Illustrator keyboard shortcuts

Illustrator shares tool letters and file shortcuts with Photoshop but adds vector-specific moves: paste in place, transform again and outline mode. Transform again (Ctrl+D) alone can build radial and repeating patterns in seconds.

Most-used Illustrator shortcuts

  • Selection tool
  • Direct Selection tool
  • Group
  • Ungroup
  • Outline mode
  • Fit artboard in window

Practise Illustrator shortcuts

22 Illustrator shortcuts on Windows · 10 prompts

Read the action, press the real keys. Combos your browser reserves switch to multiple choice. Misses come back sooner in your daily review.

Illustrator shortcut cheat sheet

22 shortcutsTap an action to copy its keys

Tools

ActionWindowsMac
Selection tool
Direct Selection tool
Pen tool
Type tool
Rectangle tool
Ellipse tool
Shape Builder tool
Artboard tool
Eyedropper tool

Objects

ActionWindowsMac
Group
Ungroup
Lock selection
Make clipping mask
Create outlines from type
Paste in front
Paste in place
Transform again
Join paths

View

ActionWindowsMac
Outline mode
Fit artboard in window
Show or hide rulers
Show or hide guides

Source: Adobe Help: Default keyboard shortcuts in Illustrator. Defaults for the current version as documented by Adobe; custom keymaps and non-US keyboard layouts can differ.

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Illustrator shortcut questions

How do I paste in the same position in Illustrator?

Ctrl+Shift+V (Cmd+Shift+V) pastes in place on the current artboard. Ctrl+F and Ctrl+B paste in front of or behind the selected object.

Also practise: Windows · Mac · Photoshop · Premiere Pro