Adobe Illustrator CS3 Keyboard Shortcuts

 

Selecting tools
VSelection tool
ADirect Selection tool
YMagic Wand tool
QLasso tool
PPen tool
=+ (plus)Add Anchor Point tool
=- (minus)Delete Anchor Point tool
Shft + CConvert Anchor Point tool
TType tool
\ (backslash)Line Segment tool
MRectangle tool
LEllipse tool in Adobe Illustrator
BPaintbrush tool
NPencil tool
RRotate tool
OReflect tool
SScale tool
Shft + RWarp tool
EFree Transform tool
Shft + SSymbol Sprayer tool
JColumn Graph tool
UMesh tool in Adobe Illustrator
GGradient tool
IEyedropper tool
WBlend tool
KLive Paint Bucket tool
Shft + LLive Paint Selection tool
Shft + OCrop Area tool
Shft + KSlice tool
Shft + EEraser tool
CScissors tool
HHand tool
ZZoom tool
 
Viewing artwork
FToggle between screen modes: Standard, Full,Full with menu bar, and Maximized
Double-click Hand toolFit imageable area in window
Double-click Zoom toolMagnify 100%
SpacebarSwitch to Hand tool (when not in text-edit mode)
Ctrl + SpacebarSwitch to Zoom tool in magnify mode
Ctrl + Alt + SpacebarSwitch to Zoom tool in reduce mode
SpacebarMove Zoom marquee while dragging with theZoom tool
Ctrl + Alt + Shft + 3Hide unselected artwork
Alt-drag guideConvert between horizontal and vertical guide in Adobe Illustrator
Ctrl + Shft-double-click guideRelease guide
 
Drawing
Shft-dragConstrain a shape's proportions or orientation to: equal height and width for rectangles, rounded rectangles,ellipses, and grids Increments of 45º for line and arc segments Original orientation for polygons, stars, and flares
spacebar-dragMove a shape while drawing it
Alt-dragDraw from the center of a shape (except for polygons, stars, and flares)
Start dragging, then press the Up Arrow or Down ArrowIncrease or decrease polygon sides, star points,arc angle, spiral winds, or flare rays
Start dragging, then hold down CtrlKeep the inner radius of a star constant
Alt-dragKeep the sides of a star straight
Start dragging, then hold down CSwitch between an open and closed arc
Start dragging, then hold down FFlip an arc, keeping the reference point constant
Alt-dragAdd or subtract winds from a spiral while increasing the length of the spiral
Ctrl-dragChange the decay rate of a spiral
Alt-click Live Trace in the Ctrl panel, or hold down Alt and select a tracing preset.Add or remove horizontal lines from a rectangular grid or concentric lines from a polar grid
Start dragging, then press the Right Arrow or Left ArrowAdd or remove vertical lines from a rectangular grid or radial lines from a polar grid
Start dragging, then press FDecrease the skew value for horizontal dividers in a rectangular grid or radial dividers in a polar grid by 10%
Start dragging, then press VIncrease the skew value for horizontal dividers in a rectangular grid or radial dividers in a polar grid by 10%
Start dragging, then press XDecrease the skew value for vertical dividers in a rectangular grid or concentric dividers in a polar grid by 10%
Start dragging, then press CIncrease the skew value for vertical dividers in a rectangular grid or concentric dividers in a polar grid by 10%
Alt-click Live Trace in the Ctrl panel, or hold down Alt and select a tracing preset.Create and expand a Live Trace object in one step
 
Selecting
CtrlSwitch to last-used selection tool (Selection tool,Direct Selection tool, or Group Selection tool) in Adobe Illustrator
AltSwitch between Direct Selection tool and Group Selection tool
Shft-clickAdd to a selection with Selection tool,Direct Selection tool, Group Selection tool, Live Paint Selection tool, or Magic Wand tool
Shft-clickSubtract a selection with Selection tool, Direct Selection tool, Group Selection tool, or Live Paint Selection tool
Alt-clickSubtract from selection with Magic Wand tool
Shft-dragAdd to selection with Lasso tool
Alt-dragSubtract from selection with Lasso tool in Adobe Illustrator
Caps LockChange pointer to cross hair for selected tools
 
Moving selections
Right Arrow, Left Arrow, Up Arrow, or Down ArrowMove selection in user-defined increments
Shft + Right Arrow, Left Arrow, Up Arrow, or Down ArrowMove selection in 10x user-defined increments in Adobe Illustrator
Ctrl + Alt + Shft + 2Lock all deselected artwork
Hold down ShftConstrain movement to 45º angle (except whenusing Reflect tool)
 
Editing shapes
AltSwitch Pen tool to Convert Anchor Point tool
AltSwitch between Add Anchor Point tool and Delete Anchor Point tool
AltSwitch Scissors tool to Add Anchor Point tool
AltSwitch Pencil tool to Smooth tool in Adobe Illustrator
Spacebar-dragMove current anchor point while drawing with Pen tool
Alt-dragCut a straight line with Knife tool
Shft + Alt-dragCut at 45º or 90º with Knife tool
Alt + Shape modeTurn shape mode buttons in Pathfinder panelinto Pathfinder commands
 
Painting objects
XToggle between fill and stroke in Adobe Illustrator
DSet fill and stroke to default
Shft + XSwap fill and stroke
>Select gradient fill mode
<Select color fill mode
/ (forward slash)Select no stroke/fill mode
Shft + Eyedropper toolSample color from an image or intermediatecolor from gradient
Alt + Shft-click + Eyedropper toolSample style and append appearance of currentlyselected item
Ctrl + / (forward slash)Add new fill
Ctrl + Alt + / (forward slash)Add new stroke
Ctrl-click gradient button in Tools panel or Gradient panelReset gradient to black and white in Adobe Illustrator
 
Working with Live Paint groups
Alt-click Live Paint Bucket toolSwitch to Eyedropper tool and sample fill and/or stroke
Alt Shft-click Live Paint Bucket toolSwitch to Eyedropper tool and sample color from an image or intermediate color from a gradient
Shft Live Paint Bucket toolSelect opposite Live Paint Bucket tool options(if Paint Fills and Paint Strokes are currently selected, switch to Paint Fills only)
Double-click + Live Paint Bucket toolFill across unstroked edges into adjacent faces
Triple-click Live Paint Bucket toolFill all faces that have same fill and strok eall edges that have same stroke in Adobe Illustrator
Alt-click + Live Paint Selection toolSwitch to Eyedropper tool and sample fill and/orstroke
Alt + Shft-click + Live Paint SelectiontoolSwitch to Eyedropper tool and sample color froman image or intermediate color from a gradient
Shft-click + Live Paint Selection toolAdd to/subtract from a selection
Double-click + Live Paint Selection toolSelect all connected faces /edges with same fill/stroke
Triple-click Live Paint Selection toolSelect all faces/edges with same fill/stroke in Adobe Illustrator
 
Transforming objects
Alt-clickSet origin point and open dialog box when using Rotate tool, Scale tool, Reflect tool, or Shear tool
Alt-dragDuplicate and transform selection when using Selection tool, Scale tool, Reflect tool, or Shear tool
Tilde (~)-dragTransform pattern (independent of object) when using Selection tool, Scale tool, Reflect tool, or Shear tool in Adobe Illustrator
 
Working with type
Right Arrow or Left ArrowMove one character right or left
Up Arrow or Down ArrowMove up or down one line
Ctrl + Right Arrow or Left ArrowMove one word right or left
Ctrl + Up Arrow or Down ArrowMove up or down one paragraph
Shft Ctrl Right Arrow or Left ArrowSelect one word right or left when working with Adobe Illustrator type
Shft + Ctrl + Up Arrow or Down ArrowSelect one paragraph before or after
Shft-clickExtend existing selection
Ctrl + Shft + L, R, or CAlign paragraph left, right, or center
Ctrl + Shft + JJustify paragraph
Shft + EnterInsertsoft return
Ctrl + Alt + KHighlight kerning
Ctrl Shft XReset horizontal scale to 100% when working with Adobe Illustrator type
Ctrl + Shft + > or <Increase or decrease type size
Alt + Up or Down Arrow (horizontal text) or Right or Left Arrow (vertical text)Increase or decrease leading
Double-click leading icon in the Character panelSet leading to the type size
Ctrl + Alt + QReset tracking/kerning to 0
Alt + Right or Left Arrow (horizontal text) or Up or Down Arrow (vertical text)Add or remove space (kerning) between two characters
Ctrl + Alt + Right or Left Arrow (horizontal text) or Up or Down Arrow (vertical text)Add or remove space (kerning) between charactersby five times the increment value
Alt + Shft + Up or Down Arrow (horizontal text) or Right or Left Arrow (vertical text)Increase or decrease baseline shift when working with Adobe Illustrator type
ShftSwitch between Type and Vertical Type, AreaType and Vertical Area Type, and Path Type and Vertical Path Typetools
Alt-click Type toolSwitch between Area Type and Type, Path Typeand Area Type, and Vertical Path Type and Vertical Area Type tools
 
Using panels
Alt-click New buttonSet options (except for Actions, Brushes, Swatches,and Symbols panels)
Alt-click Delete buttonDelete without confirmation (except for Layerspanel)
Shft EnterApply value and keep text box active when using Adobe Illustrator panels
Shft-clickSelect range of actions, brushes, layers, links,styles, or swatches
Ctrl-clickSelect noncontiguous actions, brushes, layers(same level only), links, styles, or swatches
TabShow/Hide all panels when using Adobe Illustrator panels
Shft + TabShow/Hide all panels except the Tools panel andControl panel
 
Actions panel
Alt-click expansion triangleExpand/Collapse entire hierarchy for action set
Double-click folder iconSet options for action set
Alt-click Play buttonPlay a single command in Adobe Illustrator actions panel
Alt-click New Action buttonBegin recording actions without confirmation
 
Brushes panel
Double-click brushOpen Brush Options dialog box
Drag brush to New Brush buttonDuplicate brush
 
Character and Paragraph panels
Up Arrow or Down ArrowIncrease/decrease the selected value bya small increment
Shft + Up Arrow or Down ArrowIncrease/decreases the selected value bya large increment
Ctrl + Alt + Shft + FHighlight the font name field in the Characterpanel
 
Color panel
Ctrl-click color barSelect the complement for the current color fill/stroke
Alt-click color barChange the nonactive fill/stroke in Adobe Illustrator color panel
Ctrl + Alt-click color barSelect the complement for the nonactive fill/stroke
Ctrl + Shft-click color barSelect the inverse for the current fill/stroke
Ctrl + Shft + Alt-click color barSelect the inverse for the nonactive fill/stroke
Shft-click color barChange the color mode
Shft-drag color sliderMove color sliders in tandem in Adobe Illustrator color panel
Double-click to right of a numerical fieldSwitch between percentage and 0-255 valuesfor RGB
 
Gradient panel
Alt-dragDuplicate color stops
Alt-drag color stop onto another stopSwap color stops
Alt-click swatch in the Swatches panelApply swatch color to active (or selected) colorstop
 
Layers panel
Alt-click layer nameSelect all objects on the layer in Adobe Illustrator
Alt-click eye iconShow/hide all layers but the selected one
Ctrl-click eye iconSelect Outline/Preview view for the selected layer
Ctrl + Alt-click eye iconSelects Outline/Preview view for all other layers
Alt-click lock iconLock/unlock all other layers
Alt-click expansion triangleExpand all sublayers to display entire hierarchy
Alt-click New Layer buttonSet options as you create new layer
Alt-click New Sublayer buttonSet options as you create new sublayer
Ctrl Alt-click New Sublayer buttonPlace new sublayer at bottom of layer list in Adobe Illustrator
Ctrl-click New Layer buttonPlace layer at top of layer list
Ctrl + Alt-click New Layer buttonPlace layer below selected layer
Alt-drag selectionCopy the selection to a new layer, sublayer, orgroup
 
Swatches panel
Ctrl-click New Swatch buttonCreate new spot color
Ctrl + Shft-click New Swatch buttonCreate new global process color
Alt-drag a swatch over anotherReplace swatch with another
Ctrl Alt-click in the swatch color listSelect swatch by name (using keyboard) in Adobe Illustrator
 
Transform panel
Shft + EnterApply a value and keep focus in edit field
Alt EnterApply a value and copy object when using Adobe Illustrator transform panel
Ctrl EnterApply a value and scale option proportionately for width or height
 
Transparency panel
Alt-click on mask thumbnailChange mask to grayscale image for editing
Shft-click on mask thumbnailDisable opacity mask
Shft-click on disabled mask thumbnailRe-enable opacity mask in Adobe Illustrator Transparency panel
Click opacity field + Up Arrow or Down ArrowIncrease/decrease opacity in 1% increments
Shft-click opacity field + Up Arrow or Down ArrowIncrease/decrease opacity in 10% increments
 
Function keys
F1Invoke Help
F2Cut
F3Copy
F4Paste
F5Show/hide Brushes panel
F6Show/hide Color panel in Adobe Illustrator
F7Show/hide Layers panel
F8Create new symbol
Ctrl F8Show/hide Info panel in Adobe Illustrator
Ctrl + F9Show/hide Gradient panel
Ctrl + F10Show/hide Stroke panel
Ctrl + F11Show/hide Attributes panel
F12Revert
Shft + F5Show/hide Graphic Styles panel
Shft F6Show/hide Appearance panel in Adobe Illustrator
Shft + F7Show/hide Align panel
Shft + F8Show/hide Transform panel
Shft + Ctrl + F9Show/hide Pathfinder panel
Shft + Ctrl + F10Show/hide Transparency panel
Shft + Ctrl + F11Show/hide Symbols panel

 

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