I'm curious to know how many folks use keyboard shortcuts and how often do you use them?

I have tried to memorize as many as I can for Phototshop and have found it to be a huge time saver.

My vote was that I use the common ones often. I am not on a quest to memorize them, but I do use as many as I happen to remember. I keep adding a few here and there as I come across them. I completely agree that they are a great time saver.

Hmmm...let's see, I use ctrl-s (of course), ctrl-L, ctrl-0, [ and ] (a lot), I try to use the number keys but forget, ctrl-x, ctrl-c, ctrl-v (the holy trio), and a few others.

Yes I'm with Jakaleena here. I too do use shortcuts, but as I tend to use a lot of different software across different platforms, even with the recent boon of being able to customize your working space, I find that there are so many different shortcuts that don't relate across the board.

Also with the upgrade of Photoshop 7, yet again they have moved some of the shortcut commands and ditched others - of course this will delight the shortcut wizards like Greg who can spend another 6 months learning the new shortcuts. Until the next upgrade eh?:tongue:

I started learning the shortcuts after working in a lab. The resident Photoshop expert knew nearly every shortcut and watching him work was amazing!

It's almost like a game now...I like to see how long I can go before I need to use the mouse to click! I would say the most useful keys to learn have to be the tool shortcuts. This allows you to paint and edit in full screen mode without having to see any menus.

Mike - That's not good news about the shortcuts in 7. Some of the shortcuts from 6 are hardwired into my brain now...so much so that I try to use Photoshop shortcuts in other programs. I keep trying to hit Tab in Dreamweaver to get rid of the menus and nothing happens! :D

Once I lost the use of Photobars from Extensis when I upgraded to version 6, I started relying more and more on those handy keyboard short cuts. Mostly I use them for the common tasks.
DJ

I use keyboard shortcuts very often, because I find it speeds me up a lot when I'm trying to work. the only problem I have is memorizing the different shortcuts for the various programs and not using the wrong ones :D

- David

I forgot the most important shortcut (besides ctrl-s): the tab key.

Yeah, the tab key. :thumbsup: I use some of the more common ones, and agree that they're a big timesaver. I guess I really use more than I thought, but there's always many more to learn.

Ed

I use the common ones, too. I'm hoping to learn some of the double and triple key shortcuts, as well. But I still get them mixed up.:dizzy:

I try to learn more of them as I go along... although I know they appear on the menus, I haven't spotted a printable list... am I missing something ?.
RonDon :confused:

Sorry, its too late now to trawl through my magazines, but I have a great list of al the shortcuts available in PS6 and some of the new ones in PS7. However if there are any threads already on this subject please cut me dead now, before i go scanning:)

http://user.fundy.net/morris/redirect.html?photoshop1.shtml

RonDon, above is a link to a website with PDF files you can read or download to print with keyboard shortcuts for PShop versions 6 and 7 for both PC and MAC users. The site also offers other interesting tips and info to download.

Thanks CJ... went and printed it... wow lots of them aren't there ? RonDon

No one would happen to have a spreadsheet with the PS7 Mac/Win shortcuts?

I use some shortcuts but not all that many. I'd like to learn more of them. :idea: Maybe people can post some of their favourite/most useful photoshop shortcuts and what they do. I didn't know about the tab key.....and I'll tell you that will likely be my favourite for some time! I need to learn more!!!!!

:bigthmb:
--Heather

The tab key is the one I use most often. I also find myself using the F7 key quite often (show layers). I'm sure there are some that I use so often that I really don't think of them. Since I use layer masks quite a bit, and I have an open desktop (from using the tab key) I recently made an action for making a layer mask Ctrl+F2), and a fill with black (Ctrl.+F3) because I can do what I want without seeing the layers pallette. I thought there was a hotkey for fill with black, but I couldn't find it, so I made my own.

Ed

From a recent thread on saving often, I now use control > S alot during my work. Others are control > T for transform and control > 0 for fit on screen and of course X to change from foreground and background colors and brackets to change brush size. Those are my most frequent ones.
DJ

Ed- I like that you created a shortcut for fill with black!

A few more useful "fill" shortcuts I use on a regular basis-

(ctrl + backspace or delete)- fill with background color
(alt + backspace or delete)- fill with foreground color
(shift + backspace or delete)- opens the Fill dialog

Check this out....

http://user.fundy.net/morris/downloads/Photoshop7HotKeys.pdf
http://user.fundy.net/morris/downloads/PS7HotKeys-Mac.pdf
http://user.fundy.net/morris/downloads/Photoshop6HotKeys.pdf
http://user.fundy.net/morris/downloads/PS6HotKeys-Mac.pdf
http://www.sifre.demon.nl/PDFs/win_shortcuts.pdf
http://www.sifre.demon.nl/PDFs/mac_shortcuts.pdf

Finally, a great resource link
http://user.fundy.net/morris/redirect.html?photoshop1.shtml

Lisa

hey Lisa ... isn't that the one Cj posted..?
it's real good... wish there was a way to print parts larger tho... well guess we just need to pick out what we want and start our own sheet...
at least with myself ... if I have a list pasted on the wall I will use the shortcuts until I get used to them...

Oh cool Greg, I didn't even know those. I will have to remember those.

Thanks for the neat links Lisa.
DJ

Hey Ron,

You're right. CJ's link is one and the same.

:)

Lisa

I know ... I know!!! gets so old being right... curse us old timers have to bear i guess,,
that bull aside.. love what they've done with your pic.. still I must confess... wish you hadn't cropped it....
not to late ... well guess it is for the challenge... but I'd still like to do the whole thing if you want to send the pieces..
but really... very nice photo... lots of interest..

I did post the full version if you check Pavel's aka Balky Challenge. You'll see the uncropped version :)

Lisa

Wow I had a look at the hotkey list that was posted....yikes! It's a great resource but it would take more time and effort to look up a hot key than just use the mouse!

I think I'll start with everyone's favourites that have been posted and slowly add in new ones.

I have to say the tab key and ctrl o are awesome to know! Sure made my life easier last night.

I also use the fills a lot so those hotkeys will come in handy as well.

Keep posting the useful ones.

Oh, I like the square bracket keys [] for changing the brush size... especially useful when working with the trusty old rubber stamp tool!

--Heather

Heather,
That's how I have been learning them. Just a few important ones at a time until they are second nature. Then I learn a couple more.
DJ

Here's my favorite shortcuts:

I use a tablet and pen so I don't like to use my right hand on the keyboard. Also, I use a Mac so these may be different for the windoze folks.

1. command+spacebar+click = zooms in
2. option+spacebar+click = zooms out
3. control+click = brings up the array of brushes
4. command+j = creates a new layer from the current selection
5. when using any paint tool, hold down the option key to temporarily access the eyedropper

The function keys don't work in PhotoShop on a Mac, but you can program the function keys to access your favorite programs.

Hope this helps,
Margaret

Not really a shortcut, but a neat trick:

to draw a straight line in any direction (at any angle) click with the paintbrush where you want the line to start, hold down the shift key and click where you want the line to end.

If you set the spacing on the brush to be about 150, you get perfectly straight dotted line!!

Margaret

thanks Margaret
thought there must be a way.. hadn't came across it... works well... thanks again

I haven't seen this thread for a couple of days. I also use the "[" and "]" for brush sizes frequently, and the ctrl + "H" to hide selections (without deleting them). I also like the ones Greg posted, although I haven't been using them as yet.

Ed

I use TAB to hide everything and "F" to see only the image. So I know the tools and all in the keyboard.