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Photoshop Shortcuts


ElizabethM

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I just passed a point in one of my Photoshop turtorials where they discuss shortcuts. It gave me a LONG 32 page list of ALL the short cuts in Photoshop to help make my editing time shorter. So it actually got me thinking: How much of the short cuts do you find yourself ACTUALLY using and how much is just forgotten under the pile of shortcuts?

I know some are pretty useful but yeah. It'll be nice to hear what you guys think is most handy to remember. Everybody uses Photoshop so differently.
 
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IamSam

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This is a great question!

I use as many shortcuts as possible mostly for the layers panel. I keep this link in my browsers bookmarks toolbar always, I have most of them memorized.: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/default-keyboard-shortcuts.html#keys_for_the_layers_panel

I also use the shortcut keys for selecting tools and toggling through the tools. I have most of them memorized.

I use all shortcut keys associated with the Brush Tool and painting. I have most of them memorized.

I use all shortcut keys associated with the Pen Tool and paths. I have most of them memorized.

After going through the list, I realize that I use a ton of shortcut keys. It would have been easier to list the ones I don't use.
 
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I only realize how many shortcuts I'm using when I have to explain some steps in PS to some beginner.
But it is very important to memorize as many shortcuts as possible and use them regularly.
It speeds up your PS work considerably.
 

ElizabethM

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Thanks Sam!

Wow, that's a lot of short cuts memorises. Gotta get myself up to speed. I think I only use a few bits and pieces everywhere, but I'm slowly beginning to remember them as I use them more often. Like how I remember that Liquidfy is... CTRL + SHIFT + X I believe after using it so often lately. Hahaha

I am not known to be particularly good at explaining things to people, but I can completely relate to trying to teach somebody Photoshop and only knowing the way through short cuts. Oops!
 

MrToM

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I'm not sure if this is the case for all version of PS but certainly in later versions the shortcuts can displayed in your browser for reference.

From within PS use EDIT > Keyboard Shortcuts... to open the shortcut dialog.

Select the shortcut 'Set' you want to view and then click on 'Summarize...'

You will be prompted for a 'Save' location....when you click 'Save' a .htm file is saved and automatically opened in your web browser.

Its a very quick and easy way to see your current shortcuts and is just a double click away once the file is saved. (Especially if you save it on your desktop)

Any other 'sets' you have saved can also be output to a .htm file and opened in your browser whenever you need to refer to them.

Regards.
MrToM.
 

ElizabethM

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Hey Tom,
Yeah my Photoshop can do that too! It's a pretty handy tip thanks. Though the list I got pretty much gave me the ENTIRE list, even the secret codes some people don't know? It's 32 pages of short cuts. I haven't fully made my way through it. Hahaha
 

tenghamn

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I don't really know how many shortcuts I use but I guess it's a lot ;)
Seem to be that you learn a lot of shortcuts via quicksheets like the one you recived but then you only memorize the ones that you use frequently.
 

ElizabethM

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Bringing up an old topic instead of making a new one, does anybody here use a German keyboard? And if they do, what is the keyboard shortcut to changing your brush size?
Because I had an international keyboard and whenever I used the bracket keys ----> [ ] <---- it would make my brush bigger or smaller. However I can't seem to do that anymore on a German keyboard because it requires the alt + shift key. Ahh!
 

Pipsmom

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Are you using a Wacom tablet Elizabeth?
I programmed by buttons on the tablet to be my important short cuts that I use over and over ...example...zoom in/out and I don't need the [ ] keys on the keyboard because I made a short cut for it too....
Undo is another one I made.....constantly using that one :rolleyes: Yeah I'm learning it too
 
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ElizabethM

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Are you using a Wacom tablet Elizabeth?
I programmed by buttons on the tablet to be my important short cuts that I use over and over ...example...zoom in/out and I don't need the [ ] keys on the keyboard because I made a short cut for it too....
Undo is another one I made.....constantly using that one :rolleyes: Yeah I'm learning it too

Unfortunately no. Which means without those features like you mentioned in your Wacoom, I use the keyboard a lot and this changing size thing is really slowing me down. :(
 

thebestcpu

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Hi Elizabeth
Photoshop Keytboard shortcuts depend on the OS language loaded, the PS language loaded, and the keyboard being used. So my suggestion here may or may not work yet it might be worth a try

First, you can look up the keyboard shortcut assigned right now for Brush increase and decrease going to Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts and then select the Shortcut for "Tools" dropdown and scroll down to near the bottom where it shows the shortcuts for brush increase and decrease

Brush increase and decrease must be single character keys (e.g not using modifier keys) and also not using already assigned single character keys. If what shows in the listing are keys that are not single character, you can assign your own. So on my English Mac OS, with English PS, and English keyboard, I changed the keyboard to simulate a German keyboard. I set the Decrease Brush siye shortcut to the German keyboard character ö and the Increase Brush size single character shortcut to ä

That seemed to work on the simulated German keyboard so thought it was worth mentioned as an approach. I choose those keyboard shortcuts because they were located one row down and slightly to the left of the "[" and "]" keys on an English keyboard and the "+" key on the German keyboard was already in use.

Not sure this will work yet I think it is worth a try.

John Wheeler
 

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