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 panels and function keys keyboard shorts for Adobe Illustrator so you can work faster with this application on your computer.

Panels Keyboard Shortcuts

• Set options (except for Actions, Brushes, Swatches, and Symbols panels)  Option-click New button
• Switch units of measurement  Option + Shift + Command + U
• Delete without confirmation (except for Layers panel)  Option-click Delete button
• Apply value and keep text box active  Shift + Return
• Select range of actions, brushes, layers, links, styles, or swatches  Shift-click
• Select noncontiguous actions, brushes, layers (same level only), links, styles, or swatches  Command-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  Command + Up or Down Arrow
• Increase/ decrease measurement unit by 10x  Shift + Up or Down Arrow

Actions Panel Keyboard Shortcuts

• Expand/Collapse entire hierarchy for action set  Option-click expansion triangle
• Set options for action set Double-click folder icon
• Play a single command  Command-click Play Current Selection button
• Begin recording actions without confirmation  Option-click New Action button

Brushes Panel Keyboard Shortcuts

• Open Brush Options dialog box  Double-click brush
• Duplicate brush  Drag brush to New Brush button

Character and Paragraph Panels Keyboard Shortcuts

• Open the Character panel  Command + T
• Open the Paragraph panel  Option + Command + T
• Increase/decrease the selected value by a small increment  Up Arrow or Down Arrow
• Increase/decreases the selected value by a large increment  Shift + Up Arrow or Down Arrow
• Increase/decrease the selected value by a fraction  Command + Up or Down Arrow
• Highlight the font name field in the Character panel  Command + Option + Shift + F

Color Panel Keyboard Shortcuts

• Select the complement for the current color fill/stroke  Command-click color bar
• Change the nonactive fill/stroke  Option-click color bar
• Select the complement for the nonactive fill/stroke  Command + Option-click color bar
• Select the inverse for the current fill/stroke  Command + Shift-click color bar
• Select the inverse for the nonactive fill/stroke  Command + Shift + Option-click color bar
• Open Color Guide  Shift + F3
• Change the color mode  Shift-click color bar
• Move color sliders in tandem  Shift-drag color slider
• Switch between percentage and 0-255 values for RGB  Double-click to right of a numerical field

Gradient Panel Keyboard Shortcuts

• Duplicate color stops  Option-drag
• Swap color stops  Option-drag color stop onto another color stop
• Apply swatch color to active (or selected) color stop  Option-click swatch in the Swatches panel
• Reset the gradient fill to default black and white linear gradient  Command-click Gradient Fill box in the Gradient panel
• Show/Hide gradient arrow  Command + Option + G
• Modify angle and end-point together  Option-drag end point of gradient annotator
• Constrain Gradient tool or Gradient annotator while dragging  Shift-drag
• View Gradient annotator in selected gradient filled object  G

Layers Panel Keyboard Shortcuts

• Add a layer  Command + L
• Add a layer while opening the New Layer dialog box  Option + Command + L
• Select all objects on the layer  Option-click layer name
• Show/hide all layers but the selected one  Option-click eye icon
• Select Outline/Preview view for the selected layer  Command-click eye icon
• Selects Outline/Preview view for all other layers  Command + Option-click eye icon
• Lock/unlock all other layers  Option-click lock icon
• Expand all sublayers to display entire hierarchy  Option-click expansion triangle
• Set options as you create new layer  Option-click New Layer button
• Set options as you create new sublayer  Option-click New Sublayer button
• Place new sublayer at bottom of layer list  Command + Option-click New Sublayer button
• Place layer at top of layer list    Command-click New Layer button
• Place layer below selected layer  Command + Option-click New Layer button
• Copy the selection to a layer, sublayer, or group  Option-drag selection

Swatches Panel Keyboard Shortcuts

• Create new spot color  Command-click New Swatch button
• Create new global process color  Command + Shift-click New Swatch button
• Replace swatch with another  Option-drag a swatch over another

Transform Panel Keyboard Shortcuts

• Apply a value and keep focus in edit field  Shift + Return
• Apply a value and copy object  Option + Return
• Apply a value and scale option proportionately for width or height  Command + Return
•  

Transparency Panel Keyboard Shortcuts

• Apply last effect to the selected object  Shift + Command + E
• Apply last effect to the selected object by adjusting the values in the effects dialog box  Option + Shift + Command + E
• Change mask to grayscale image for editing  Option-click on mask thumbnail
• Disable opacity mask  Shift-click on mask thumbnail
• Re-enable opacity mask  Shift-click on disabled mask thumbnail
• Increase/decrease opacity in 1% increments  Click opacity field + Up Arrow or Down Arrow
• Increase/decrease opacity in 10% increments Shift-click opacity field + Up Arrow or Down Arrow

Function Keys Keyboard Shortcuts

• Invoke Help  F1
• Cut n 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  Command + F8
• Show/hide Gradient panel  Command + F9
• Show/hide Stroke panel  Command + F10
• Show/hide Attributes panel  Command + 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  Shift + Command + F9
• Show/hide Transparency panel  Shift + Command + F10
• Show/hide Symbols panel  Shift + Command + F11