Keyboard shortcuts
While you type in a text field, workspace shortcuts do not interrupt typing. The tables show defaults. Customize file commands, tool keys and Pencil ink keys in Edit > Preferences… > Shortcuts: click a binding, press a letter, digit or F1–F12 (optionally with Shift), then Apply. File commands also require Ctrl. The × button unassigns it; Escape cancels capture. Conflicting and reserved keys are rejected. Other command and navigation inputs remain fixed. Reassigning Eraser also changes its temporary hold key. If Z already has a custom assignment, assign Zoom a free key in Preferences.
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+N | New document |
| Ctrl+O | Open |
| Ctrl+S | Save |
| Ctrl+Shift+S | Save As |
| Ctrl+W | Close document |
| Key | Tool |
|---|---|
| B | Pencil |
| D / S, with Pencil active | Normal (Paint ink) / Shading |
| E (tap) | Eraser |
| E (hold from Pencil) | Temporary erase; release to return |
| G | Fill |
| Shift+G | Linear gradient |
| I | Eyedropper |
| M | Rectangle/Lasso selection |
| W | Magic Wand |
| V | Move |
| A | Edit points |
| L | Path: Line mode |
| P | Path: Bézier mode |
| U | Rectangle |
| O | Ellipse |
| H | Hand |
| Z | Zoom |
Canvas and history
Section titled “Canvas and history”| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| Space + left-drag | Pan temporarily |
| Middle-button drag | Pan |
| Mouse wheel | Zoom around pointer |
| Ctrl+mouse wheel | Change Pencil/Eraser size |
| Ctrl+Alt + left-drag with Pencil/Eraser | Change size horizontally without painting |
| Ctrl+Space + left-drag | Temporary horizontal zoom |
| Tab | Free Canvas / restore docked interface |
| Alt + click/drag with Pencil | Temporarily sample foreground (left) or background (right) color |
| Ctrl+Z | Undo |
| Ctrl+Shift+Z or Ctrl+Y | Redo |
| Ctrl+A / Ctrl+D | Select all / deselect |
| Ctrl+Shift+D / Ctrl+Shift+I | Reselect / invert selection |
| Ctrl+C / Ctrl+X / Ctrl+V | Copy / cut / paste raster pixels |
| Ctrl+T | Free Transform |
| Ctrl+E | Merge selected layers, merge a selected group, or merge down |
| Ctrl+Shift+E | Merge visible layers |
| Enter / Escape | Apply / cancel transform |
| Arrow / Shift+arrow | Move pixels with Move, selection borders with Selection/Magic Wand, selected editable points or a Crop frame (1 / 10 pixels) |
| Ctrl-drag / Ctrl+Alt-drag | Temporarily move / copy pixels from Selection |
| Ctrl+arrow / Ctrl+Shift+arrow | Cut and move selected pixels with Selection or Magic Wand (1 / 10 pixels) |
| Delete / Backspace | Delete raster selection with Selection, Magic Wand or Move |
Pencil right-drag paints the background color. Eyedropper left-click samples foreground; right-click samples background.
Read the bottom-left status hint for controls specific to the active tool.
With selection tools, Shift adds, Alt subtracts and Shift+Alt intersects. Animation playback uses the strip’s Play/Pause button; Space remains pan. The Zoom tool also supports Alt-click to zoom out, drag to zoom to an area, and right-click for Zoom In, Zoom Out, 100% and Fit.