The best shortcuts in InDesign

5 min 
The best shortcuts in InDesign

Who doesn’t like to work quickly and easily? Even in InDesign There are a few tips here and there to make your work easier. One of them is Shortcuts! Keyboard shortcuts save you a lot of time, avoid lengthy searches and probably spare you a fair bit of frustration too. That’s exactly why we’ve provided you with these to help you with your Work in InDesign facilitate, a few Shortcuts for Windows and Mac In summary. You can find these listed here or Download our Cheat sheet as a PDF Download!

Commonly used shortcuts

With these general shortcuts, you can get any of your projects off the ground in record time. Whether you’re creating a new document for a Business card, Flyer or customised Invitation card aIf you want to create something – these keyboard shortcuts will help you work efficiently.

Keyboard shortcutWindowsmacOS
New documentCtrl + NCmd + N
Open documentCtrl + OCmd + O
SaveCtrl + SCmd + S
Save asShift + Ctrl + SShift + Cmd + S
Save copyCtrl + Alt + SCmd + Option + S
Add page numbersShift + Ctrl + Alt + NShift + Cmd + Option + N
Place photo/textCtrl + D Cmd + D
Show/hide guidesCtrl + ÜCmd + Ü
Align object to guidesShift + Ctrl + ÜShift + Cmd + Ü
Show/hide baseline gridCtrl + Alt + ßCmd + Option + ß
Show/hide document gridCtrl + ßCmd + ß
Align object to document gridShift + Ctrl + ßShift + Cmd + ß
Insert tableShift + Ctrl + Alt + TShift + Cmd + Option + T
Set up a tableShift + Ctrl + Alt + BShift + Cmd + Option + B

 

Shortcuts to the document

Keyboard shortcutWindowsmacOS  
Default settingsCtrl + KCmd + K  
PreviewWW  
New documentCtrl + NCmd + N  
Set up documentCtrl + Alt + PCmd + Option + P  
Add page numbersShift + Ctrl + Alt + NShift + Cmd + Option + N  
Place photo/textCtrl + D Cmd + D  
Show/hide rulersCtrl + RCmd + R  
Show/hide guidesCtrl + ÜCmd + Ü  
Show/hide baseline gridCtrl + Alt + ßCmd + Option + ß  
Zoom inCtrl + +Cmd + +  
Zoom outCtrl + -Cmd + -  
Show text concatenationCtrl + Alt + YCmd + Option + YWW
Home pageShift + Ctrl + Up ArrowShift + Cmd + Up Arrow  
Previous pageCtrl + Up ArrowCmd + Up Arrow  
Next pageCtrl + Down ArrowCmd + Down Arrow  
Previous pageShift + Ctrl + Down ArrowShift + Cmd + Down Arrow  
Fit print sheet into windowCtrl + Alt + O Cmd + Option + O  
Fit page to windowCtrl + OCmd + O  
Entire layout areaShift + Ctrl + Alt + OShift + Cmd + Option + O  
Custom work layout 1F5F5  
Custom layout 2F6F6  
Custom work layout 3F7F7  

 

Shortcuts in Tools

Keyboard shortcutWindowsmacOS  
Direct selection toolAA  
Selection toolVV  
Text toolTTt 
Text along a pathShift + TShift + T  
Line-drawing toolRelation symbols (“</>”)Relation symbols (“</>”)  
Marker penPP  
Coloured pencilNN  
Rectangular frameFF  
Rectangle toolMM  
Ellipse toolLL  
ScissorsCC  
Translate freelyEE  
RotateRR  
ScaleSS  
Gradient fill toolGG  
Soft-edge toolShift + GShift + G  
Pipette toolII  
Measuring toolKK  
Hand toolsSpace bar pressedSpace bar pressed  
Zoom toolZZ  
Show/hide baseline gridCtrl + Alt + ßCmd + Option + ß  

 

Shortcuts in the layout

A clean layout is essential. This is particularly true for complex projects such as Company reports or product catalogues Structured designs really come into their own here. Once you’ve completed these projects, we’ll take care of the rest – from precise printing to the best possible binding.

Keyboard shortcutWindowsmacOS
CopyCtrl + CCmd + C
Insert Ctrl + VCmd + V 
Paste unformattedShift + Ctrl + VShift + Cmd + V 
Insert an original itemShift + Ctrl + Alt + VShift + Cmd + Option + V 
Add to selectionCtrl + Alt + VCmd + Option + V 
Centre contentShift + Ctrl + EShift + Cmd + E
Scale frames proportionallyShift + mouse pointerShift + mouse pointer
Scale frame and contentCtrl + mouse pointerCmd + mouse pointer
Scale the frame and content proportionallyShift + Ctrl + mouse pointerShift + Cmd + mouse pointer
Adjust frame to fit contentCtrl + Alt + CCmd + Option + C
Adjust content to fit the frameCtrl + Alt + ECmd + Option + E
Adjust content proportionally to fit the frameShift + Ctrl + Alt + EShift + Cmd + Option + E
Fill frame proportionallyShift + Ctrl + Alt + CShift + Cmd + Option + C
Centre contentShift + Ctrl + EShift + Cmd + E
Text box options Ctrl + BCmd + B
GroupCtrl + GCmd + G
UngroupShift + Ctrl + GShift + Cmd + G
Lock positionCtrl + LCmd + L
Unlock positionCtrl + Alt + LCmd + Option + L
Column breakEnterEnter
Line breakShift + EnterShift + Enter
Page breakCtrl + EnterCmd + Enter
Hard line breakShift + EnterShift + Enter
In the foregroundShift + Ctrl + ÄShift + Cmd + Ä
Step by step Ctrl + ÄCmd + Ä
Step by step backCtrl + ÖCmd + Ö
In the backgroundShift + Ctrl + ÖShift + Cmd + Ö
Select the next item above this oneAlt + Ctrl + ÄAlt + Cmd + Ä
Select the next item belowAlt + Ctrl + ÖAlt + Cmd + Ö

 

Shortcuts in Text & Typography

Keyboard shortcutWindowsmacOS  
Search/ReplaceCtrl + FCmd + F  
Search furtherShift + Ctrl + FShift + Cmd + F  
Spell checkCtrl + Alt + 7Cmd + Option + 7t 
Select allCtrl + ACmd + A  
Clear selectionShift + Ctrl + AShift + Cmd + A  
Redefining paragraph formattingShift + Ctrl + Alt + RShift + Cmd + Option + R  
Redefine character formatShift + Ctrl + Alt + CShift + Cmd + Option + C  
Paragraph formatsCtrl + F11Cmd + F11  
Character formatsShift + Ctrl + F11Shift + Cmd + F11  
New sales formatF10F10  
New character formatF11F11  
Show hidden charactersCtrl + Alt + ICmd + Option + I  
CharactersCtrl + TCmd + T  
ParagraphCtrl + Alt + TCmd + Option + T  
Align to the base gridShift + Ctrl + Alt + GShift + Cmd + Option + G  
Align to the leftShift + Ctrl + LShift + Cmd + L  
Align to the rightShift + Ctrl + RShift + Cmd + R  
CentreShift + Ctrl + CShift + Cmd + C  
Justified textShift + Ctrl + LShift + Cmd + LWW
Increase font sizeShift + Ctrl + .Shift + Cmd + .  
Reduce font sizeShift + Ctrl + ,Shift + Cmd + ,  
Increase line spacingAlt + Down Arrow keyOption + Down Arrow key  
Decrease line spacingAlt + Up Arrow keyOption + Up Arrow key  
Increase print runAlt + Right Arrow keyOption + Right Arrow key  
Reduce print runAlt + Left Arrow keyOption + Left Arrow key  
QuartShift + Ctrl + MShift + Cmd + M  
Half-pageShift + Ctrl + NShift + Cmd + N  
Protected spaceCtrl + Alt + XCmd + Option + X  
Capital lettersShift + Ctrl + KShift + Cmd + K  
Small capital lettersShift + Ctrl + HShift + Cmd + H  
SuperscriptShift + Ctrl + +Shift + Cmd + +  
SubscriptShift + Ctrl + Alt + GShift + Cmd + Option + G  
BoldShift + Ctrl + BShift + Cmd + B  
ItalicShift + Ctrl + IShift + Cmd + I  
UnderlinedShift + Ctrl + UShift + Cmd + U  
StrikethroughShift + Ctrl + #Shift + Cmd + #  
SpacingShift + Ctrl + Alt + JShift + Cmd + Option + J  
Layout optionsCtrl + Alt + KCmd + Option + K  
InitialsShift + Alt + RShift + Option + R  
Paragraph linesCtrl + Alt + JCmd + Option + J  
Select text up to the start of the lineShift + Up ArrowShift + Up Arrow  
Select text up to the end of the lineShift + Down ArrowShift + Down Arrow  

 

Shortcuts for tables

Keyboard shortcutWindowsmacOS  
TabsShift + Ctrl + TShift + Cmd + T  
Insert tableShift + Ctrl + Alt + TShift + Cmd + Option + Tt 
Set up a tableShift + Ctrl + Alt + BShift + Cmd + Option + B  
Cell optionsCtrl + Alt + BCmd + Option + B  
Line breakTab keyTab key  
Jump to line on the rightRight arrow keyRight arrow key  
Jump to line on the leftLeft arrow keyLeft arrow key  
Jump to the line aboveUp arrow keyUp arrow key  
Jump to the line belowDown arrow keyDown arrow keyWW
Select columnCtrl + Alt + 3Cmd + Option + 3  
Select tableCtrl + Alt + 3Cmd + Option + 3  
Select rowCtrl + 3Cmd + 3  
Select cellCtrl + #Cmd + #  
Insert columnCtrl + Alt + 9Cmd + Option + 9  
Insert lineAlt + 9Option + 9  

 

Shortcuts for exporting

Keyboard shortcutWindowsmacOS
Print document Ctrl + PCmd + P
Export documentCtrl + ECmd + E
File informationShift + Ctrl + Alt + IShift + Cmd + Option + I
Perform a pre-flight check to verify embedded linksShift + Ctrl + Alt + FShift + Cmd + Option + F
PackagingShift + Ctrl + Alt + PShift + Cmd + Option + P
Quick viewShift + Ctrl + Alt + ZShift + Cmd + Option + Z
Typical displayCtrl + Alt + FCmd + Option + F
High-quality displayShift + Ctrl + Alt + HShift + Cmd + Option + H

 

Changing shortcuts in InDesign

Would you like to set up your own shortcuts? It’s really easy to do in InDesign. In the ‘Edit’ menu, you’ll find ‘Keyboard Shortcuts’. Clicking this opens a window where you can customise the keyboard shortcuts and create new ones! Under ‘Product Area’, select the area where the function you wish to assign a shortcut to is located. Select the area and then search for the function in the list. Click on the function to display ‘Current Keyboard Shortcuts’ at the bottom. Below the current shortcuts, you’ll find a field labelled “New Keyboard Shortcut”; here, you can enter your own shortcut and click “Assign”. Your shortcut will now also appear in the list of current keyboard shortcuts. You’re welcome to select any unwanted shortcuts and simply click ‘Remove’ on the right. 

Change_shortcuts_InDesign

 

From design to product

So it’s fair to say: using the right shortcuts in InDesign saves an incredible amount of time. Whether Folder or high-quality Signs – we bring your designs to life as printed products. See for yourself how easy it is to create professional layouts! Discover our Calendar templates for InDesign, to design a professional and fully personalised planner.