Adobe InDesign Keyboard Shortcuts for macOS

Find Adobe InDesign keyboard shortcuts for macOS in a clean cheatsheet format you can print, save, or keep open while laying out pages.

Selection tool: V
or
Esc
Direct Selection tool: A
Toggle Selection and Direct Selection: Cmd+Ctrl+Tab
Page tool: Shift+P
Gap tool: U
Hand tool: H

Temporarily select the Hand tool (no insertion point): Space
Temporarily select the Hand tool (with text insertion point): Opt+Drag
or
Opt+Space
Zoom tool: Z
Temporarily select Zoom In tool: Cmd+Space
Temporarily select Zoom Out tool: Cmd+Opt+Space
or
Opt+Zoom In tool
Zoom to 50%, 200%, or 400%: Cmd+5
or
Cmd+2
or
Cmd+4

Pen tool: P
Add Anchor Point tool: =
or
Num Equal
Delete Anchor Point tool: -
or
Num -
Convert Direction Point tool: Shift+C

Type tool: T
Type on a Path tool: Shift+T
Pencil tool: N
Line tool: \

Rectangle Frame tool: F
Rectangle tool: M
Ellipse tool: L

Frame Grid tool (horizontal): Y
Frame Grid tool (vertical): Q

Rotate tool: R
Scale tool: S

Shear tool: O
Free Transform tool: E

Eyedropper tool: I
Measure tool: K
Gradient Swatch tool: G
Gradient Feather tool: Shift+G
Scissors tool: C
Toggle Fill and Stroke: X

Swap Fill and Stroke: Shift+X
Toggle Formatting affects container / text: J
Apply Color: ,
Apply Gradient: .
Apply None: /
Switch between Normal and Preview mode: W

Temporarily select the Selection tool or Direct Selection tool: Cmd+Any tool
Temporarily select the Group Selection tool: Opt+Direct Selection tool
or
Cmd+Opt+Pen / Add / Delete Anchor Point tool
Select the container of selected content: Esc
or
Double-click
Select the content of the selected container: Shift+Esc
or
Shift+Double-click
Add to or subtract from the selection: Shift+Selection / Direct Selection / Group Selection tool+Click
Duplicate selection: Opt+Selection / Direct Selection / Group Selection tool+Drag
Duplicate and offset selection: Opt+UpDownLeftRight

Duplicate and offset by 10×: Opt+Shift+UpDownLeftRight
Move selection: UpDownLeftRight
Move selection by 1/10th: Cmd+Shift+UpDownLeftRight
Move selection by 10×: Shift+UpDownLeftRight
Select the parent page item from the document page: Cmd+Shift+Selection / Direct Selection tool+Click
Select the next object behind or in front: Cmd+Selection tool+Click
or
Cmd+Opt+Selection tool+Click
Select all guides: Cmd+Opt+G

Duplicate and transform selection: Opt+Transformation tool+Drag
Display the Transformation tool dialog box: Select object+Double-click Scale / Rotate / Shear tool
Resize frame and content: Cmd+Selection tool+Drag

Resize the frame and content proportionately: Cmd+Shift+Selection tool+Drag
Constrain proportion: Shift+Ellipse / Polygon / Rectangle tool+Drag
Switch between High Quality Display and Fast Display: Cmd+Opt+Shift+Z

Bold (fonts with bold face only): Cmd+Shift+B
Italic (fonts with italic face only): Cmd+Shift+I
Normal: Cmd+Shift+Y
Underline: Cmd+Shift+U
Strikethrough: Cmd+Ctrl+Shift+/

All caps on/off: Cmd+Shift+K
Small caps on/off: Cmd+Shift+H
Superscript: Cmd+Shift+=
Subscript: Cmd+Opt+Shift+=
Reset horizontal/vertical scale to 100%: Cmd+Shift+X
or
Cmd+Opt+Shift+X

Increase/decrease point size: Cmd+Shift+.
or
Cmd+Shift+,
Increase/decrease point size by 5×: Cmd+Opt+Shift+.
or
Cmd+Opt+Shift+,
Increase/decrease leading (horizontal text): Opt+UpDown
Increase/decrease leading (vertical text): Opt+LeftRight

Increase/decrease leading by 5× (horizontal text): Cmd+Opt+UpDown
Increase/decrease leading by 5× (vertical text): Cmd+Opt+LeftRight
Auto leading: Cmd+Opt+Shift+A

Increase/decrease kerning and tracking (horizontal text): Opt+LeftRight
Increase/decrease kerning and tracking (vertical text): Opt+UpDown
Increase/decrease kerning and tracking by 5× (horizontal text): Cmd+Opt+LeftRight

Increase/decrease kerning and tracking by 5× (vertical text): Cmd+Opt+UpDown
Clear all manual kerning and reset tracking to 0: Cmd+Opt+Q

Align left, right, or center: Cmd+Shift+L
or
Cmd+Shift+R
or
Cmd+Shift+C
Justify all lines: Cmd+Shift+F
or
Cmd+Shift+J

Align to grid on/off: Cmd+Opt+Shift+G
Auto-hyphenate on/off: Cmd+Opt+Shift+H

Increase/decrease baseline shift (horizontal text): Opt+Shift+UpDown
Increase/decrease baseline shift (vertical text): Opt+Shift+LeftRight

Increase/decrease baseline shift by 5× (horizontal text): Cmd+Opt+Shift+UpDown
Increase/decrease baseline shift by 5× (vertical text): Cmd+Opt+Shift+LeftRight

Move right/left one character: LeftRight
Move up/down one line: UpDown
Move right/left one word: Cmd+LeftRight
Move to the start/end of the line: HomeEnd
Move to previous/next paragraph: Cmd+UpDown
Move to the start/end of the story: Cmd+HomeEnd
Select one word: Double-click word
Select one character right/left: Shift+LeftRight

Select one line above/below: Shift+UpDown
Select to start/end of line: Shift+HomeEnd
Select one paragraph: Triple-click
or
Quadruple-click the paragraph
Select one paragraph before/after: Cmd+Shift+UpDown
Select current line: Cmd+Shift+\
Select the start/end of the story: Cmd+Shift+HomeEnd
Select all in the story: Cmd+A

Insert or delete rows/columns while dragging: Drag the border,Opt
Resize rows/columns without changing table size: Shift+Drag interior border
Resize rows/columns proportionally: Shift+Drag right or bottom border
Move to next/previous cell: Tab
or
Shift+Tab
Move to the first/last cell in the column: Opt+Pg UpPg Dn
Move to the first/last cell in the row: Opt+HomeEnd

Move up/down one cell: UpDown
Select cell above/below: Shift+UpDown
Select the cell to the right/left: Shift+LeftRight
Start row on the next column: Num Return
Start row on next frame: Shift+Num Return

Temporarily select the Hand tool: Space
or
Opt+Drag
Fit spread in the window: Double-click the Hand tool
Switch between the current and previous zoom levels: Cmd+Opt+2
Redraw screen: Shift+F5
Open a new default document: Cmd+Opt+N
Switch to the next/previous document window: Cmd+F6
or
Cmd+`
or
Cmd+Shift+`

Scroll up/down one screen: Pg UpPg Dn
Go back/forward to the last viewed page: Cmd+Pg UpPg Dn
Go to previous/next spread: Opt+Pg UpPg Dn
Activate the Go To command: Cmd+J
Fit selection in the window: Cmd+Opt+=
Cycle through units of measurement: Cmd+Opt+Shift+U

Delete without confirmation: Opt+Click Delete icon
Create an item and set options: Opt+Click New icon
Apply value and keep focus on the option: Shift+Return
Activate the last option in the last panel: Cmd+Opt+`
Select a range in the panel: Shift+Click

Select non-adjacent items in the panel: Cmd+Click
Show/hide all panels with no insertion point: Tab
Show/hide all panels except the Tools and Control panels: Shift+Tab
Open/close all stashed panels: Cmd+Opt+Tab

Activate the Control panel: Cmd+6
Toggle Character / Paragraph mode ( Control panel): Cmd+Opt+7
Character panel: Cmd+T
Paragraph panel: Cmd+Opt+T
Paragraph Styles panel: Cmd+F11
Character Styles panel: Cmd+Shift+F11
Tabs panel: Cmd+Shift+T

Layers panel: F7
Pages panel: Cmd+F12
Color panel: F6
Swatches panel: F5
Stroke panel: Cmd+F10
Drop Shadow panel: Cmd+Opt+M

Make the character style definition match the text: Cmd+Opt+Shift+Select text+C
Make paragraph style definition match text: Cmd+Opt+Shift+Select text+R
Change options without applying style: Cmd+Opt+Shift+Double-click style

Remove style and local formatting: Opt+Click paragraph style
Clear overrides from paragraph style: Opt+Shift+Click paragraph style

Insert selected text into the Find What box: Cmd+F1
Insert selected text into Find What and find next: Shift+F1
Find the next occurrence of Find What text: Shift+F2
or
Cmd+Opt+F

Insert selected text into the Change To box: Cmd+F2
Replace selection with Change To text: Cmd+F3

Expand/Collapse element: LeftRight
Expand/Collapse element and child elements: Opt+LeftRight
Extend XML selection up/down: Shift+UpDown
Move XML selection up/down: UpDown
Scroll the structure pane up/down one screen: Pg UpPg Dn

Select first/last XML node: HomeEnd
Extend selection to first/last XML node: Shift+HomeEnd
Go to previous/next validation error: Cmd+LeftRight
Auto-tag text frames and tables: Cmd+Opt+Shift+F7

Create index entry without dialog box (alphanumeric only): Cmd+Opt+Shift+[
Open the index entry dialog box: Cmd+7

Create proper name index entry (last name, first name): Cmd+Opt+Shift+]

Move color sliders in tandem: Shift+Drag slider
Select a color for non-active fill or stroke: Opt+Click color bar
Switch between color modes: Shift+Click color bar

Create a new swatch based on the current swatch: Opt+Click New Swatch icon
Create a spot color swatch based on the current swatch: Cmd+Opt+Click New Swatch icon

Turn on Overprint preview: Cmd+Opt+Shift+Y
Show all plates: Cmd+Opt+Shift+`
Show Cyan plate: Cmd+Opt+Shift+1
Show Magenta plate: Cmd+Opt+Shift+2

Show Yellow plate: Cmd+Opt+Shift+3
Show Black plate: Cmd+Opt+Shift+4
Show 1st–3rd Spot plates: Cmd+Opt+Shift+5
or
Cmd+Opt+Shift+6
or
Cmd+Opt+Shift+7

Open Preferences dialog box: Cmd+K
Open Paragraph Styles panel: Cmd+F11
Open Character Styles panel: Cmd+Shift+F11
Open Swatches panel: F5

Open Pages panel: Cmd+F12
Minimize active application window: Cmd+M
Hide application: Cmd+H

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

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Adobe InDesign Keyboard Shortcuts for macOS

Selection and navigation tools

Drawing and text tools

Shape and frame tools

Transform tools

Other tools

Selecting and moving objects

Transforming objects

Character formatting

Type size and leading

Kerning and tracking

Paragraph formatting

Baseline shift

Navigating and selecting text

Tables

Viewing documents

Panels

Specific panels

Styles

Finding and changing text

XML

Indexing

Color and swatches

Separations Preview

Platform-specific variations