Photoshop Moves: The Basics (PC Version)
by chuck kolyvas updated oct 2003

Quick Tools

Use Move Tool*

Temporarily changes to move tool while using other tool

Ctrl + click & hold mouse

Use Hand Tool

Temporarily changes to hand tool while using other tool

Space + click & hold mouse

Magnify

Quick Zoom in

Ctrl + Space + click

Demagnify

Quick Zoom out (you can leave Ctrl pressed down if it’s easier)

Alt + Space + click

View Screen

Zoom – fit to screen

Ctrl + 0 (zero)

View at 100%

Zoom image to 100% (actual pixel size on screen)

Ctrl + Alt + 0 (zero)

Select All

All of Image or All of Text in layer

Ctrl + A

Deselect

Cancel any selection

Ctrl + D

Trace Object Selection

Create a selection from contents of layer without having to trace contents

(hold) Ctrl + click active layer in layer palette

Add Selection

Add to existing selection

(Hold) Shift + draw new selection

Transform*

Change size & proportion of image or text

Ctrl + T

Move Tool*

Move selected images & text in active layer

(press) V

Marquee Tool*

Creates rectangular & oblong selections

(press) M

Lasso Tool*

Create free-hand selections. Polygonal Lasso is best

(press) L

Type Tool*

Create/edit live text as a single element or within a text box

(press) T

Eye Dropper

Sample colour to foreground colour

(press) I

Pen Tool*

Draw Bezier vector curves

(press) P

Stamp Tool*

Clone rasterised image areas with brush strokes

(press) S

Crop*

Cut an image down to size (adjustable)

(press) C

Airbrush*

Airbrush with foreground colour

(press) J

Paintbrush*

Paint with foreground colour

(press) B

Constrain

Constrain movement to 90º/45º increments. Maintain proportion when transforming. *Affects commands highlighted with asterisk

(hold) Shift

Decrease the brush size of current tool (thanks to Jayden Lawson)

(press) [

Increase the brush size of current tool (thanks to Jayden Lawson)

(press) ]

Quick File Management

Quick Open

Double click Photoshop’s desktop area to get the open file dialogue

Quick New

Hold down Ctrl & double click Photoshop’s desktop area to get the new file dialogue

Quick Open As

Hold down Alt & double click Photoshop’s desktop area to get the open file as dialogue

Save For Web

Output web ready images (.gif, .jpg, .png8 & .png24)

Shift + Ctrl + Alt + S

Save File

Save PSD file

Ctrl + S

New File

Create new PSD file (takes image size from clipboard)

Ctrl + N

Cycle Files

Switch between all files currently open (hold Shift as well to reverse)

Ctrl + Tab

Quick Copy-Paste

Copy

Copy selected image or text from active layer

Ctrl + C

Copy All

Copy all visible layers

Ctrl + Shift + C

Cut

Cut selected image or text from active layer

Ctrl + X

Paste

Paste image or text into selection & active layer

Ctrl + V

Quick Layer Management

Create New Layer

Create layer above current active layer

Shift + Ctrl + N

Select Next Layer Up

Select the layer above current active layer

Alt + ]

Select Next Layer Down

Select the layer below current active layer

Alt + ]

Select Top Layer

Select the layer at very top of layer hierarchy

Shift + Alt + ]

Select Bottom Layer

Select the layer at very bottom of layer hierarchy

Shift + Alt + [

Move Layer Up

Move current active layer one position up

Ctrl + ]

Move Layer Down

Move current active layer one position down

Ctrl + [

Move Layer Top

Move current active layer to top of layer hierarchy

Shift + Ctrl + ]

Move Layer Bottom

Move current active layer to bottom of layer hierarchy

Shift + Ctrl + [

Quick Miscellaneous

Reset Colours

Sets foreground & background colours to defaults Black & White

(press) D

Cycle Colours

Cycles between foreground and background colours

(press) X

Image Size

View and change image (pixel/file) size

Alt + I + I

Canvas Size

View and change canvas (pixel) size

Alt + I + S

Preferences

Edit & customise Photoshop’s settings (most Adobe applications)

Ctrl + K

Show/Hide Palettes

Show/Hide all Photoshop palettes and menus to maximise viewable area

(press) Tab

Screen Modes

Change Photoshop’s appearance on screen Standard/Full w.Menu/Full

(press) F to cycle

Levels

Affect contrast/brightness, enhance whites/blacks

Ctrl + L

Hue/Saturation

Changes hues (colours), colour saturation & lightness

Ctrl + U

Open Image Ready

Open Image Ready to edit current image for the net (eg: animated gif)

Ctrl + Shift + M

Invert

Invert hues (colours) (ie: make negative)

Ctrl + I

Invert Selection

Change selected area into deselected area & vice versa

Ctrl + Shift + I

Desaturate

Remove all colour from active layer (ie: make greyscale)

Shift + Ctrl + U

Layer via Copy

With image or part image selected, choose Layer via Copy to copy selected contents to new layer

Layer via Cut

As above but choose Layer via Cut to cut selected contents to new layer

Fill Foreground Colour

Fill using the foreground colour

Alt + Backspace

Fill Background Colour

Fill using the foreground colour

Ctrl + Backspace

UnFill

Clear the fill from layer

Ctrl + Alt + Backspace

Fill Dialogue

Open the fill dialodue

Shift + Backspace