Adobe Illustrator Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows

Adobe Illustrator Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows. View hotkeys online or download free PDF Cheat Sheet to work faster and use Adobe Illustrator efficiently on Windows.

Undo: Ctrl+Z
Redo: Ctrl+Shift+Z
Cut: Ctrl+X
Copy: Ctrl+C
Paste: Ctrl+V
Paste in front: Ctrl+F
Paste at back: Ctrl+B

Paste in place: Ctrl+Shift+V
Paste on all artboards: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+V
Check spelling: Ctrl+I
Open the Color Settings dialog box: Ctrl+Shift+K
Open the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog box: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+K
Open the Preferences dialog box: Ctrl+K

Create a document: Ctrl+N
Create a document from a template: Ctrl+Shift+N
Create a document without opening the New Document dialog box: Ctrl+Alt+N
Open a document: Ctrl+O
Place a file in the document: Ctrl+Shift+P
Open the File Information dialog box: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+I
Open the Document Setup dialog box: Ctrl+Alt+P
Browse in Adobe Bridge: Ctrl+Alt+O
Close the document window: Ctrl+W

Save changes made to the document: Ctrl+S
Open the Save As dialog box: Ctrl+Shift+S
Save a copy of the document: Ctrl+Alt+S
Save the document as script files: Ctrl+F12
Open the Export for screens dialog box: Ctrl+Alt+E
Open the Save For Web dialog box: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S
Package the document: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+P
Print: Ctrl+P
Exit the application: Ctrl+Q

Artboard tool: Shift+O
Selection tool: V
Direct Selection tool: A
Magic Wand tool: Y
Lasso tool: Q
Pen tool: P
Curvature tool: Shift+`
Blob Brush tool: Shift+B
Add Anchor Point tool: Shift+=
Delete Anchor Point tool: -
Switch to Anchor Point tool: Shift+C
Type tool: T
Touch Type tool: Shift+T
Line Segment tool: \
Rectangle tool: M
Ellipse tool: L
Paintbrush tool: B
Pencil tool: N
Shaper tool: Shift+N
Rotate tool: R
Reflect tool: O

Scale tool: S
Warp tool: Shift+R
Width Tool: Shift+W
Free Transform tool: E
Shape Builder Tool: Shift+M
Perspective Grid Tool: Shift+P
Perspective Selection Tool: Shift+V
Symbol Sprayer tool: Shift+S
Column Graph tool: J
Mesh tool: U
Gradient tool: G
Eyedropper tool: I
Blend tool: W
Live Paint Bucket tool: K
Live Paint Selection tool: Shift+L
Slice tool: Shift+K
Eraser tool: Shift+E
Scissors tool: C
Hand tool: H
Zoom tool: Z
Switch to Smooth tool while using Blob Brush tool: Alt

Toggle between screen modes: Normal Screen Mode, Full Screen Mode with Menu Bar, Full Screen Mode: F
Fit imageable area in window: Double-click
Magnify 100%: Double-click
or
Ctrl+1
Switch to Hand tool (when not in text-edit mode): Space
Switch to Zoom tool in magnify mode: Ctrl+Space
Switch to Zoom tool in reduce mode: Ctrl+Alt+Space
Move Zoom marquee while dragging with the Zoom tool: Space
Hide bounding box: Ctrl+Shift+B
Hide unselected artwork: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+3
Convert between horizontal and vertical guide: Alt+Drag
Release guide: Ctrl+Shift+Double-click
Show/Hide artboards: Ctrl+Shift+H
Show/Hide artboard rulers: Ctrl+R
Show transparency grid: Ctrl+Shift+D
View all artboards in window: Ctrl+Alt+0
Paste in place on the active artboard: Ctrl+Shift+V
Exit Artboard tool mode: Esc
Create artboard inside another artboard: Shift+Drag
Select multiple artboards in the Artboards panel: Ctrl+Click
Navigate to next document: Ctrl+F6

Navigate to previous document: Ctrl+Shift+F6
Navigate to next document group: Ctrl+Alt+F6
Navigate to previous document group: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F6
Toggle between Outline and GPU Preview of the document: Ctrl+Y
Toggle between GPU and CPU Preview of the document: Ctrl+E
View the document in Overprint Preview mode: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Y
View the document in Pixel Preview mode: Ctrl+Alt+Y
Exit Full Screen mode: Esc
Zoom in: Ctrl+=
Zoom out: Ctrl+-
Hide guides: Ctrl+;
Lock guides: Ctrl+Alt+;
Make guides: Ctrl+5
Release guides: Ctrl+Alt+5
Show/ hide smart guides: Ctrl+U
Show/ hide perspective grid: Ctrl+Shift+I
Show grid: Ctrl+'
Snap to grid: Ctrl+Shift+'
Snap to point: Ctrl+Alt+'

Switch to last-used selection tool (Selection tool, Direct Selection tool, or Group Selection tool): Ctrl+`
Switch between Direct Selection tool and Group Selection tool: Alt
Add to a selection with Selection tool, Direct Selection tool, Group Selection tool, Live Paint Selection tool, or Magic Wand tool: Shift+Click
Subtract a selection with Selection tool, Direct Selection tool, Group Selection tool, or LIve Paint Selection tool: Shift+Click
Subtract from selection with Magic Wand tool: Alt+Click
Add to selection with Lasso tool: Shift+Drag
Subtract from selection with Lasso tool: Alt+Drag
Change pointer to cross hair for Lasso tool: Caps Lock
Select artwork in active artboard: Ctrl+Alt+A
Create crop marks around selected object: Alt+C+O
Select all: Ctrl+A
Deselect: Ctrl+Shift+A
Reselect: Ctrl+6
Select the object above the current selection: Ctrl+Alt+]
Select the object below the current selection: Ctrl+Alt+[
Select behind an object: Ctrl+Click

Select behind in isolation mode: Ctrl+Click
Group the selected artwork: Ctrl+G
Ungroup the selected artwork: Ctrl+Shift+G
Lock a selection: Ctrl+2
Unlock a selection: Ctrl+Alt+2
Hide a selection: Ctrl+3
Show all selections: Ctrl+Alt+3
Move selection in user-defined increments: RightLeftUpDown
Move selection in 10x user-defined increments: RightLeftUpDown
Lock all deselected artwork: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+2
Constrain movement to 45° angle (except when using Reflect tool): Shift
Bring a selection forward: Ctrl+]
Move a selection to the front: Ctrl+Shift+]
Send a selection backward: Ctrl+[
Move a selection to the back: Ctrl+Shift+[
Select only the objects that are completely inside the marquee: Drag

Constrain a shape’s proportions or orientation to: equal height and width for rectangles, rounded rectangles, ellipses, and grids Increments of 45° for line and arc segments Original orientation for polygons, stars, and flares: Shift+Drag
Move a shape while drawing it: Drag
Draw from the center of a shape (except for polygons, stars, and flares): Alt+Drag
Increase or decrease polygon sides, star points, arc angle, spiral winds, or flare rays: Drag,UpDown
Keep the inner radius of a star constant: Drag,Ctrl
Keep the sides of a star straight: Alt+Drag
Switch between an open and closed arc: Drag,C
Flip an arc, keeping the reference point constant: Drag,F
Add or subtract winds from a spiral while increasing the length of the spiral: Drag,Alt+Drag
Change the decay rate of a spiral: Drag,Ctrl+Drag
Add or remove horizontal lines from a rectangular grid or concentric lines from a polar grid: Drag,UpDown
Add or remove vertical lines from a rectangular grid or radial lines from a polar grid: Drag,RightLeft
Decrease the skew value for horizontal dividers in a rectangular grid or radial dividers in a polar grid by 10%: Drag,F
Increase the skew value for horizontal dividers in a rectangular grid or radial dividers in a polar grid by 10%: Drag,V
Decrease the skew value for vertical dividers in a rectangular grid or concentric dividers in a polar grid by 10%: Drag,X
Increase the skew value for vertical dividers in a rectangular grid or concentric dividers in a polar grid by 10%: Drag,C
Increase size of Blob Brush: ]

Decrease size of Blob Brush: [
Constrain Blob Brush path horizontally or vertically: Shift
Switch through drawing modes: Shift+D
Join two or more paths: Select the paths,Ctrl+J
Average two or more paths: Select the paths,Ctrl+Alt+J
Create corner or smooth join: Select the paths,Ctrl+Alt+Shift+J
Create a compound path: Ctrl+8
Release a compound path: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+8
Edit a pattern: Ctrl+Shift+F8
Perspective Grid Tool: Shift+P
Perspective Selection Tool: Shift+V
Perspective Grid: Ctrl+Shift+I
Moving objects perpendicularly: 5,Click
Switching perspective planes: Use the Perspective Selection tool and,1234
Copying objects in perspective: Ctrl+Alt+Drag
Repeat transforming objects in perspective: Ctrl+D
Switching between drawing modes: Shift+D

Switch Pen tool to Convert Anchor Point tool: Alt
Switch between Add Anchor Point tool and Delete Anchor Point tool: Alt
Switch Scissors tool to Add Anchor Point tool: Alt
Switch Pencil tool to Smooth tool: Alt
Move current anchor point while drawing with Pen tool: Drag
Cut a straight line with Knife tool: Alt+Drag
Cut at 45° or 90° with Knife tool: Alt+Shift+Drag
Use shape mode buttons in Pathfinder panel to create compound paths: Alt+Shape mode
Erase unwanted closed regions created using Shape Builder tool: Alt+Click

Select the Shape Builder tool: Shift+M
Display rectangular marquee to easily merge multiple paths (when using Shape Builder tool): Shift+Click+Drag
Increase the intensity of symbols (when using Symbolism tool): Shift+]
Decrease the intensity of symbols (when using Symbolism tool): Shift+[
Blend objects: Ctrl+Alt+B
Finish adding objects to the blend: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+B
Distort objects using a warp-shaped envelope: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+W
Distort objects using a mesh as the shape of the envelope: Ctrl+Alt+M
Distort objects using another object as the shape of the envelope: Ctrl+Alt+C

Toggle between fill and stroke: X
Set fill and stroke to default: D
Swap fill and stroke: Shift+X
Select gradient fill mode: Shift+.
Hide gradient annotator (when using the Gradient tool): Ctrl+Alt+G
Select color fill mode: Shift+,
Select no stroke/fill mode: /
Sample color from an image or intermediate color from gradient: Shift+Eyedropper tool

Sample style and append appearance of currently selected item: Alt+Shift+Click+Eyedropper tool
Add new fill: Ctrl+/
Add new stroke: Ctrl+Alt+/
Reset gradient to black and white: Ctrl+Click
or
Gradient panel
Make Live Paint (when using the Paint Bucket tool): Ctrl+Alt+X
Decrease Bristle brush size: [
Increase Bristle brush size: ]

Switch to Eyedropper tool and sample fill and/or stroke: Alt+Click+Live Paint Bucket tool
Switch to Eyedropper tool and sample color from an image or intermediate color from a gradient: Alt+Shift+Click+Live Paint Bucket tool
Select opposite Live Paint Bucket tool options (if Paint Fills and Paint Strokes are currently selected, switch to Paint Fills only): Shift+Live Paint Bucket tool
Fill across unstroked edges into adjacent faces: Double-click+Live Paint Bucket tool
Fill all faces that have same fill and stroke all edges that have same stroke: Triple-click+Live Paint Bucket tool

Switch to Eyedropper tool and sample fill and/or stroke: Alt+Click+Live Paint Selection tool
Switch to Eyedropper tool and sample color from an image or intermediate color from a gradient: Alt+Shift+Click+Live Paint Selection tool
Add to/subtract from a selection: Shift+Click+Live Paint Selection tool
Select all connected faces /edges with same fill/stroke: Double-click+Live Paint Selection tool
Select all faces/edges with same fill/stroke: Triple-click+Live Paint Selection tool

Set origin point and open dialog box when using Rotate tool, Scale tool, Reflect tool, or Shear tool: Alt+Click
Duplicate and transform selection when using Selection tool, Scale tool, Reflect tool, or Shear tool: Alt+Drag
Transform pattern (independent of object) when using Selection tool, Scale tool, Reflect tool, or Shear tool: Drag
Reapply a transformation to an object: Ctrl+D
Apply last pathfinder effect to the selected object: Ctrl+4
Move an object: Ctrl+Shift+M
Open the Transform Each dialog box: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+D
Make a clipping mask: Ctrl+7
Release a clipping mask: Ctrl+Alt+7
Toggle between fill and stroke: X
Set fill and stroke to default: D
Swap fill and stroke: Shift+X

Select gradient fill mode: Shift+.
Hide gradient annotator (when using the Gradient tool): Ctrl+Alt+G
Select color fill mode: Shift+,
Select no stroke/fill mode: /
Sample color from an image or intermediate color from gradient: Shift+Eyedropper tool
Sample style and append appearance of currently selected item: Alt+Shift+Click+Eyedropper tool
Add new fill: Ctrl+/
Add new stroke: Ctrl+Alt+/
Reset gradient to black and white: Ctrl+Click
or
Gradient panel
Make Live Paint (when using the Paint Bucket tool): Ctrl+Alt+X
Decrease Bristle brush size: [
Increase Bristle brush size: ]

Select multiple width points: Shift+Click
Create non-uniform widths: Alt+Drag
Create a copy of the width point: Alt+Drag

Change the position of multiple width points: Shift+Drag
Delete selected width point: Del
Deselect a width point: Esc

Bold: Ctrl+Shift+B
Italic: Ctrl+Shift+I
Underline: Ctrl+Shift+U
Move one character right or left: RightLeft
Move up or down one line: Up
or
Down
Move one word right or left: RightLeft
Move up or down one paragraph: Ctrl+Up
or
Ctrl+Down
Select one word right or left: Shift+RightLeft
Select one paragraph before or after: Ctrl+Shift+Up
or
Ctrl+Shift+Down
Extend existing selection: Shift+Click
Align paragraph left, right, or center: Ctrl+Shift+L
or
Ctrl+Shift+R
or
Ctrl+Shift+C
Justify text left: Ctrl+Shift+J
Justify all lines: Ctrl+Shift+F
Toggle line composer: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+C
Insert soft return: Shift+Enter
Highlight kerning: Ctrl+Alt+K
Reset horizontal scale to 100%: Ctrl+Shift+X
Increase or decrease font size: Ctrl+Shift+.
or
Ctrl+Shift+,
Increase or decrease font size by steps: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+.
or
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+,
Increase or decrease leading: Alt+Up
or
Alt+Down
or
Alt+Right
or
Alt+Left
Select tracking value: Ctrl+Alt+K
Reset tracking/kerning to 0: Ctrl+Alt+Q
Increase or decrease kerning and tracking: Alt+Right
or
Alt+Left
or
Alt+Up
or
Alt+Down
Increase or decrease kerning and tracking by five times: Ctrl+Alt+Right
or
Ctrl+Alt+Left
or
Ctrl+Alt+Up
or
Ctrl+Alt+Down
Increase or decrease baseline shift: Alt+Shift+Up
or
Alt+Shift+Down
or
Alt+Shift+Right
or
Alt+Shift+Left
Switch between Type and Vertical Type, Area Type and Vertical Area Type, and Path Type and Vertical Path Type tools: Shift
Switch between Area Type and Path Type, Vertical Area Type and Vertical Path Type tools: Alt

Create outlines: Ctrl+Shift+O
Open the Character panel: Ctrl+T
Open the Paragraph panel: Ctrl+Alt+T
Open the Tabs panel: Ctrl+Shift+T
Open the OpenType panel: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+T
Insert bullets: Alt+8
Insert copyright symbol: Alt+G
Insert ellipsis: Alt+;
Insert paragraph symbol: Alt+7
Insert section symbol: Alt+6
Insert trademark symbol: Alt+2
Insert registered trademark symbol: Alt+R
Superscript: Ctrl+Shift+=
Subscript: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+=
Insert em dash: Alt+Shift+-
Insert en dash: Alt+-
Insert discretionary hyphen: Ctrl+Shift+-
Toggle auto-hyphenation: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+H
Insert double left quotation marks: Alt+[
Insert double right quotation marks: Alt+Shift+[
Insert single left quotation marks: Alt+]
Insert single right quotation marks: Alt+Shift+]
Insert em space: Ctrl+Shift+M
Insert en space: Ctrl+Shift+N
Insert thin space: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+M
Show hidden characters: Ctrl+Alt+I

Set options (except for Actions, Brushes, Swatches, and Symbols panels): Alt+Click
Switch units of measurement: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+U
Delete without confirmation (except for Layers panel): Alt+Click
Apply value and keep text box active: Shift+Enter
Select range of actions, brushes, layers, links, styles, or swatches: Shift+Click

Select noncontiguous actions, brushes, layers (same level only), links, styles, or swatches: Ctrl+Click
Show/Hide all panels: Tab
Show/Hide all panels except the Tools panel and Control panel: Shift+Tab
Increase/ decrease values in logical fractions of the measurement unit: Ctrl+Up
or
Ctrl+Down
Increase/ decrease measurement unit by 10x: Shift+Up
or
Shift+Down

Expand/Collapse entire hierarchy for action set: Alt+Click
Set options for action set: Double-click

Play a single command: Ctrl+Click
Begin recording actions without confirmation: Alt+Click

Open Brush Options dialog box: Double-click

Duplicate brush: Drag

Open the Character panel: Ctrl+T
Open the Paragraph panel: Ctrl+Alt+T
Increase/decrease the selected value by a small increment: Up
or
Down

Increase/decreases the selected value by a large increment: Shift+Up
or
Shift+Down
Increase/decrease the selected value by a fraction: Ctrl+Up
or
Ctrl+Down
Highlight the font name field in the Character panel: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F

Select the complement for the current color fill/stroke: Ctrl+Click
Change the nonactive fill/stroke: Alt+Click
Select the complement for the nonactive fill/stroke: Ctrl+Alt+Click
Select the inverse for the current fill/stroke: Ctrl+Shift+Click
Select the inverse for the nonactive fill/stroke: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Click

Open Color Guide: Shift+F3
Change the color mode: Shift+Click
Move color sliders in tandem: Shift+Drag
Switch between percentage and 0-255 values for RGB: Double-click

Duplicate color stops: Alt+Drag
Swap color stops: Alt+Drag
Apply swatch color to active (or selected) color stop: Alt+Click
Reset the gradient fill to default black and white linear gradient: Ctrl+Click

Show/Hide gradient arrow: Ctrl+Alt+G
Modify angle and end-point together: Alt+Drag
Constrain Gradient tool or Gradient annotator while dragging: Shift+Drag
View Gradient annotator in selected gradient filled object: G

Add a layer: Ctrl+L
Add a layer while opening the New Layer dialog box: Ctrl+Alt+L
Select all objects on the layer: Alt+Click
Show/hide all layers but the selected one: Alt+Click
Select Outline/Preview view for the selected layer: Ctrl+Click
Selects Outline/Preview view for all other layers: Ctrl+Alt+Click
Lock/unlock all other layers: Alt+Click

Expand all sublayers to display entire hierarchy: Alt+Click
Set options as you create new layer: Alt+Click
Set options as you create new sublayer: Alt+Click
Place new sublayer at bottom of layer list: Ctrl+Alt+Click
Place layer at top of layer list: Ctrl+Click
Place layer below selected layer: Ctrl+Alt+Click
Copy the selection to a layer, sublayer, or group: Alt+Drag

Create new spot color: Ctrl+Click
Create new global process color: Ctrl+Shift+Click

Replace swatch with another: Alt+Drag

Apply a value and keep focus in edit field: Shift+Enter
Apply a value and copy object: Alt+Enter

Apply a value and scale option proportionately for width or height: Ctrl+Enter

Apply last effect to the selected object: Ctrl+Shift+E
Apply last effect to the selected object by adjusting the values in the effects dialog box: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E
Change mask to grayscale image for editing: Alt+Click
Disable opacity mask: Shift+Click

Re-enable opacity mask: Shift+Click
Increase/decrease opacity in 1% increments: Click+Up
or
Click+Down
Increase/decrease opacity in 10% increments: Shift+Click+Up
or
Shift+Click+Down

Invoke Help: F1
Cut: F2
Copy: F3
Paste: F4
Show/hide Brushes panel: F5
Show/hide Color panel: F6
Show/hide Layers panel: F7
Create new symbol: F8
Show/hide Info panel: Ctrl+F8
Show/hide Gradient panel: Ctrl+F9

Show/hide Stroke panel: Ctrl+F10
Show/hide Attributes panel: Ctrl+F11
Revert: F12
Show/hide Graphic Styles panel: Shift+F5
Show/hide Appearance panel: Shift+F6
Show/hide Align panel: Shift+F7
Show/hide Transform panel: Shift+F8
Show/hide Pathfinder panel: Ctrl+Shift+F9
Show/hide Transparency panel: Ctrl+Shift+F10
Show/hide Symbols panel: Ctrl+Shift+F11

Need more than shortcuts?
Visit the Adobe Illustrator app page for an overview and helpful links.

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Adobe Illustrator Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows

Popular shortcuts

Work with documents

Select tools

View artwork

Work with selections

Draw

Edit shapes

Color / Fill & Stroke

Work with Live Paint groups

Work with objects

Create variable width points

Work with type

Use panels

Actions panel

Brushes panel

Character and Paragraph panels

Color panel

Gradient panel

Layers panel

Swatches panel

Transform panel

Transparency panel

Function keys