MEDIA 2DF3
Basic Adobe Illustrator Shortcuts
A quick reference guide to help you navigate and create efficiently in Adobe Illustrator — perfect for Project 1 workflows.
| Action |
Mac |
Windows |
| Selection Tool |
V |
V |
| Direct Selection Tool |
A |
A |
| Pen Tool |
P |
P |
| Rectangle Tool |
M |
M |
| Ellipse Tool |
L |
L |
| Line Segment Tool |
\ |
\ |
| Type Tool |
T |
T |
| Eyedropper Tool |
I |
I |
| Hand Tool |
Spacebar (hold) |
Spacebar (hold) |
| Zoom Tool |
Z |
Z |
🧭 Navigation & View
| Action |
Mac |
Windows |
| Zoom In |
Cmd + = |
Ctrl + = |
| Zoom Out |
Cmd + – |
Ctrl + – |
| Fit Artboard in Window |
Cmd + 0 |
Ctrl + 0 |
| Show/Hide Rulers |
Cmd + R |
Ctrl + R |
| Show/Hide Grid |
Cmd + ‘ |
Ctrl + ‘ |
| Show/Hide Guides |
Cmd + ; |
Ctrl + ; |
| Lock Guides |
Opt + Cmd + ; |
Alt + Ctrl + ; |
✏️ Editing & Object Control
| Action |
Mac |
Windows |
| Copy |
Cmd + C |
Ctrl + C |
| Paste |
Cmd + V |
Ctrl + V |
| Paste in Place |
Cmd + Shift + V |
Ctrl + Shift + V |
| Group |
Cmd + G |
Ctrl + G |
| Ungroup |
Cmd + Shift + G |
Ctrl + Shift + G |
| Bring to Front |
Shift + Cmd + ] |
Shift + Ctrl + ] |
| Send to Back |
Shift + Cmd + [ |
Shift + Ctrl + [ |
| Duplicate |
Opt + Drag |
Alt + Drag |
| Constrain Proportions |
Shift (while dragging) |
Shift (while dragging) |
✨ Tip: Hold Shift while drawing with shape tools (e.g., rectangles, ellipses) to maintain perfect proportions.
💾 File & Document
| Action |
Mac |
Windows |
| New Document |
Cmd + N |
Ctrl + N |
| Open File |
Cmd + O |
Ctrl + O |
| Save |
Cmd + S |
Ctrl + S |
| Save As |
Cmd + Shift + S |
Ctrl + Shift + S |
| Export |
Cmd + E |
Ctrl + E |