| These keyboard shortcuts will keep your fingers flying from the moment you create a new file until you make the final touch-ups on your image.
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Groundwork
- To open a flattened version of a layered
PSD file, press Shift-Option/Alt and
double-click the image. This works as
long as the file was saved using Preferences
> File Handling > Maximize PSD
File Compatibility. (OS X only)
- To create a document the same size as
an open document, choose File > New,
and select the open document’s file
name from the Preset menu. (CS only)
- For a quick way to see the actual pixel
dimensions of a document, Option/
Alt-click the image info area at the bottom
of the document window (or the
Status bar in Windows), and you’ll see
the document’s Width, Height, Channels,
and Resolution (1).
- To scroll through all open documents
simultaneously, select the Hand tool,
and check Scroll All Windows in the
Options bar. Select the Zoom tool, and
check Zoom All Windows to zoom all
open documents at once. (CS only)
- While dragging out a guide from the
rulers, press Option/Alt to change the
orientation of the guide.
- To find the center of an image, Control/
Right-click on a ruler and choose Percent
from the contextual menu (2).
- To add canvas to an image, drag out a
crop with the Crop tool. Now drag the
crop handles outside the image, and
press Return/Enter to apply the crop.
The area outside the image fills with
the Background Color. To add transparency
instead, convert the Background
layer by double-clicking it (3).
- To use cropping dimensions from one
image to another, apply a crop to the
first image, click Front Image in the
Options bar, and you’ll see the Width,
Height, and Resolution entered. Switch
to the other file, and drag the Crop tool.
The aspect ratio is constrained and will
be at the desired dimensions (4).
- To play a single command in an Action,
double-click the name of the command
while pressing Command/Ctrl.
- To view the Actions palette as clickable
buttons, choose Button Mode from the
palette’s menu (below).
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Transformations
- Free Transform (Command/Ctrl-T) a
selection from its center by pressing
Option/Alt while dragging a Transform
box handle.
- To distort a transform box, press
Command/Ctrl while dragging.
- To skew, Press Shift-Command/Ctrl
while dragging.
- To change perspective, press Shift-
Option-Command (Shift-Alt-Ctrl)
while dragging.
- To repeat a transformation setting,
load a selection, and press Shift-
Command/Ctrl-T.
- To create a copy on its own layer while
creating a duplicate transformation,
load the selection, and press Shift-
Option-Command-T (Shift-Alt-Ctrl-T).
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Masks
- After adding a mask to a layer, press
Command/Ctrl-Tilde (~) to target the
image thumbnail on the layer. Target
the mask thumbnail by pressing
Command/Ctrl-Backslash ().
- Press Backslash to toggle the display of
a layer mask (as a red rubylith overlay).
In the Channels palette, the shortcut
toggles the channel’s visibility.
- To duplicate a layer mask to another
layer, select the target layer (unmasked
layer), and click-drag the layer mask
thumbnail of the layer with the desired
mask to the Add a Mask icon at the
bottom of the Layers palette.
- To paste a selection into a layer mask,
Option/Alt-click the layer mask thumbnail,
then Paste (Command/Ctrl-V).
- To add a layer mask to hide a selection
(as opposed to the default of revealing
a selection), Option/Alt-click the Add a
Layer Mask icon.
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Curves
- To access the Curves dialog box with
the previous settings applied, press
Option-Command-M (Alt-Ctrl-M).
- To show additional grid lines, Option/
Alt-click in the grid area.
- Tab-Control/Right-click to cycle
through multiple Curves points. Add
Shift to go in the opposite direction.
- To move multiple Curves points, Shift-click
each one first.
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Artistic Touches
- To sample a color for the Background
Color swatch in the toolbox, press
Option/Alt while clicking with the
Eyedropper tool.
- Press Shift-Delete/Backspace to access
the Fill command dialog box.
- The Paint Bucket has two additional
Modes in the Options bar: Behind fills
transparent images, and Clear erases
based on the color you click on (similar
to the Magic Wand tool).
- With all vector/shape tools, the Comma
and Period keys move to the previous
or next preset in the Style list in the
Options bar. Add Shift to move directly
to the first or last style.
- To access the Brushes palette while
using a brush, Control/Right-click
anywhere in the image area.
- To select the Airbrush, press Shift-
Option/Alt-P. When selected, the
numeric keys change the Flow. When
deselected, they change Opacity. Press
Shift while entering numbers to use
the opposite setting. (PS 7 and later)
- To assign a keyboard shortcut to a
filter, choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts
> Application Menus > Filter. (CS only)
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