Illustrators and graphic designers use Adobe Illustrator to create scalable vector graphics for logos, animations, web, print, and mobile applications. Features include the ability to work with different types of text and symbols, various drawing tools that create natural lines, myriad colour management options, special effects such as blending brush strokes and adding perspective changes to images.
Here, we have provided a list of documents, select tools, view artwork, selections, edit shapes keyboard shorts for Adobe Illustrator so you can work faster with this application on your computer.
Documents Keyboard Shortcuts
- Create a document Command + N
- Create a document from a template Shift + Command + N
- Create a document without opening the New Document dialog box Option + Command + N
- Open a document Command + O
- Place a file in the document Shift + Command + P
- Open the File Information dialog box Option + Shift + Command + I
- Open the Document Setup dialog box Option + Command + P
- Browse in Adobe Bridge Option + Command + O
- Close the document window Command + W
- Save changes made to the document Command + S
- Open the Save As dialog box Shift + Command + S
- Save a copy of the document Option + Command + S
- Save the document as script files Command + F12
- Open the Export for screens dialog box Option + Command + E
- Open the Save For Web dialog box Option + Shift + Command + S
- Package the document Option + Shift + Command + P
- Print Command + P
- Exit the application Command + Q
Select Tools Keyboard Shortcuts
- 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 + (plus)
- Delete Anchor Point tool - (minus)
- Switch to Anchor Point tool Shift + C
- Type tool T
- Touch Type tool Shift + T
- Line Segment tool \ (backslash)
- 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 Press Option
View Artwork Keyboard Shortcuts
- Toggle between screen modes: Normal Screen Mode, Full Screen Mode with Menu Bar, Full Screen Mode F
- Fit imageable area in window Double-click Hand tool
- Magnify 100% Double-click Zoom tool or press Command + 1
- Switch to Hand tool (when not in text-edit mode) Spacebar
- Switch to Zoom tool in magnify mode Spacebar + Command
- Switch to Zoom tool in reduce mode Spacebar + Command + Option
- Move Zoom marquee while dragging with the Zoom tool Spacebar
- Hide bounding box Shift + Command + B
- Hide unselected artwork Command + Option + Shift + 3
- Convert between horizontal and vertical guide Option-drag guide
- Release guide Command + Shift-double-click guide
- Show document template Command + H
- Show/Hide artboards Command + Shift + H
- Show/Hide artboard rulers Command + Option + R
- Show transparency grid Shift + Command + D
- View all artboards in window Command + Option + 0 (zero)
- Paste in place on the active artboard Command + Shift + V
- Exit Artboard tool mode Esc
- Create artboard inside another artboard Shift-drag
- Select multiple artboards in the Artboards panel Command + click
- Navigate to next document Command + F6
- Navigate to previous document Command + Shift + F6
- Navigate to next document group Command + Option + F6
- Navigate to previous document group Command + Option + Shift + F6
- Toggle between Outline and GPU Preview of the documen Command + Y
- Toggle between GPU and CPU Preview of the document Command + E
- View the document in Overprint Preview mode Option + Shift + Command + Y
- View the document in Pixel Preview mode Option + Command + Y
- Exit Full Screen mode Esc
- Zoom in Command + =
- Zoom out Command + -
- Hide guides Command + ;
- Lock guides Option + Command + ;
- Make guides Command + 5
- Release guides Option + Ctrl + 5
- Show/ hide smart guides Command + U
- Show/ hide perspective grid Command + Shift + I
- Show grid Command + '
- Snap to grid Shift + Command + '
- Snap to point Option + Command + '
Selections Keyboard Shortcuts
- Switch to last-used selection tool (Selection tool, Direct Selection tool, or Group Selection tool) Command + `
- Switch between Direct Selection tool and Group Selection tool Option
- 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 Option-click
- Add to selection with Lasso tool Shift-drag
- Subtract from selection with Lasso tool Option-drag
- Change pointer to cross hair for Lasso tool Caps Lock
- Select artwork in active artboard Command + Option + A
- Select all Command + A
- Deselect Shift + Command + A
- Reselect Command + 6
- Select the object above the current selection Option + Command + ]
- Select the object below the current selection Option + Command +
- Select behind an object Press Command+click twice
- Select behind in isolation mode Command+click twice
- Group the selected artwork Command + G
- Ungroup the selected artwork Shift + Command + G
- Lock a selection Command + 2
- Unlock a selection Option + Command + 2
- Hide a selection Command + 3
- Show all selections Option + Command + 3
- Move selection in user-defined increments Right Arrow, Left Arrow, Up Arrow, or Down Arrow
- Move selection in 10x user-defined increments Shift + Right Arrow, Left Arrow, Up Arrow, or Down Arrow
- Lock all deselected artwork Command + Option + Shift + 2
- Constrain movement to 45° angle (except when using Reflect tool) Hold down Shift
- Bring a selection forward Command + ]
- Move a selection to the front Shift + Command + ]
- Send a selection backward Command + [
- Move a selection to the back Shift + Command + [
- Select only the objects that are completely inside the marquee Press E while dragging the marquee
Edit Shapes Keyboard Shortcuts
- Switch Pen tool to Convert Anchor Point tool Option
- Switch between Add Anchor Point tool and Delete Anchor Point tool Option
- Switch Scissors tool to Add Anchor Point tool Option
- Switch Pencil tool to Smooth tool Option (Enable Option key toggles to Smooth Tool from Pencil Tool Options)
- Move current anchor point while drawing with Pen tool Spacebar-drag
- Cut a straight line with Knife tool Option-drag
- Cut at 45° or 90° with Knife tool Shift + Option-drag
- Use shape mode buttons in Pathfinder panel to create compound paths Option + Shape mode
- Erase unwanted closed regions created using Shape Builder tool Option + click the closed region
- 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 Option + Command + B
- Finish adding objects to the blend Option + Shift + Command + B
- Distort objects using a warp-shaped envelope Option + Command + Shift + W
- Distort objects using a mesh as the shape of the envelope Option + Command + M
- Distort objects using another object as the shape of the envelope Option + Command + C
- Toggle between fill and stroke X
- Set fill and stroke to default D
- Swap fill and stroke Shift + X
- Select gradient fill mode >
- Hide gradient annotator (when using the Gradient tool) Option + Command + G
- Select color fill mode <
- Select no stroke/fill mode / (forward slash)
- Sample color from an image or intermediate color from gradient Shift + Eyedropper tool
- Sample style and append appearance of currently selected item Option + Shift-click + Eyedropper tool
- Add new fill Command + / (forward slash)
- Add new stroke Command + Option + / (forward slash)
- Reset gradient to black and white Command-click gradient button in Tools panel or Gradient panel
- Make Live Paint (when using the Paint Bucket tool) Option + Command + X
- Decrease Bristle brush size [
- Increase Bristle brush size ]
