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PhotoCraft keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet

Every default PhotoCraft keyboard shortcut for Windows, Linux and macOS: menus, tools, brush size, opacity keys, layer navigation, and how to customise them.

Unofficial community guideUpdated Oct 9, 2026

PhotoCraft's default shortcuts follow Photoshop's. The project describes its menus and shortcuts as being "where your hands expect them", and the menu tree is modelled on Photoshop's. On Windows and Linux the main modifier is Ctrl. On macOS it is ⌘ (Command), and Alt becomes ⌥ (Option). Press Ctrl+K / ⌘K to search every command and tool by name.

The tables were taken from the source code of PhotoCraft v0.5.0 and the main branch as of 2026-10-09. Keys added after v0.5.0 are marked. PhotoCraft is still alpha, so a few menu items may stay greyed out until their feature is finished.

How to read the keys

  • Ctrl+Shift+N on Windows/Linux is ⌘⇧N on macOS. The macOS column lists modifiers in the same order PhotoCraft shows in its own menus.
  • ⇧ is Shift, ⌥ is Option/Alt, ⌘ is Command, ⌃ is Control and ⌫ is the Mac's delete (Backspace) key.
  • Punctuation keys are named as on a US keyboard. The zoom-in key = also accepts +, including the numpad + and the + key on German and Nordic layouts.
  • In a text field, typing keys stay with the field, but menu shortcuts with Ctrl/⌘ and the function keys still work. The exceptions are the field's own select-all, clipboard and undo keys. While a dialog is open, only the zoom keys (Ctrl+=, Ctrl+-, Ctrl+0, Ctrl+1) reach the canvas.

Customise shortcuts

Open Edit › Keyboard Shortcuts… (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+K / ⌘⌥⇧K, also under Window › Workspace) to reassign or remove any shortcut. That includes the brush-size keys, D/X, the fill keys and the held Space/zoom keys. Menus and tooltips then show your key instead of the default. Assigning a key that another command already uses moves it to the new command. Automation clients can do the same through the edit.keyboardShortcuts command (see control-protocol.md).

File

ActionWindows / LinuxmacOS
New…Ctrl+N⌘N
Open…Ctrl+O⌘O
Open As…Ctrl+Alt+Shift+O⌘⌥⇧O
CloseCtrl+W⌘W
Close AllCtrl+Alt+W⌘⌥W
Close OthersCtrl+Alt+P⌘⌥P
SaveCtrl+S⌘S
Save As…Ctrl+Shift+S⌘⇧S
Save a Copy…Ctrl+Alt+S⌘⌥S
RevertF12F12
Export › Export As…Ctrl+Alt+Shift+W⌘⌥⇧W
Export › Save for Web (Legacy)…Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S⌘⌥⇧S
File Info…Ctrl+Alt+Shift+I⌘⌥⇧I
Print…Ctrl+P⌘P
Print One CopyCtrl+Alt+Shift+P⌘⌥⇧P
ExitCtrl+Q⌘Q

Edit

ActionWindows / LinuxmacOS
UndoCtrl+Z⌘Z
RedoCtrl+Shift+Z⌘⇧Z
Toggle Last StateCtrl+Alt+Z⌘⌥Z
Fade…Ctrl+Shift+F⌘⇧F
CutCtrl+X⌘X
CopyCtrl+C⌘C
Copy MergedCtrl+Shift+C⌘⇧C
PasteCtrl+V⌘V
Paste Special › Paste in PlaceCtrl+Shift+V⌘⇧V
Paste Special › Paste IntoCtrl+Alt+Shift+V⌘⌥⇧V
ClearDelete⌫
Search… (command palette)Ctrl+K⌘K
Fill…Shift+F5 / Shift+Backspace⇧F5 / ⇧⌫
Content-Aware ScaleCtrl+Alt+Shift+C⌘⌥⇧C
Free TransformCtrl+T⌘T
Transform › AgainCtrl+Shift+T⌘⇧T
Color Settings…Ctrl+Shift+K⌘⇧K
Keyboard Shortcuts…Ctrl+Alt+Shift+K⌘⌥⇧K
Menus…Ctrl+Alt+Shift+M⌘⌥⇧M

Image

ActionWindows / LinuxmacOS
Adjustments › Levels…Ctrl+L⌘L
Adjustments › Curves…Ctrl+M⌘M
Adjustments › Hue/Saturation…Ctrl+U⌘U
Adjustments › Color Balance…Ctrl+B⌘B
Adjustments › Black & White…Ctrl+Alt+Shift+B⌘⌥⇧B
Adjustments › InvertCtrl+I⌘I
Adjustments › DesaturateCtrl+Shift+U⌘⇧U
Auto ToneCtrl+Shift+L⌘⇧L
Auto ContrastCtrl+Alt+Shift+L⌘⌥⇧L
Auto ColorCtrl+Shift+B⌘⇧B
Image Size…Ctrl+Alt+I⌘⌥I
Canvas Size…Ctrl+Alt+C⌘⌥C

Layer

ActionWindows / LinuxmacOS
New › Layer…Ctrl+Shift+N⌘⇧N
New › Layer via CopyCtrl+J⌘J
New › Layer via CutCtrl+Shift+J⌘⇧J
Quick Export as PNGCtrl+Shift+'⌘⇧'
Export As…Ctrl+Alt+Shift+'⌘⌥⇧'
Create Clipping MaskCtrl+Alt+G⌘⌥G
Group LayersCtrl+G⌘G
Ungroup LayersCtrl+Shift+G⌘⇧G
Hide LayersCtrl+,⌘,
Arrange › Bring to FrontCtrl+Shift+]⌘⇧]
Arrange › Bring ForwardCtrl+]⌘]
Arrange › Send BackwardCtrl+[⌘[
Arrange › Send to BackCtrl+Shift+[⌘⇧[
Merge LayersCtrl+E⌘E
Merge VisibleCtrl+Shift+E⌘⇧E
Stamp Visible (no menu item)Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E⌘⌥⇧E
Stamp Down (no menu item)Ctrl+Alt+E⌘⌥E

Select

ActionWindows / LinuxmacOS
AllCtrl+A⌘A
DeselectCtrl+D⌘D
ReselectCtrl+Shift+D⌘⇧D
Inverse SelectionCtrl+Shift+I⌘⇧I
All LayersCtrl+Alt+A⌘⌥A
Find LayersCtrl+Alt+Shift+F⌘⌥⇧F
Select and Mask…Ctrl+Alt+R⌘⌥R
Modify › Feather…Shift+F6⇧F6
Edit in Quick Mask ModeQQ

Filter

ActionWindows / LinuxmacOS
Last FilterCtrl+Alt+F⌘⌥F
Camera Raw Filter…Ctrl+Shift+A⌘⇧A
Adaptive Wide Angle…Ctrl+Alt+Shift+A⌘⌥⇧A
Lens Correction…Ctrl+Shift+R⌘⇧R
Liquify…Ctrl+Shift+X⌘⇧X
Vanishing Point…Ctrl+Alt+V⌘⌥V

View

ActionWindows / LinuxmacOS
Proof ColorsCtrl+Y⌘Y
Gamut WarningCtrl+Shift+Y⌘⇧Y
Zoom InCtrl+= / Ctrl++⌘= / ⌘+
Zoom OutCtrl+-⌘-
Fit on ScreenCtrl+0⌘0
100%Ctrl+1⌘1
ExtrasCtrl+H⌘H
Show › Target PathCtrl+Shift+H⌘⇧H
Show › GridCtrl+'⌘'
Show › GuidesCtrl+;⌘;
RulersCtrl+R⌘R
SnapCtrl+Shift+;⌘⇧;
Lock GuidesCtrl+Alt+;⌘⌥;
Cycle Screen Mode (no menu item)FF

Window

ActionWindows / LinuxmacOS
ActionsAlt+F9⌥F9
Brush SettingsF5F5
ColorF6F6
LayersF7F7
InfoF8F8
Show/Hide All Panels (main branch, after v0.5.0)TabTab
Show/Hide Panels (dock only; main branch, after v0.5.0)Shift+Tab⇧Tab

Layers and channels (no menu item)

ActionWindows / LinuxmacOS
Select layer above / belowAlt+] / Alt+[⌥] / ⌥[
Select top / bottom layerAlt+. / Alt+,⌥. / ⌥,
Add layer above / below to the selectionAlt+Shift+] / Alt+Shift+[⌥⇧] / ⌥⇧[
Target the composite channelCtrl+2⌘2
Target channel 3 to 9 (as numbered in the Channels panel)Ctrl+3 … Ctrl+9⌘3 … ⌘9
Make selection from pathCtrl+Enter⌘↩

Painting, colour and fill

ActionWindows / LinuxmacOS
Decrease / increase brush size[ / ][ / ]
Decrease / increase brush hardnessShift+[ / Shift+]⇧[ / ⇧]
Default foreground and background coloursDD
Switch foreground and background coloursXX
Fill with foreground colourAlt+Backspace⌥⌫
Fill with background colourCtrl+Backspace⌘⌫
Fill with foreground colour, preserve transparencyAlt+Shift+Backspace⌥⇧⌫
Fill with background colour, preserve transparencyCtrl+Shift+Backspace⌘⇧⌫
Free Transform a CopyCtrl+Alt+T⌘⌥T
Transform Again on a CopyCtrl+Alt+Shift+T⌘⌥⇧T

Number keys: opacity, flow and fill

Press 1 to 9 for 10% to 90% and 0 for 100%. Type two digits quickly (within 0.8 seconds) for an exact value: 4 then 5 gives 45%, and 0 then 0 gives 0%. What the keys change depends on the active tool:

ToolNumber keys setShift + number keys set
Brush, Eraserbrush opacitybrush flow
Pencilbrush opacity(nothing)
Gradient, Paint Bucketthe tool's opacity(nothing)
Move, selection tools, Type and other tools without their own opacityactive layer's opacityactive layer's fill

Retouching tools whose option is a strength or exposure (healing, clone, dodge and burn, and so on) ignore the number keys. A locked Background layer has no opacity or fill, so the keys do nothing there.

Tools

Press a tool's letter to select it. Press the same letter again to cycle through the tools that share it, in the order listed. If you turn on Preferences › Tools › Use shift key for tool switch, only Shift+letter cycles, and the plain letter keeps the group's current tool. Tool keys have no modifiers and are the same on every platform.

KeyTools (cycle order)
VMove
MRectangular Marquee, Elliptical Marquee
LLasso, Polygonal Lasso, Magnetic Lasso
WMagic Wand, Quick Selection, Object Selection
CCrop, Slice, Slice Select
IEyedropper, Ruler, Note, Count
JSpot Healing Brush, Healing Brush, Patch, Content-Aware Move, Red Eye (Red Eye: main only)
BBrush, Pencil, Mixer Brush
SClone Stamp, Pattern Stamp (Pattern Stamp: main only)
YHistory Brush
EEraser, Background Eraser, Magic Eraser
GGradient, Paint Bucket
ODodge, Burn, Sponge
PPen
THorizontal Type, Vertical Type
APath Selection, Direct Selection
URectangle, Ellipse, Triangle, Polygon, Line, Custom Shape
HHand
RRotate View (main only, after v0.5.0)
ZZoom
QEdit in Quick Mask Mode (toggle)

Blur, Sharpen and Smudge have no default key, as in Photoshop.

Held keys and in-progress actions

ActionWindows / LinuxmacOS
Hand tool while heldSpaceSpace
Zoom in while held (drag to scrub-zoom)Ctrl+Space⌘Space
Zoom out while heldCtrl+Alt+Space⌘⌥Space
Reposition a marquee, lasso or shape while drawing ithold Spacehold Space
Commit / cancel Free Transform, a crop or a polygonEnter / Esc↩ / Esc
Remove the last Polygonal Lasso pointBackspace or Delete⌫
Nudge with the Move tool or in Free Transformarrow keys (Shift ×10, Alt duplicates first)arrow keys (⇧ ×10, ⌥ duplicates first)
Commit current type editsCtrl+Enter⌘↩

When you release a held key, you get your previous tool back.

macOS menu bar differences

Since v0.5.0, PhotoCraft on macOS uses the native menu bar. When a system shortcut clashes with a Photoshop-style one, PhotoCraft keeps the Photoshop-style shortcut:

ItemmacOS shortcutWhy
Hide PhotoCraft⌃⌘H⌘H is View › Extras
Minimize⌃⌘M⌘M is Curves
Hide Others⌥⌘Hunchanged
Settings (Preferences)none⌘, is Layer › Hide Layers
Quit⌘Qsame as File › Exit

For problems with keys or text input, see the troubleshooting guide. To switch the interface language, see how to change PhotoCraft's language.

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