InDesign keyboard shortcuts for faster print work

The shortcuts worth learning are the ones that keep your attention on the page: moving between tools, seeing the whole spread, correcting type and preparing a file for press. This is the current everyday set for print designers—not an overwhelming list of every command in InDesign.

Using this guide — Cmd means Command on macOS; Ctrl means Control on Windows. Most single-key tool shortcuts are the same on both platforms. Shortcuts can be changed by a custom shortcut set, so check Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts if one behaves differently.

Action	macOS	Windows
Selection tool	`V` or `Esc`	`V` or `Esc`
Direct Selection tool	`A`	`A`
Hand tool	`H`	`H`
Temporarily pan	`Spacebar`	`Spacebar`
Zoom tool	`Z`	`Z`
Zoom in temporarily	`Cmd + Spacebar`	`Ctrl + Spacebar`
Zoom out temporarily	`Option + Cmd + Spacebar`	`Alt + Ctrl + Spacebar`
Actual size	`Cmd + 1`	`Ctrl + 1`
Fit page in window	`Cmd + 0`	`Ctrl + 0`
Zoom to 50%, 200% or 400%	`Cmd + 5`, `2` or `4`	`Ctrl + 5`, `2` or `4`
Toggle normal and preview view	`W`	`W`
Hide or show panels	`Tab`	`Tab`
Hide or show panels, keeping Tools visible	`Shift + Tab`	`Shift + Tab`

Tools and drawing

Action	macOS	Windows
Type tool	`T`	`T`
Type on a Path tool	`Shift + T`	`Shift + T`
Pen tool	`P`	`P`
Pencil / Note tool	`N`	`N`
Line tool	`\`	`\`
Rectangle Frame tool	`F`	`F`
Rectangle tool	`M`	`M`
Ellipse tool	`L`	`L`
Rotate tool	`R`	`R`
Scale tool	`S`	`S`
Free Transform tool	`E`	`E`
Eyedropper tool	`I`	`I`
Scissors tool	`C`	`C`
Gradient tool	`G`	`G`

Selecting and arranging objects

Action	macOS	Windows
Select all	`Cmd + A`	`Ctrl + A`
Deselect all	`Shift + Cmd + A`	`Shift + Ctrl + A`
Duplicate selection	`Option-drag`	`Alt-drag`
Duplicate and constrain to an axis	`Option + Shift-drag`	`Alt + Shift-drag`
Constrain proportions while scaling	`Shift-drag a handle`	`Shift-drag a handle`
Select the next object below a stack	`Cmd-click` repeatedly	`Ctrl-click` repeatedly
Select back up through a stack	`Cmd + Option-click`	`Ctrl + Alt-click`
Group selected objects	`Cmd + G`	`Ctrl + G`
Ungroup selected objects	`Shift + Cmd + G`	`Shift + Ctrl + G`
Lock selected objects	`Cmd + L`	`Ctrl + L`
Unlock all on spread	`Option + Cmd + L`	`Alt + Ctrl + L`
Bring to front	`Shift + Cmd + ]`	`Shift + Ctrl + ]`
Send to back	`Shift + Cmd + [`	`Shift + Ctrl + [`

Frames, images and colour

Action	macOS	Windows
Toggle container/text formatting target	`J`	`J`
Toggle fill and stroke	`X`	`X`
Swap fill and stroke	`Shift + X`	`Shift + X`
Apply the active colour	`,`	`,`
Apply a gradient	`.`	`.`
Apply None	`/`	`/`
Fit content proportionally	`Shift + Cmd + Option + E`	`Shift + Ctrl + Alt + E`
Fill frame proportionally	`Shift + Cmd + Option + C`	`Shift + Ctrl + Alt + C`
Fit frame to content	`Cmd + Option + C`	`Ctrl + Alt + C`
Fit content to frame	`Cmd + Option + E`	`Ctrl + Alt + E`

Type, text flow and styles

Action	macOS	Windows
Find / Change	`Cmd + F`	`Ctrl + F`
Find next	`Shift + F2`	`Shift + F2`
Forced line break	`Shift + Return`	`Shift + Enter`
Column break	`Enter` on numeric keypad	`Enter` on numeric keypad
Frame break	`Shift + Enter` on numeric keypad	`Shift + Enter` on numeric keypad
Page break in threaded text	`Cmd + Return`	`Ctrl + Enter`
Increase point size	`Shift + Cmd + >`	`Shift + Ctrl + >`
Decrease point size	`Shift + Cmd + <`	`Shift + Ctrl + <`
Increase leading	`Option + Down Arrow`	`Alt + Down Arrow`
Decrease leading	`Option + Up Arrow`	`Alt + Up Arrow`
Increase kerning/tracking	`Option + Right Arrow`	`Alt + Right Arrow`
Decrease kerning/tracking	`Option + Left Arrow`	`Alt + Left Arrow`
Apply Paragraph Style panel	`Cmd + F11`	`Ctrl + F11`
Apply Character Style panel	`Shift + Cmd + F11`	`Shift + Ctrl + F11`

Pages, panels and document housekeeping

Action	macOS	Windows
Open Pages panel	`Cmd + F12`	`Ctrl + F12`
Open Swatches panel	`F5`	`F5`
Open Preferences	`Cmd + K`	`Ctrl + K`
Save	`Cmd + S`	`Ctrl + S`
Save As	`Shift + Cmd + S`	`Shift + Ctrl + S`
Place a file	`Cmd + D`	`Ctrl + D`
Export	`Cmd + E`	`Ctrl + E`
Package	`Option + Shift + Cmd + P`	`Alt + Shift + Ctrl + P`
Print	`Cmd + P`	`Ctrl + P`
Undo	`Cmd + Z`	`Ctrl + Z`
Redo	`Shift + Cmd + Z`	`Shift + Ctrl + Z`

Guides, grids and output checks

Action	macOS	Windows
Select all ruler guides on the spread	`Cmd + Option + G`	`Ctrl + Alt + G`
Snap a new ruler guide to a tick mark	Hold `Shift` while dragging	Hold `Shift` while dragging
Create vertical and horizontal guides together	`Cmd-drag` from the ruler origin	`Ctrl-drag` from the ruler origin
Lock selected text to the baseline grid	`Cmd + Option + Shift + G`	`Ctrl + Alt + Shift + G`
Toggle Overprint Preview	`Cmd + Option + Shift + Y`	`Ctrl + Alt + Shift + Y`
Show Cyan plate in Separations Preview	`Cmd + Option + Shift + 1`	`Ctrl + Alt + Shift + 1`
Show Magenta plate in Separations Preview	`Cmd + Option + Shift + 2`	`Ctrl + Alt + Shift + 2`
Show Yellow plate in Separations Preview	`Cmd + Option + Shift + 3`	`Ctrl + Alt + Shift + 3`
Show Black plate in Separations Preview	`Cmd + Option + Shift + 4`	`Ctrl + Alt + Shift + 4`

Make the list your own

The default set is only a starting point. InDesign lets you search every command, make a custom set and share that set with people on the same platform. Open Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts, choose a product area or search by command name, then use Show Set to generate a printable list of the shortcuts that apply to your installation.

That is the only truly complete list: it includes your version, operating system and any custom shortcuts your team uses. For Adobe’s current reference and instructions for managing shortcut sets, see Adobe’s InDesign keyboard-shortcuts guide.