However, you can also use these in other types of adjustments to dramatically alter their look.

Colour channels The users can look at particular shades in the colour channels palette included in the picture. In the RGB mode, you will get green, red and blue. However, when you move to a different colour space, these colour channels will be different, such as LAB or CMYK. You may want to change hair colour in photoshop or make any other adjustments. When a particular colour is selected, the image will be shown in different black and white versions. Each of these colour channels is a monochromatic image representing the light in each channel. For instance, the red channel provides you with a view of the red light in your photo. To make touch-ups specific to particular colour channels and enhance the overall contrast, you need to switch between these channels. The users can also convert the photo to black and white, making it attractive. You can read the photoshop tips and tricks for photo editing to enhance your skills. You will learn about photo enhancements and colour correction in greater detail in a later lesson.

Filter You can make several changes in the image through the filter option. First of all, you should have a basic knowledge of the list of photoshop tools and their uses . The Photoshop filters can sharpen, blur, distort and alter the layers of the image or the entire image in various ways. You need to try out each of these filters and get acquainted with them. It will take a little time to get familiarized with these filters, and you will find their functions interesting. In the subsequent lessons, you will learn about the specifications of the commonly used filters. If you need dedicated support for photoshop editing, get across to the best photo editing companies with your requirements.

Sharpening The Sharpening is difficult to operate, and the image editors need to practise a lot to use it. You should have a steady hand over the mouse to make the desired changes. This is one of the most important Photoshop features that make the smaller features in the photo more prominent. 'Sharpening' is among the last features used during the editing process. You can also use the 'Auto Sharpen' command to save time. However, when you use this, make sure that the image does not become over-sharpened, making it look unrealistic.

Cropping and resizing Cropping and resizing are some of the most basic features of Photoshop. You can use it to change the photo's dimensions or to remove any unwanted part of the photo. Cropping can be used to improve the photo's composition or to focus on a particular part of the photo. When you crop the photo, make sure that you do not lose any important part of the photo. You can use the 'Crop Tool' to crop the photo. The resizing can be used to change the photo's size without compromising the photo's quality. When you resize the photo, make sure that you maintain the photo's aspect ratio. If you do not maintain the aspect ratio, the photo will be distorted.

Now, you know about some of the essential features of Photoshop that will help you in mastering the art of photo editing.

Conclusion

The features mentioned above are essential ones that you need to know to edit photos effectively in Photoshop. You should practice using these features to get better results.

If you are willing to seek assistance from an experienced company for photo editing-related projects, you can reach out to MAP System. We have been collaborating with clients from various industries across the globe. Our experienced photo editors are well-versed with the advanced features of Photoshop. Get across to us for various types of photo editing and retouching services. In addition, you can strengthen your marketing tactics with seamless support in photoshop services from us.

Need help with photo editing? MAP System is here to assist!