Comments on: Keyboard Shortcuts I Just Discovered!

By: Hal

Hal — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:39:03 +0000

I stumbled upon this book for about £2 about 5 years ago. A weighty tome with nothing but shortcuts in.

http://www.amazon.com/Photoshop-Power-Shortcuts-Michael-Ninness/dp/0789721724

I have barely used my mouse since. Epic win.

Plus, it’s a similar system across the creative suite so with a little logic, you can apply most of it to indesign and illustrator.

By: David Leininger

David Leininger — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:12:54 +0000

I’ve set some of my own for things I use frequently:

Rotate canvas 90 degrees:
Clockwise: Command + Option + ,
Counter Clockwise: Command + Option + .

Flip Canvas:
Horizontal: Command + Option + Shift + [
Vertical: Command + Option + Shift + ]

By: f00bar

f00bar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:18:44 +0000

I’m surprised no-one has mentioned this yet, but I think it’s one of Photoshop’s most useful features: Quick Masks. It basically lets you paint in what you want selected. (like paint-on amberlith if anyone remembers that)

I do a lot of product photography against a white background, so I hit Q to go into Quick Mask mode, then B for my brush, [ or ] to make the brush bigger or smaller, and start painting. You can set the masking color in the preferences — I’ve got mine set to magenta so there’s a good contrast.

All the regular tools are available: gradients, blurs, selections, etc. Just hit Q when you’re done and it will switch back to a regular selection.

Oh, and shift-clicking with your brush does a connect-the-dots thing.

By: dinsky

dinsky — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 02:55:37 +0000

I’ve known about this shortcut for a while, BUT I’ve only recently started using it. I had always thought that holding down four keys wasn’t much of a shortcut at all… but boy was I wrong!

Shift + Option + Command + S –> Save For Web

SOOO HANDY …even if it does use my whole hand

By: sporky

sporky — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 23:34:51 +0000

Hehe, I live photoshop by using shortcuts. After getting used to all of them, you could find your mouse pointer hardly leaving the document window.

I dunno if this tip is well-known already but to quickly fill selections:
alt+del = foreground color
ctrl+del = background color

hold spacebar to pan around your document

By: dana

dana — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:29:13 +0000

I like:

shift > command > j to cut a selection on to a new layer.

command > spacebar for the zoom tool (works in other Adobe apps too)

Also- not a shortcut, but I am obsessed with the Quick Selection Tool, which hides in with the Magic Wand, but is superior in that it offers more control and more options.

OH, and I love the bracket keys for increasing/decreasing brush sizes. I think that’s it!

By: Carrie S.

Carrie S. — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:15:13 +0000

Awesome post! I just discovered that when you’re “transforming” an object, you can right click and change your transforming function. Light shined down from the heavens!

By: Justin Leaf-Wright

Justin Leaf-Wright — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:22:46 +0000

Awesome….I will never forget!

Thanks

By: shortee

shortee — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 08:16:31 +0000

Shortcuts are so important because the time I safe in PS I can spend in reading blogs

Shift + ⌘ + D to get back the last marquee form

By: Grant

Grant — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 03:24:02 +0000

Haha, shortbut.