Popular Shortcuts
Popular Shortcuts
Open the Color Settings dialog box Shift + Ctrl + K Shift + Command + K
Open the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog box Alt + Shift + Ctrl + K Option + Shift + Command + K
Open the Document Setup dialog box Alt + Ctrl + P Option + Command + P
Open the Export for screens dialog box Alt + Ctrl + E Option + Command + E
Select tools
Selection tool V V
Lasso tool Q Q
Pen tool P P
Type tool T T
Rectangle tool M M
Ellipse tool L L
Paintbrush tool B B
Pencil tool N N
Rotate tool R R
Reflect tool O O
Scale tool S S
Mesh tool U U
Gradient tool G G
Eyedropper tool I I
Blend tool W W
Scissors tool C C
Hand tool H H
Zoom tool Z Z
Switch to Smooth tool while using Blob Brush tool Press Alt Press Option
View artwork
Switch to Zoom tool in reduce mode Ctrl + Alt + Spacebar Spacebar + Command +
Option
Convert between horizontal and vertical guide Alt-drag guide Option-drag guide
Select multiple artboards in the Artboards panel Ctrl + click Command + click
Option + Shift +
View the document in Overprint Preview mode Alt + Shift + Ctrl + Y
Command + Y
View the document in Pixel Preview mode Alt + Ctrl + Y Option + Command + Y
Change pointer to cross hair for Lasso tool Caps Lock Caps Lock
Select the object above the current selection Alt + Ctrl + ] Option + Command + ]
Select the object below the current selection Alt + Ctrl + [ Option + Command +
Select behind an object Press Ctrl+click twice Press Command+click twice
Draw
Increase or decrease polygon sides, Start dragging, then press the Start dragging, then press the
star points, arc angle, spiral winds, Up Arrow or Down Arrow Up Arrow or Down Arrow
or flare rays
Keep the inner radius of a star Start dragging, then hold down Start dragging, then hold down
constant Ctrl Command
Switch between an open and Start dragging, then hold down Start dragging, then hold down
closed arc C C
Flip an arc, keeping the reference Start dragging, then hold down Start dragging, then hold down
point constant F SF
Add or subtract winds from a Start dragging, then Alt-drag Start dragging then Option-drag
spiral while increasing the length
of the spiral
Change the decay rate of a spiral Start dragging then Ctrl-drag Start dragging then Command-
drag
Add or remove horizontal lines Start dragging, then press the Start dragging, then press the
from a rectangular grid or Up Arrow or Down Arrow Up Arrow or Down Arrow
concentric lines from a polar grid
Add or remove vertical lines from Start dragging, then press the Start dragging, then press the
a rectangular grid or radial lines Right Arrow or Left Arrow Right Arrow or Left Arrow
from a polar grid
Decrease the skew value for Start dragging, then press F Start dragging, then press F
horizontal dividers in a rectangular
grid or radial dividers in a polar
grid by 10%
Increase the skew value for Start dragging, then press V Start dragging, then press V
horizontal dividers in a rectangular
grid or radial dividers in a polar
grid by 10%
Decrease the skew value for Start dragging, then press X Start dragging, then press X
vertical dividers in a rectangular
grid or concentric dividers in a
polar grid by 10%
Increase the skew value for vertical Start dragging, then press C Start dragging, then press C
dividers in a rectangular grid or
concentric dividers in a polar grid
by 10%
Increase size of Blob Brush ] (right square bracket) ] (right square bracket)
Decrease size of Blob Brush [ (left square bracket) [ (left square bracket)
Join two or more paths Select the paths, then press Ctrl Select the paths, then press
+J Command + J
Select the paths, then press Alt Select the paths, then press
Average two or more paths
+ Ctrl + J Option + Command + J
Create corner or smooth join Select the paths, then press Select the anchor point, then
Shift + Ctrl + Alt + J press Shift + Command +
Option + J
Press the number 5 key, then Press the number 5 key, then
Moving objects perpendicularly
click and drag the object click and drag the object
Switch Pencil tool to Smooth Alt (Enable Alt key toggles to Option (Enable Option key toggles
tool Smooth Tool from Pencil to Smooth Tool from Pencil Tool
Tool Options) Options)
Use shape mode buttons in Alt + Shape mode Option + Shape mode
Pathfinder panel to create
compound paths
Erase unwanted closed regions Alt + click the closed region Option + click the closed region
created using Shape Builder
tool
Sample color from an image or Shift + Eyedropper tool Shift + Eyedropper tool
intermediate color from
gradient
Sample style and append Alt + Shift-click + Eyedropper Option + Shift-click + Eyedropper
appearance of currently tool tool
selected item
Add new stroke Ctrl + Alt + / (forward slash) Command + Option + / (forward
slash)
Reset gradient to black and Ctrl-click gradient button in Command-click gradient button in
white Tools panel or Gradient panel Tools panel or Gradient panel
Switch to Eyedropper tool and sample fill and/or Alt-click + Live Paint Option-click + Live
stroke Bucket tool Paint Bucket tool
Switch to Eyedropper tool and sample color from an Alt + Shift-click + Option + Shift-click +
image or intermediate color from a gradient Live Paint Bucket Live Paint Bucket tool
tool
Select opposite Live Paint Bucket tool options (if Shift + Live Paint Shift + Live Paint
Paint Fills and Paint Strokes are currently selected, Bucket tool Bucket tool
switch to Paint Fills only)
Fill across unstroked edges into adjacent faces Double-click + Live Double-click + Live
Paint Bucket tool Paint Bucket tool
Fill all faces that have same fill and stroke all edges Triple-click + Live Triple-click + Live
that have same stroke Paint Bucket tool Paint Bucket tool
Switch to Eyedropper tool and sample fill and/or Alt-click + Live Paint Option-click + Live
stroke Selection tool Paint Selection tool
Switch to Eyedropper tool and sample color from an Alt + Shift-click + Option + Shift-click +
image or intermediate color from a gradient Live Paint Selection Live Paint Selection
tool tool
Select all connected faces /edges with same fill/stroke Double-click + Live Double-click + Live
Paint Selection tool Paint Selection tool
Select all faces/edges with same fill/stroke Triple-click + Live Triple-click + Live
Paint Selection tool Paint Selection tool
Set origin point and open dialog box when Alt-click Option-click
using Rotate tool, Scale tool, Reflect tool,
or Shear tool
Duplicate and transform selection when Alt-drag Option-drag
using Selection tool, Scale tool, Reflect
tool, or Shear tool
Command + / (forward
Add new fill Ctrl + / (forward slash)
slash)
Create a copy of the width point Alt+drag the width point Options+drag the width point
Move one character right or left Right Arrow or Left Arrow Right Arrow or Left Arrow
Move up or down one line Up Arrow or Down Arrow Up Arrow or Down Arrow
Move one word right or left Ctrl + Right Arrow or Left Command + Right Arrow or
Arrow Left Arrow
Select one word right or left Shift + Ctrl + Right Arrow Shift + Command + Right
or Left Arrow Arrow or Left Arrow
Select one paragraph before or after Shift + Ctrl + Up Arrow or Shift + Command + Up
Down Arrow Arrow or Down Arrow
Increase or decrease kerning and Alt + Right or Left Arrow Option + Right or Left Arrow
tracking (horizontal text) or Up or (horizontal text) or Up or
Down Arrow (vertical text) Down Arrow (vertical text)
Increase or decrease kerning and Ctrl + Alt + Right or Left Command + Option + Right
tracking by five times Arrow (horizontal text) or or Left Arrow (horizontal
Up or Down Arrow text) or Up or Down Arrow
(vertical text) (vertical text)
Increase or decrease baseline shift Alt + Shift + Up or Down Option + Shift + Up or Down
Arrow (horizontal text) or Arrow (horizontal text) or
Right or Left Arrow Right or Left Arrow (vertical
(vertical text) text)
Note:
To change the increment value for type shortcuts, choose Edit > Preferences >Type (Windows)
or Illustrator > Preferences >Type (macOS). Enter the values you want in the Size/Leading, Baseline Shift,
and Tracking text boxes, and click OK.
Use panels
Set options (except for Actions, Brushes, Swatches, and Alt-click New Option-click New
Symbols panels) button button
Delete without confirmation (except for Layers panel) Alt-click Delete Option-click Delete
button button
Apply value and keep text box active Shift + Enter Shift + Return
Show/Hide all panels except the Tools panel and Shift + Tab Shift + Tab
Control panel
Actions panel
Shortcuts Windows macOS
Set options for action set Double-click folder icon Double-click folder icon
Play a single command Ctrl-click Play Current Command-click Play Current
Selection button Selection button
Begin recording actions without Alt-click New Action button Option-click New Action button
confirmation
Brushes panel
Shortcuts Windows macOS
Duplicate brush Drag brush to New Brush button Drag brush to New Brush button
Highlight the font name field in the Character Ctrl + Alt + Shift + F Command + Option +
panel Shift + F
Color panel
Shortcuts Windows macOS
Select the complement for the current Ctrl-click color bar Command-click color bar
color fill/stroke
Change the nonactive fill/stroke Alt-click color bar Option-click color bar
Select the complement for the Ctrl + Alt-click color bar Command + Option-click
nonactive fill/stroke color bar
Select the inverse for the current Ctrl + Shift-click color bar Command + Shift-click color
fill/stroke bar
Select the inverse for the nonactive Ctrl + Shift + Alt-click color Command + Shift + Option-
fill/stroke bar click color bar
Change the color mode Shift-click color bar Shift-click color bar
Move color sliders in tandem Shift-drag color slider Shift-drag color slider
Gradient panel
Shortcuts Windows macOS
Swap color stops Alt-drag color stop onto Option-drag color stop onto
another stop another color stop
Apply swatch color to active (or Alt-click swatch in the Option-click swatch in the
selected) color stop Swatches panel Swatches panel
Reset the gradient fill to default Ctrl-click Gradient Fill box Command-click Gradient Fill
black and white linear gradient in the Gradient panel box in the Gradient panel
Modify angle and end-point together Alt-drag end point of Option-drag end point of
gradient annotator gradient annotator
Select all objects on the layer Alt-click layer name Option-click layer name
Show/hide all layers but the selected Alt-click eye icon Option-click eye icon
one
Select Outline/Preview view for the Ctrl-click eye icon Command-click eye icon
selected layer
Selects Outline/Preview view for all Ctrl + Alt-click eye icon Command + Option-click eye
other layers icon
Lock/unlock all other layers Alt-click lock icon Option-click lock icon
Expand all sublayers to display entire Alt-click expansion Option-click expansion triangle
hierarchy triangle
Set options as you create new layer Alt-click New Layer Option-click New Layer button
button
Set options as you create new sublayer Alt-click New Sublayer Option-click New Sublayer
button button
Place new sublayer at bottom of layer Ctrl + Alt-click New Command + Option-click New
list Sublayer button Sublayer button
Place layer at top of layer list Ctrl-click New Layer Command-click New Layer
button button
Place layer below selected layer Ctrl + Alt-click New Command + Option-click New
Layer button Layer button
Swatches panel
Shortcuts Windows macOS
Create new spot color Ctrl-click New Swatch button Command-click New Swatch button
Create new global process Ctrl + Shift-click New Swatch Command + Shift-click New Swatch
color button button
Replace swatch with Alt-drag a swatch over another Option-drag a swatch over another
another
Transform panel
Shortcuts Windows macOS
Apply a value and keep focus in edit field Shift + Enter Shift + Return
Apply a value and scale option proportionately for width or height Ctrl + Enter Command + Return
Transparency panel
Shortcuts Windows macOS
Apply last effect to the selected object Shift + Ctrl + E Shift + Command + E
Apply last effect to the selected object by Alt + Shift + Ctrl +E Option + Shift +
adjusting the values in the effects dialog box Command + E
Change mask to grayscale image for editing Alt-click on mask Option-click on mask
thumbnail thumbnail
Invoke Help F1 F1
Cut F2 F2
Copy F3 F3
Paste F4 F4