Adobe InDesign is a premier publication design software that is widely used to create a variety of print and digital publications. Publishers, graphic designers, and marketing professionals typically use InDesign to create books, brochures, flyers, newsletters, reports, interactive PDFs, posters, and magazines. Key features included enhanced tools for typography, layout, styles, interactivity, and integration with other Adobe services and products.

The list of panel keyboard shortcuts shown below will assist you to be even more efficient with Adobe InDesign on your computer.

Panels Keyboard Shortcuts

This list is not a complete list of keyboard shortcuts. It lists only those shortcuts that aren’t displayed in menu commands or tool tips.

• Delete without confirmation  Option-click Delete icon
• Create item and set options  Option-click New button
• Apply value and keep focus on option  Shift+Enter
• Activate last-used option in last-used panel  Command+Option+~ (tilde)
• Select range of styles, layers, links, swatches, or library objects in a panel  Shift-click
• Select nonadjacent styles, layers, links, swatches, or library objects in a panel  Command-click
• Apply value and select next value  Tab
• Move focus to selected object, text, or window  Esc
• Show/Hide all panels, Toolbox, and Control panel (with no insertion point)  Tab
• Show/Hide all panels except the Toolbox and Control panel (docked or not)  Shift+Tab
• Open or close all stashed panels  Command+Option+Tab
• Stash a panel group  Option+drag any panel tab (in the group) to edge of window
• Select item by name  Option+Command-click in list and then use keyboard to select item by name
• Open the Drop Shadow panel  Command+Option+M

Control Panel Keyboard Shortcuts

This table isn’t a complete list of keyboard shortcuts. It lists only those shortcuts that aren’t displayed in menu commands or tool tips.

• Toggle focus to/from Control panel  Command+6
• Toggle Character/Paragraph text attributes mode  Command+Option+7   
• Open Units & Increments Preferences  Option-click Kerning icon
• Open the Text Frame Options dialog box  Option-click Number of Columns icon
• Open the Move dialog box  Option-click X or Y icon
• Open the Rotate dialog box  Option-click Angle icon
• Open the Scale dialog box  Option-click X or Y Scale icon
• Open the Shear dialog box  Option-click Shear icon
• Open Text Preferences Option-click Superscript, Subscript, or Small Caps button
• Open the Underline Options dialog box  Option-click Underline button
• Open the Strikethrough Options dialog box  Option-click Strikethrough button
• Open the Grids Preferences  Option-click Align To Baseline Grid, or Do Not Align To Baseline Grid button
• Open the Drop Caps & Nested Styles dialog box  Option-click Drop Cap Number Of Lines, or Drop Cap One Or More Characters icon
• Open the Justification dialog box  Option-click Leading icon
• Open Named Grid dialog box   Double-click Named Grid icon
• Open New Named Grid Options dialog box  Option-click Named Grid icon
• Open Frame Grid Options dialog box    Option-click Number of characters Horizontal, Number of Characters Vertical, Character Aki, Line Aki, Vertical Scale, Horizontal Scale, Grid View, Font Size, Number of Columns, or Column Gutter icon

Type Panels and Dialog Boxes Keyboard Shortcuts

This table isn’t a complete list of keyboard shortcuts. It lists only those shortcuts that aren’t displayed in menu commands or tool tips.

• Open Justification dialog box  Option+Command+Shift+J
• Open Paragraph Rules dialog box  Option+Command+J
• Open Keep Options dialog box  Option+Command+K
• Activate Character panel  Command+T
• Activate Paragraph panel  Command+Option+T

Tabs Panel Keyboard Shortcuts

This list is not a complete list of keyboard shortcuts. It lists only those shortcuts that aren’t displayed in menu commands or tool tips.

• Activate Tabs panel  Shift+Command+T
• Switch between alignment options  Option-click tab

Layers Panel Keyboard Shortcuts

This list is not a complete list of keyboard shortcuts. It lists only those shortcuts that aren’t displayed in menu commands or tool tips.

• Select all objects on layer          Option-click layer
• Copy selection to new layer      Option-drag small square to new layer
• Add new layer below selected layer  Command-click Create New Layer
• Add new layer to the top of the layer list  Shift+Command-click Create New Layer
• Add new layer to the top of the layer list and open New Layer dialog box  Cmd+Option+Shift-click Create New Layer
• Add new layer and open New Layer dialog box  Option-click Create New Layer

Pages Panel Keyboard Shortcuts

This list is not a complete list of keyboard shortcuts. It lists only those shortcuts that aren’t displayed in menu commands or tool tips.

• Apply parent to selected page  Option-click parent
• Base another parent page on selected parent  Option-click the parent you want to base the selected parent on
• Create parent page  Command-click Create New Page button
• Display Insert Pages dialog box  Option-click New Page button
• Add new page after last page  Shift+Command+P

Color Panel Keyboard Shortcuts

This list is not a complete list of keyboard shortcuts. It lists only those shortcuts that aren’t displayed in menu commands or tool tips.

• Move color sliders in tandem   Shift-drag slider
• Select a color for the nonactive fill or stroke  Option-click color bar
• Switch between color modes (CMYK, RGB, LAB, HSB)  Shift-click color bar

Keys for using the Separations Preview panel Keyboard Shortcuts

This list is not a complete list of keyboard shortcuts. It lists only those shortcuts that aren’t displayed in menu commands or tool tips.

• Turn on Overprint preview  Command+Option+Shift+Y
• Show all plates  Command+Option+Shift+~ (tilde)
• Show Cyan plate  Command+Option+Shift+1
• Show Magenta plate  Command+Option+Shift+2
• Show Yellow plate  Command+Option+Shift+3
• Show Black plate  Command+Option+Shift+4
• Show 1st Spot plate  Command+Option+Shift+5
• Show 2nd Spot plate  Command+Option+Shift+6
• Show 3rd Spot plate Command+Option+Shift+7

Keys for the Swatches panel Keyboard Shortcuts

This list is not a complete list of keyboard shortcuts. It lists only those shortcuts that aren’t displayed in menu commands or tool tips.

• Create new swatch based on the current swatch  Option-click New Swatch button
• Create spot color swatch based on the current swatch  Option+Command-click New Swatch button
• Change options without applying swatch  Shift+Option+Command-double-click swatch

Transform Panel  Keyboard Shortcuts

This list is not a complete list of keyboard shortcuts. It lists only those shortcuts that aren’t displayed in menu commands or tool tips.

• Apply value and copy object  Option+Enter
• Apply width, height, or scale value proportionally  Command+Enter