Hot links Illustrator CC

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Hot links Illustrator CC

A list of keyboard shortcuts for restoring laptop's factory settings | Character Codes for HTML


Popular shortcuts

Undo Ctrl+Z
Redo Shift+Ctrl+Z
Cut Ctrl+X
Copy Ctrl+C
Paste Ctrl+V
Paste in front Ctrl+F
Paste at back Ctrl+B
Paste in place Shift+Ctrl+B
Paste on all artboards Alt+Shift+Ctrl+B
Check spelling Ctrl+I
Open the Color Settings dialog box Shift+Ctrl+K
Open the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog box Alt+Shift+Ctrl+K
Open the Preferences dialog box Ctrl+K

Work with documents

Create a document Ctrl+N
Create a document from a template Shift+Ctrl+N
Create a document without opening the New Document dialog box Alt+Ctrl+N
Open a document Ctrl+O
Place a file in the document Shift+Ctrl+P
Open the File Information dialog box Alt+Shift+Ctrl+I
Open the Document Setup dialog box Alt+Ctrl+P
Browse in Adobe Bridge Alt+Ctrl+O
Close the document window Ctrl+W
Save changes made to the document Ctrl+S
Open the Save As dialog box Shift+Ctrl+S
Save a copy of the document Alt+Ctrl+S
Save the document as script files Ctrl+F12
Open the Export for screens dialog box Alt+Ctrl+E
Open the Save For Web dialog box Alt+Shift+Ctrl+S
Package the document Alt+Shift+Ctrl+P
Print Ctrl+P
Exit the application Ctrl+Q

Select tools

Artboard tool Shift+O
Selection tool V
Direct Selection tool A
Magic Wand tool Y
Lasso tool Q
Pen tool P
Curvature tool Shift+~
Blob Brush tool Shift+B
Add Anchor Point tool +
Delete Anchor Point tool -
Switch to Anchor Point tool Shift+C
Type tool T
Touch Type tool Shift+T
Line Segment tool \
Rectangle tool M
Ellipse tool L
Paintbrush tool B
Pencil tool N
Shaper tool Shift+N
Rotate tool R
Reflect tool O
Scale tool S
Warp tool Shift+R
Width Tool Shift+W
Free Transform tool E
Shape Builder Tool Shift+M
Perspective Grid Tool Shift+P
Perspective Selection Tool Shift+V
Symbol Sprayer tool Shift+S
Column Graph tool J
Mesh tool U
Gradient tool G
Eyedropper tool I
Blend tool W
Live Paint Bucket tool K
Live Paint Selection tool Shift+L
Slice tool Shift+K
Eraser tool Shift+E
Scissors tool C
Hand tool H
Zoom tool Z
Switch to Smooth tool while using Blob Brush tool Alt

View artwork

Toggle between screen modes: Normal Screen Mode, Full Screen Mode with Menu Bar, Full Screen Mode F
Fit imageable area in window Double-click Hand tool
Magnify 100% Double-click Zoom tool or press Ctrl+1
Switch to Hand tool (when not in text-edit mode) Spacebar
Switch to Zoom tool in magnify mode Ctrl+Spacebar
Switch to Zoom tool in reduce mode Ctrl+Alt+Spacebar
Move Zoom marquee while dragging with the Zoom tool Spacebar
Hide bounding box Shift+Ctrl+B
Hide unselected artwork Control+Alt+Shift+3
Convert between horizontal and vertical guide Alt-drag guide
Release guide Ctrl+Shift-double-click guide
Show document template Ctrl+H
Show/Hide artboards Ctrl+Shift+H
Show/Hide artboard rulers Ctrl+R
Show transparency grid Shift+Ctrl+D
View all artboards in window Ctrl+Alt+0 (zero)
Paste in place on the active artboard Ctrl+Shift+V
Exit Artboard tool mode Esc
Create artboard inside another artboard Shift-drag
Select multiple artboards in the Artboards panel Ctrl+Click
Navigate to next document Ctrl+F6
Navigate to previous document Ctrl+Shift+F6
Navigate to next document group Ctrl+Alt+F6
Navigate to previous document group Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F6
Toggle between Outline and GPU Preview of the document Ctrl+Y
Toggle between GPU and CPU Preview of the document Ctrl+E
View the document in Overprint Preview mode Alt+Shift+Ctrl+Y
View the document in Pixel Preview mode Alt+Ctrl+Y
Exit Full Screen mode Esc
Zoom in Ctrl+=
Zoom out Ctrl+-
Hide guides Ctrl+;
Lock guides Alt+Ctrl+;
Make guides Ctrl+5
Release guides Alt+Ctrl+5
Show/ hide smart guides Ctrl+U
Show/ hide perspective grid Ctrl+Shift+I
Show grid Ctrl+'
Snap to grid Shift+Ctrl+'
Snap to point Alt+Ctrl+'

Work with selections

Switch to last-used selection tool (Selection tool, Direct Selection tool, or Group Selection tool) Ctrl+`
Switch between Direct Selection tool and Group Selection tool Alt
Add to a selection with Selection tool, Direct Selection tool, Group Selection tool, Live Paint Selection tool, or Magic Wand tool Shift-click
Subtract a selection with Selection tool, Direct Selection tool, Group Selection tool, or LIve Paint Selection tool Shift-click
Subtract from selection with Magic Wand tool Alt-click
Add to selection with Lasso tool Shift-drag
Subtract from selection with Lasso tool Alt-drag
Change pointer to cross hair for Lasso tool CapsLock
Select artwork in active artboard Ctrl+Alt+A
Create crop marks around selected object Alt+C+O
Select all Ctrl+A
Deselect Shift+Ctrl+A
Reselect Ctrl+6
Select the object above the current selection Alt+Ctrl+]
Select the object below the current selection Alt+Ctrl+[
Select behind an object Press Ctrl+Click twice
Select behind in isolation mode Ctrl+Click twice
Group the selected artwork Ctrl+G
Ungroup the selected artwork Shift+Ctrl+G
Lock a selection Ctrl+2
Unlock a selection Alt+Ctrl+2
Hide a selection Ctrl+3
Show all selections Alt+Ctrl+3
Move selection in user-defined increments
Move selection in 10x user-defined increments Shift+
Lock all deselected artwork Ctrl+Alt+Shift+2
Constrain movement to 45° angle (except when using Reflect tool) Hold down Shift
Bring a selection forward Ctrl+]
Move a selection to the front Shift+Ctrl+]
Send a selection backward Ctrl+[
Move a selection to the back Shift+Ctrl+[

Draw

Constrain a shape’s proportions or orientation to:

  • equal height and width for rectangles, rounded rectangles, ellipses, and grids

  • Increments of 45° for line and arc segments

  • Original orientation for polygons, stars, and flares

Shift-drag
Move a shape while drawing it Spacebar-drag
Draw from the center of a shape (except for polygons, stars, and flares) Alt-drag
Increase or decrease polygon sides, star points, arc angle, spiral winds, or flare rays Start dragging, then press /
Keep the inner radius of a star constant Start dragging, then hold down Ctrl
Keep the sides of a star straight Alt-drag
Switch between an open and closed arc Start dragging, then hold down C
Flip an arc, keeping the reference point constant Start dragging, then hold down F
Add or subtract winds from a spiral while increasing the length of the spiral Start dragging, then Alt-drag
Change the decay rate of a spiral Start dragging then Ctrl-drag
Add or remove horizontal lines from a rectangular grid or concentric lines from a polar grid Start dragging, then press /
Add or remove vertical lines from a rectangular grid or radial lines from a polar grid Start dragging, then press /
Decrease the skew value for horizontal dividers in a rectangular grid or radial dividers in a polar grid by 10% Start dragging, then press F
Increase the skew value for horizontal dividers in a rectangular grid or radial dividers in a polar grid by 10% Start dragging, then press V
Decrease the skew value for vertical dividers in a rectangular grid or concentric dividers in a polar grid by 10% Start dragging, then press X
Increase the skew value for vertical dividers in a rectangular grid or concentric dividers in a polar grid by 10% Start dragging, then press C
Increase size of Blob Brush ]
Decrease size of Blob Brush [
Constrain Blob Brush path horizontally or vertically Shift
Switch through drawing modes Shift+D
Join two or more paths Select the paths, then press Ctrl+J
Average two or more paths Select the paths, then press Alt+Ctrl+J
Create corner or smooth join Select the paths, then press Shift+Ctrl+Alt+J
Create a compound path Ctrl+8
Release a compound path Alt+Shift+Ctrl+8
Edit a pattern Shift+Ctrl+F8
Perspective Grid Tool Shift+P
Perspective Selection Tool Shift+V
Perspective Grid Ctrl+Shift+I
Moving objects perpendicularly 5 then click and drag the object
Switching perspective planes Use the Perspective Selection tool and then press 1 for left grid, 2 for horizontal grid, 3 for right grid, or 4 for no active grid
Copying objects in perspective Ctrl+Alt+drag
Repeat transforming objects in perspective Ctrl+D
Switching between drawing modes Shift+D

Edit shapes

Switch Pen tool to Convert Anchor Point tool Alt
Switch between Add Anchor Point tool and Delete Anchor Point tool Alt
Switch Scissors tool to Add Anchor Point tool Alt
Switch Pencil tool to Smooth tool Alt
Move current anchor point while drawing with Pen tool Spacebar-drag
Cut a straight line with Knife tool Alt-drag
Cut at 45° or 90° with Knife tool Shift+Alt-drag
Use shape mode buttons in Pathfinder panel to create compound paths Alt+Shape mode
Erase unwanted closed regions created using Shape Builder tool Alt+Click the closed region
Select the Shape Builder tool Shift+M
Display rectangular marquee to easily merge multiple paths (when using Shape Builder tool) Shift+Click+drag
Increase the intensity of symbols (when using Symbolism tool) Shift+}
Decrease the intensity of symbols (when using Symbolism tool) Shift+{
Blend objects Alt+Ctrl+B
Finish adding objects to the blend Alt+Shift+Ctrl+B
Distort objects using a warp-shaped envelope Alt+Ctrl+Shift+W
Distort objects using a mesh as the shape of the envelope Alt+Ctrl+M
Distort objects using another object as the shape of the envelope Alt+Ctrl+C

Work with Live Paint groups

Switch to Eyedropper tool and sample fill and/or stroke Alt-Click+Live Paint Bucket tool
Switch to Eyedropper tool and sample color from an image or intermediate color from a gradient Alt+Shift-Click+Live Paint Bucket tool
Select opposite Live Paint Bucket tool options (if Paint Fills and Paint Strokes are currently selected, switch to Paint Fills only) Shift+Live Paint Bucket tool
Fill across unstroked edges into adjacent faces Double-Click+Live Paint Bucket tool
Fill all faces that have same fill and stroke all edges that have same stroke Triple-Click+Live Paint Bucket tool
Switch to Eyedropper tool and sample fill and/or stroke Alt-Click+Live Paint Selection tool
Switch to Eyedropper tool and sample color from an image or intermediate color from a gradient Alt+Shift-Click+Live Paint Selection tool
Add to/subtract from a selection Shift-Click+Live Paint Selection tool
Select all connected faces /edges with same fill/stroke Double-Click+Live Paint Selection tool
Select all faces/edges with same fill/stroke Triple-Click+Live Paint Selection tool

Work with objects

Set origin point and open dialog box when using Rotate tool, Scale tool, Reflect tool, or Shear tool Alt-click
Duplicate and transform selection when using Selection tool, Scale tool, Reflect tool, or Shear tool Alt-drag
Transform pattern (independent of object) when using Selection tool, Scale tool, Reflect tool, or Shear tool ~-drag
Reapply a transformation to an object Ctrl+D
Apply last pathfinder effect to the selected object Ctrl+4
Move an object Shift+Ctrl+M
Open the Transform Each dialog box Alt+Shift+Ctrl+D
Make a clipping mask Ctrl+7
Release a clipping mask Alt+Ctrl+7
Toggle between fill and stroke X
Set fill and stroke to default D
Swap fill and stroke Shift+X
Select gradient fill mode >
Hide gradient annotator (when using the Gradient tool) Alt+Ctrl+G
Select color fill mode <
Select no stroke/fill mode /
Sample color from an image or intermediate color from gradient Shift+Eyedropper tool
Sample style and append appearance of currently selected item Alt+Shift-Click+Eyedropper tool
Add new fill Ctrl+/
Add new stroke Ctrl+Alt+/
Reset gradient to black and white Ctrl-click gradient button in Tools panel or Gradient panel
Make Live Paint (when using the Paint Bucket tool) Alt+Ctrl+X
Decrease Bristle brush size [
Increase Bristle brush size ]

Create variable width points

Select multiple width points Shift+Click
Create non-uniform widths Alt+drag
Create a copy of the width point Alt+drag the width point
Change the position of multiple width points Shift+drag
Delete selected width point Delete
Deselect a width point Esc

Work with type

Move one character right or left /
Move up or down one line /
Move one word right or left Ctrl+/
Move up or down one paragraph Ctrl+/
Select one word right or left Shift+Ctrl+/
Select one paragraph before or after Shift+Ctrl+/
Extend existing selection Shift-click
Align paragraph left, right, or center Ctrl+Shift+L, R, or C
Justify text left Ctrl+Shift+J
Justify all lines Shift+Ctrl+F
Toggle line composer Alt+Shift+Ctrl+C
Insert soft return Shift+Enter
Highlight kerning Ctrl+Alt+K
Reset horizontal scale to 100% Ctrl+Shift+X
Increase or decrease font size Ctrl+Shift+./,
Increase or decrease font size by steps Alt+Ctrl+Shift+./,
Increase or decrease leading Alt+
Select tracking value Alt+Ctrl+K
Reset tracking/kerning to 0 Ctrl+Alt+Q
Increase or decrease kerning and tracking Alt+
Increase or decrease kerning and tracking by five times Ctrl+Alt+
Increase or decrease baseline shift Alt+
Switch between Type and Vertical Type, Area Type and Vertical Area Type, and Path Type and Vertical Path Type tools Shift
Switch between Area Type and Path Type, Vertical Area Type and Vertical Path Type tools Alt
Create outlines Shift+Ctrl+O
Open the Character panel Ctrl+T
Open the Paragraph panel Alt+Ctrl+T
Open the Tabs panel Shift+Ctrl+T
Open the OpenType panel Alt+Shift+Ctrl+T
Insert bullets Alt+8
Insert copyright symbol Alt+G
Insert ellipsis Alt+;
Insert paragraph symbol Alt+7
Insert section symbol Alt+6
Insert trademark symbol Alt+2
Insert registered trademark symbol Alt+R
Superscript Shift+Ctrl+=
Subscript Alt+Shift+Ctrl+=
Insert em dash Alt+Shift+-
Insert en dash Alt+-
Insert discretionary hyphen Shift+Ctrl+-
Toggle auto-hyphenation Alt+Shift+Ctrl+H
Insert double left quotation marks Alt+[
Insert double right quotation marks Alt+Shift+[
Insert single left quotation marks Alt+]
Insert single right quotation marks Alt+Shift+]
Insert em space Shift+Ctrl+M
Insert en space Shift+Ctrl+N
Insert thin space Alt+Shift+Ctrl+M
Show hidden characters Alt+Ctrl+I

Use panels

Set options (except for Actions, Brushes, Swatches, and Symbols panels) Alt-click New button
Switch units of measurement Alt+Shift+Ctrl+U
Delete without confirmation (except for Layers panel) Alt+Delete
Apply value and keep text box active Shift+Enter
Select range of actions, brushes, layers, links, styles, or swatches Shift-click
Select noncontiguous actions, brushes, layers (same level only), links, styles, or swatches Ctrl-click
Show/Hide all panels Tab
Show/Hide all panels except the Tools panel and Control panel Shift+Tab
Increase/ decrease values in logical fractions of the measurement unit Ctrl+/
Increase/ decrease measurement unit by 10x /

Actions panel

Expand/Collapse entire hierarchy for action set Alt-click expansion triangle
Set options for action set Double-click folder icon
Play a single command Ctrl-click Play Current Selection button
Begin recording actions without confirmation Alt-click New Action button

Brushes panel

Open Brush Options dialog box Double-click brush
Duplicate brush Drag brush to New Brush button

Character and Paragraph panels

Open the Character panel Ctrl+T
Open the Paragraph panel Alt+Ctrl+T
Increase/decrease the selected value by a small increment /
Increase/decreases the selected value by a large increment /
Increase/decrease the selected value by a fraction Ctrl+/
Highlight the font name field in the Character panel Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F

Color panel

Select the complement for the current color fill/stroke Ctrl-click color bar
Change the nonactive fill/stroke Alt-click color bar
Select the complement for the nonactive fill/stroke Ctrl+Alt-click color bar
Select the inverse for the current fill/stroke Ctrl+Shift-click color bar
Select the inverse for the nonactive fill/stroke Ctrl+Shift+Alt-click color bar
Open Color Guide Shift+F3
Change the color mode Shift-click color bar
Move color sliders in tandem Shift-drag color slider
Switch between percentage and 0-255 values for RGB Double-click to right of a numerical field

Gradient panel

Duplicate color stops Alt-drag
Swap color stops Alt-drag color stop onto another stop
Apply swatch color to active (or selected) color stop Alt-click swatch in the Swatches panel
Reset the gradient fill to default black and white linear gradient Ctrl-click Gradient Fill box in the Gradient panel
Show/Hide gradient arrow Ctrl+Alt+G
Modify angle and end-point together Alt-drag End point of gradient annotator
Constrain Gradient tool or Gradient annotator while dragging Shift-drag
View Gradient annotator in selected gradient filled object G

Layers panel

Add a layer Ctrl+L
Add a layer while opening the New Layer dialog box Alt+Ctrl+L
Select all objects on the layer Alt-click layer name
Show/hide all layers but the selected one Alt-click eye icon
Select Outline/Preview view for the selected layer Ctrl-click eye icon
Selects Outline/Preview view for all other layers Ctrl+Alt-click eye icon
Lock/unlock all other layers Alt-click lock icon
Expand all sublayers to display entire hierarchy Alt-click expansion triangle
Set options as you create new layer Alt-click New Layer button
Set options as you create new sublayer Alt-click New Sublayer button
Place new sublayer at bottom of layer list Ctrl+Alt-click New Sublayer button
Place layer at top of layer list Ctrl-click New Layer button
Place layer below selected layer Ctrl+Alt-click New Layer button
Copy the selection to a layer, sublayer, or group Alt-drag selection

Swatches panel

Create new spot color Ctrl-click New Swatch button
Create new global process color Ctrl+Shift-click New Swatch button
Replace swatch with another Alt-drag a swatch over another

Transform panel

Apply a value and keep focus in edit field Shift+Enter
Apply a value and copy object Alt+Enter
Apply a value and scale option proportionately for width or height Ctrl+Enter

Transparency panel

Apply last effect to the selected object Shift+Ctrl+E
Apply last effect to the selected object by adjusting the values in the effects dialog box Alt+Shift+Ctrl+E
Change mask to grayscale image for editing Alt-click on mask thumbnail
Disable opacity mask Shift-click on mask thumbnail
Re-enable opacity mask Shift-click on disabled mask thumbnail
Increase/decrease opacity in 1% increments Click opacity field+/
Increase/decrease opacity in 10% increments Shift-click opacity field+/

Function keys

Invoke Help F1
Cut F2
Copy F3
Paste F4
Show/hide Brushes panel F5
Show/hide Color panel F6
Show/hide Layers panel F7
Create new symbol F8
Show/hide Info panel Ctrl+F8
Show/hide Gradient panel Ctrl+F9
Show/hide Stroke panel Ctrl+F10
Show/hide Attributes panel Ctrl+F11
Revert F12
Show/hide Graphic Styles panel Shift+F5
Show/hide Appearance panel Shift+F6
Show/hide Align panel Shift+F7
Show/hide Transform panel Shift+F8
Show/hide Pathfinder panel Shift+Ctrl+F9
Show/hide Transparency panel Shift+Ctrl+F10
Show/hide Symbols panel Shift+Ctrl+F11

Popular shortcuts

Redo Shift++Z
Cut +X
Copy +C
Paste +V
Paste in front +F
Paste at back +B
Paste in place Shift++B
Paste on all artboards Option+Shift++B
Check spelling +I
Open the Color Settings dialog box Shift++K
Open the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog box Option+Shift++K
Open the Preferences dialog box +K

Work with documents

Create a document +N
Create a document from a template Shift++N
Create a document without opening the New Document dialog box Option++N
Open a document +O
Place a file in the document Shift++P
Open the File Information dialog box Option+Shift++I
Open the Document Setup dialog box Option++P
Browse in Adobe Bridge Option++O
Close the document window +W
Save changes made to the document +S
Open the Save As dialog box Shift++S
Save a copy of the document Option++S
Save the document as script files +F12
Open the Export for screens dialog box Option++E
Open the Save For Web dialog box Option+Shift++S
Package the document Option+Shift++P
Print +P
Exit the application +Q

Select tools

Artboard tool Shift+O
Selection tool V
Direct Selection tool A
Magic Wand tool Y
Lasso tool Q
Pen tool P
Curvature tool Shift+~
Blob Brush tool Shift+B
Add Anchor Point tool +
Delete Anchor Point tool -
Switch to Anchor Point tool Shift+C
Type tool T
Touch Type tool Shift+T
Line Segment tool \
Rectangle tool M
Ellipse tool L
Paintbrush tool B
Pencil tool N
Shaper tool Shift+N
Rotate tool R
Reflect tool O
Scale tool S
Warp tool Shift+R
Width Tool Shift+W
Free Transform tool E
Shape Builder Tool Shift+M
Perspective Grid Tool Shift+P
Perspective Selection Tool Shift+V
Symbol Sprayer tool Shift+S
Column Graph tool J
Mesh tool U
Gradient tool G
Eyedropper tool I
Blend tool W
Live Paint Bucket tool K
Live Paint Selection tool Shift+L
Slice tool Shift+K
Eraser tool Shift+E
Scissors tool C
Hand tool H
Zoom tool Z
Switch to Smooth tool while using Blob Brush tool Option

View artwork

Toggle between screen modes: Normal Screen Mode, Full Screen Mode with Menu Bar, Full Screen Mode F
Fit imageable area in window Double-click Hand tool
Magnify 100% Double-click Zoom tool or press +1
Switch to Hand tool (when not in text-edit mode) Spacebar
Switch to Zoom tool in magnify mode Spacebar+
Switch to Zoom tool in reduce mode Spacebar++Option
Move Zoom marquee while dragging with the Zoom tool Spacebar
Hide bounding box Shift+Control+B
Hide unselected artwork +Option+Shift+3
Convert between horizontal and vertical guide Option-drag guide
Release guide +Shift-double-click guide
Show document template +H
Show/Hide artboards +Shift+H
Show/Hide artboard rulers +Option+R
Show transparency grid Shift++D
View all artboards in window +Option+0 (zero)
Paste in place on the active artboard +Shift+V
Exit Artboard tool mode Esc
Create artboard inside another artboard Shift-drag
Select multiple artboards in the Artboards panel +Click
Navigate to next document +F6
Navigate to previous document +Shift+F6
Navigate to next document group +Option+F6
Navigate to previous document group +Option+Shift+F6
Toggle between Outline and GPU Preview of the document +Y
Toggle between GPU and CPU Preview of the document +E
View the document in Overprint Preview mode Option+Shift++Y
View the document in Pixel Preview mode Option++Y
Exit Full Screen mode Esc
Zoom in +=
Zoom out +-
Hide guides +;
Lock guides Option++;
Make guides +5
Release guides Option+Ctrl+5
Show/ hide smart guides +U
Show/ hide perspective grid +Shift+I
Show grid +'
Snap to grid Shift++'
Snap to point Option++'

Work with selections

Switch to last-used selection tool (Selection tool, Direct Selection tool, or Group Selection tool) +`
Switch between Direct Selection tool and Group Selection tool Option
Add to a selection with Selection tool, Direct Selection tool, Group Selection tool, Live Paint Selection tool, or Magic Wand tool Shift-click
Subtract a selection with Selection tool, Direct Selection tool, Group Selection tool, or LIve Paint Selection tool Shift-click
Subtract from selection with Magic Wand tool Option-click
Add to selection with Lasso tool Shift-drag
Subtract from selection with Lasso tool Option-drag
Change pointer to cross hair for Lasso tool CapsLock
Select artwork in active artboard +Option+A
Select all +A
Deselect Shift++A
Reselect +6
Select the object above the current selection Option++]
Select the object below the current selection Option++
Select behind an object Press +Click twice
Select behind in isolation mode +Click twice
Group the selected artwork +G
Ungroup the selected artwork Shift++G
Lock a selection +2
Unlock a selection Option++2
Hide a selection +3
Show all selections Option++3
Move selection in user-defined increments
Move selection in 10x user-defined increments Shift+
Lock all deselected artwork +Option+Shift+2
Constrain movement to 45° angle (except when using Reflect tool) Hold down Shift
Bring a selection forward +]
Move a selection to the front Shift++]
Send a selection backward +[
Move a selection to the back Shift++[

Draw

Constrain a shape’s proportions or orientation to:

  • equal height and width for rectangles, rounded rectangles, ellipses, and grids

  • Increments of 45° for line and arc segments

  • Original orientation for polygons, stars, and flares

Shift-drag
Move a shape while drawing it Spacebar-drag
Draw from the center of a shape (except for polygons, stars, and flares) Option-drag
Increase or decrease polygon sides, star points, arc angle, spiral winds, or flare rays Start dragging, then press /
Keep the inner radius of a star constant Start dragging, then hold down
Keep the sides of a star straight Option-drag
Switch between an open and closed arc Start dragging, then hold down C
Flip an arc, keeping the reference point constant Start dragging, then hold down SF
Add or subtract winds from a spiral while increasing the length of the spiral Start dragging then Option-drag
Change the decay rate of a spiral Start dragging then -drag
Add or remove horizontal lines from a rectangular grid or concentric lines from a polar grid Start dragging, then press /
Add or remove vertical lines from a rectangular grid or radial lines from a polar grid Start dragging, then press /
Decrease the skew value for horizontal dividers in a rectangular grid or radial dividers in a polar grid by 10% Start dragging, then press F
Increase the skew value for horizontal dividers in a rectangular grid or radial dividers in a polar grid by 10% Start dragging, then press V
Decrease the skew value for vertical dividers in a rectangular grid or concentric dividers in a polar grid by 10% Start dragging, then press X
Increase the skew value for vertical dividers in a rectangular grid or concentric dividers in a polar grid by 10% Start dragging, then press C
Increase size of Blob Brush ]
Decrease size of Blob Brush [
Constrain Blob Brush path horizontally or vertically Shift
Switch through drawing modes Shift+D
Join two or more paths Select the paths, then press +J
Average two or more paths Select the paths, then press Option++J
Create corner or smooth join Select the anchor point, then press Shift++Option+J
Create a compound path +8
Release a compound path Option+Shift++8
Edit a pattern Shift++F8
Perspective Grid Tool Shift+P
Perspective Selection Tool Shift+V
Perspective Grid +Shift+I
Moving objects perpendicularly Press the number 5 key, then click and drag the object
Switching perspective planes Use the Perspective Selection tool and then press 1 for grid, 2 for horizontal grid, 3 for right grid, or 4 for no active grid
Copying objects in perspective +Alt+drag
Repeat transforming objects in perspective +D
Switching between drawing modes Shift+D

Edit shapes

Switch Pen tool to Convert Anchor Point tool Option
Switch between Add Anchor Point tool and Delete Anchor Point tool Option
Switch Scissors tool to Add Anchor Point tool Option
Switch Pencil tool to Smooth tool Option
Move current anchor point while drawing with Pen tool Spacebar-drag
Cut a straight line with Knife tool Option-drag
Cut at 45° or 90° with Knife tool Shift+Option-drag
Use shape mode buttons in Pathfinder panel to create compound paths Option+Shape mode
Erase unwanted closed regions created using Shape Builder tool Option+Click the closed region
Select the Shape Builder tool Shift+M
Display rectangular marquee to easily merge multiple paths (when using Shape Builder tool) Shift+Click+drag
Increase the intensity of symbols (when using Symbolism tool) Shift+}
Decrease the intensity of symbols (when using Symbolism tool) Shift+{
Blend objects Option++B
Finish adding objects to the blend Option+Shift++B
Distort objects using a warp-shaped envelope Option++Shift+W
Distort objects using a mesh as the shape of the envelope Option++M
Distort objects using another object as the shape of the envelope Option++C

Work with Live Paint groups

Switch to Eyedropper tool and sample fill and/or stroke Option-Click+Live Paint Bucket tool
Switch to Eyedropper tool and sample color from an image or intermediate color from a gradient Option+Shift-Click+Live Paint Bucket tool
Select opposite Live Paint Bucket tool options (if Paint Fills and Paint Strokes are currently selected, switch to Paint Fills only) Shift+Live Paint Bucket tool
Fill across unstroked edges into adjacent faces Double-Click+Live Paint Bucket tool
Fill all faces that have same fill and stroke all edges that have same stroke Triple-Click+Live Paint Bucket tool
Switch to Eyedropper tool and sample fill and/or stroke Option-Click+Live Paint Selection tool
Switch to Eyedropper tool and sample color from an image or intermediate color from a gradient Option+Shift-Click+Live Paint Selection tool
Add to/subtract from a selection Shift-Click+Live Paint Selection tool
Select all connected faces /edges with same fill/stroke Double-Click+Live Paint Selection tool
Select all faces/edges with same fill/stroke Triple-Click+Live Paint Selection tool

Work with objects

Set origin point and open dialog box when using Rotate tool, Scale tool, Reflect tool, or Shear tool Option-click
Duplicate and transform selection when using Selection tool, Scale tool, Reflect tool, or Shear tool Option-drag
Transform pattern (independent of object) when using Selection tool, Scale tool, Reflect tool, or Shear tool ~-drag
Reapply a transformation to an object +D
Apply last pathfinder effect to the selected object +4
Move an object Shift++M
Open the Transform Each dialog box Option+Shift++D
Make a clipping mask +7
Release a clipping mask Option++7
Toggle between fill and stroke X
Set fill and stroke to default D
Swap fill and stroke Shift+X
Select gradient fill mode >
Hide gradient annotator (when using the Gradient tool) Option++G
Select color fill mode <
Select no stroke/fill mode /
Sample color from an image or intermediate color from gradient Shift+Eyedropper tool
Sample style and append appearance of currently selected item Option+Shift-Click+Eyedropper tool
Add new fill +/
Add new stroke +Option+/
Reset gradient to black and white -click gradient button in Tools panel or Gradient panel
Make Live Paint (when using the Paint Bucket tool) Option++X
Decrease Bristle brush size [
Increase Bristle brush size ]

Create variable width points

Select multiple width points Shift+Click
Create non-uniform widths Option+drag
Create a copy of the width point Optionions+drag the width point
Change the position of multiple width points Shift+drag
Delete selected width point Delete
Deselect a width point Esc

Work with type

Move one character right or left /
Move up or down one line /
Move one word right or left +/
Move up or down one paragraph +/
Select one word right or left Shift++/
Select one paragraph before or after Shift++/
Extend existing selection Shift-click
Align paragraph left, right, or center +Shift+L, R, or C
Justify text left +Shift+J
Justify all lines Shift++F
Toggle line composer Option+Shift++
Insert soft return Shift+Return
Highlight kerning +Option+K
Reset horizontal scale to 100% +Shift+X
Increase or decrease font size +Shift+. or ,
Increase or decrease font size by steps Option++Shift+. or ,
Increase or decrease leading Option+
Select tracking value Option++K
Reset tracking/kerning to 0 +Option+Q
Increase or decrease kerning and tracking Option+
Increase or decrease kerning and tracking by five times +Option+
Increase or decrease baseline shift Option+
Switch between Type and Vertical Type, Area Type and Vertical Area Type, and Path Type and Vertical Path Type tools Shift
Switch between Area Type and Path Type, Vertical Area Type and Vertical Path Type tools Option
Create outlines Shift++O
Open the Character panel +T
Open the Paragraph panel Option++T
Open the Tabs panel Shift++T
Open the OpenType panel Option+Shift++T
Insert bullets Option+8
Insert copyright symbol Option+G
Insert ellipsis Option+;
Insert paragraph symbol Option+7
Insert section symbol Option+6
Insert trademark symbol Option+2
Insert registered trademark symbol Option+R
Superscript Shift++=
Subscript Alt+Shift+Ctrl+=
Insert em dash Option+Shift+-
Insert en dash Option+-
Insert discretionary hyphen Shift++-
Toggle auto-hyphenation Option+Shift++H
Insert double left quotation marks Option+[
Insert double right quotation marks Option+Shift+[
Insert single left quotation marks Option+]
Insert single right quotation marks Option+Shift+]
Insert em space Shift++M
Insert en space Shift++N
Insert thin space Option+Shift++M
Show hidden characters Option++I

Use panels

Set options (except for Actions, Brushes, Swatches, and Symbols panels) Option-click New button
Switch units of measurement Option+Shift++U
Delete without confirmation (except for Layers panel) Option-click Delete button
Apply value and keep text box active Shift+Return
Select range of actions, brushes, layers, links, styles, or swatches Shift-click
Select noncontiguous actions, brushes, layers (same level only), links, styles, or swatches -click
Show/Hide all panels Tab
Show/Hide all panels except the Tools panel and Control panel Shift+Tab
Increase/ decrease values in logical fractions of the measurement unit +/
Increase/ decrease measurement unit by 10x /

Actions panel

Expand/Collapse entire hierarchy for action set Option-click expansion triangle
Set options for action set Double-click folder icon
Play a single command -click Play Current Selection button
Begin recording actions without confirmation Option-click New Action button

Brushes panel

Open Brush Options dialog box Double-click brush
Duplicate brush Drag brush to New Brush button

Character and Paragraph panels

Open the Character panel +T
Open the Paragraph panel Option++T
Increase/decrease the selected value by a small increment /
Increase/decreases the selected value by a large increment /
Increase/decrease the selected value by a fraction +/
Highlight the font name field in the Character panel +Option+Shift+F

Color panel

Select the complement for the current color fill/stroke -click color bar
Change the nonactive fill/stroke Option-click color bar
Select the complement for the nonactive fill/stroke +Option-click color bar
Select the inverse for the current fill/stroke +Shift-click color bar
Select the inverse for the nonactive fill/stroke +Shift+Option-click color bar
Open Color Guide Shift+F3
Change the color mode Shift-click color bar
Move color sliders in tandem Shift-drag color slider
Switch between percentage and 0-255 values for RGB Double-click to right of a numerical field

Gradient panel

Duplicate color stops Option-drag
Swap color stops Option-drag color stop onto another color stop
Apply swatch color to active (or selected) color stop Option-click swatch in the Swatches panel
Reset the gradient fill to default black and white linear gradient -click Gradient Fill box in the Gradient panel
Show/Hide gradient arrow +Option+G
Modify angle and end-point together Option-drag End point of gradient annotator
Constrain Gradient tool or Gradient annotator while dragging Shift-drag
View Gradient annotator in selected gradient filled object G

Layers panel

Add a layer +L
Add a layer while opening the New Layer dialog box Option++L
Select all objects on the layer Option-click layer name
Show/hide all layers but the selected one Option-click eye icon
Select Outline/Preview view for the selected layer -click eye icon
Selects Outline/Preview view for all other layers +Option-click eye icon
Lock/unlock all other layers Option-click lock icon
Expand all sublayers to display entire hierarchy Option-click expansion triangle
Set options as you create new layer Option-click New Layer button
Set options as you create new sublayer Option-click New Sublayer button
Place new sublayer at bottom of layer list +Option-click New Sublayer button
Place layer at top of layer list -click New Layer button
Place layer below selected layer +Option-click New Layer button
Copy the selection to a layer, sublayer, or group Option-drag selection

Swatches panel

Create new spot color -click New Swatch button
Create new global process color +Shift-click New Swatch button
Replace swatch with another Option-drag a swatch over another

Transform panel

Apply a value and keep focus in edit field Shift+Return
Apply a value and copy object Option+Return
Apply a value and scale option proportionately for width or height +Return

Transparency panel

Apply last effect to the selected object Shift++E
Apply last effect to the selected object by adjusting the values in the effects dialog box Option+Shift++E
Change mask to grayscale image for editing Option-click on mask thumbnail
Disable opacity mask Shift-click on mask thumbnail
Re-enable opacity mask Shift-click on disabled mask thumbnail
Increase/decrease opacity in 1% increments Click opacity field+/
Increase/decrease opacity in 10% increments Shift-click opacity field+/

Function keys

Invoke Help F1
Cut F2
Copy F3
Paste F4
Show/hide Brushes panel F5
Show/hide Color panel F6
Show/hide Layers panel F7
Create new symbol F8
Show/hide Info panel +F8
Show/hide Gradient panel +F9
Show/hide Stroke panel +F10
Show/hide Attributes panel +F11
Revert F12
Show/hide Graphic Styles panel Shift+F5
Show/hide Appearance panel Shift+F6
Show/hide Align panel Shift+F7
Show/hide Transform panel Shift+F8
Show/hide Pathfinder panel Shift++F9
Show/hide Transparency panel Shift++F10
Show/hide Symbols panel Shift++F11