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.
Practise Illustrator shortcuts
22 Illustrator shortcuts for Windows. You get 10 prompts: press the real keys on your keyboard (or pick from four answers on a phone). Anything you miss comes back sooner in your daily review.
Illustrator shortcut cheat sheet
Tools
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Selection tool | V | V |
| Direct Selection tool | A | A |
| Pen tool | P | P |
| Type tool | T | T |
| Rectangle tool | M | M |
| Ellipse tool | L | L |
| Shape Builder tool | ShiftM | ⇧shiftM |
| Artboard tool | ShiftO | ⇧shiftO |
| Eyedropper tool | I | I |
Objects
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Group | CtrlG | ⌘cmdG |
| Ungroup | CtrlShiftG | ⌘cmd⇧shiftG |
| Lock selection | Ctrl2 | ⌘cmd2 |
| Make clipping mask | Ctrl7 | ⌘cmd7 |
| Create outlines from type | CtrlShiftO | ⌘cmd⇧shiftO |
| Paste in front | CtrlF | ⌘cmdF |
| Paste in place | CtrlShiftV | ⌘cmd⇧shiftV |
| Transform again | CtrlD | ⌘cmdD |
| Join paths | CtrlJ | ⌘cmdJ |
View
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Outline mode | CtrlY | ⌘cmdY |
| Fit artboard in window | Ctrl0 | ⌘cmd0 |
| Show or hide rulers | CtrlR | ⌘cmdR |
| Show or hide guides | Ctrl; | ⌘cmd; |
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.
Can't find it? Ask about Illustrator
Type a task in plain words and get the shortcut for Windows, with a note if the app lacks one.
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