Imagine you're in the middle of a creative flow, your ideas are pouring out of you and you want to get everything done quickly and efficiently. That's where the keyboard shortcuts for Affinity Designer come in. They are like the turbo for your design process!
By using keyboard shortcuts, you not only reduce the time you spend clicking and searching in the menu, but also significantly increase your productivity. It's like learning a new language that lets you communicate more directly and intuitively with your tool.
But it's not just about speed. It's also about creating a smoother, more seamless workflow where you focus less on the 'how' and more on the 'what'. You'll find that using keyboard shortcuts will get you to the functions you use most quickly, creating a workflow that's as unique as your creations.
In this help article, we'll guide you through the most important keyboard shortcuts in Affinity Designer. Get ready to increase your efficiency and take your design work to the next level!
Table of Contents
Shortcuts for work steps
Action
Key
Restrict object movement to horizontal, vertical or diagonal
Shift-drag
Select multiple objects
Shift-click
Select the overlapped object
Alt-click
Toggle selection box
.
Change the opacity for a selected layer (or the brush tools in the pixel persona)
Number keys (4 = 40 %, 43 = 43 %, etc.)
Erase with the pixel tool (pixel persona only)
Ctrl
Switch between the color selectors for outline/fill (or color 1/color 2) in the "Color" and "Color fields" panel
X
Swap the color selectors for outline/fill (or color 1/color 2)
Shift+X
Set the color selectors for outline/fill (or color 1/color 2) to "Without fill"
/ (only for international and selected keyboards)
Change the attribute displayed in a panel or dialog box
Drag on the text label of the attribute
Switch magnetic alignment on/off
;
Action (drawing curves)
button
Edit lines or brush strokes while drawing/painting
Ctrl
Create a pointed node (sharp corners)
Alt-drag the handle
Align the handle of a line in 45° increments
Shift-drag the handle
Create a straight line segment while you are drawing
Drag + right-click
Action (curve editing with the node tool)
button
Convert to smooth node
Right-click
Convert to point node
Alt-click
Select the next node of a curve
]
Select the previous node of a curve
[
Straighten a segment
Alt-click on a segment
Delete a segment
Ctrl-click on a segment
Action (Transform)
key
Restricted movement horizontally, vertically or diagonally
Shift-drag
Rotate in steps of 15 degrees
Shift-drag the rotation/corner handle
Rotate around the opposite corner
Drag the corner handle and hold the right mouse button.
Canceling a scaling, shifting or creation of content
ESC
Scaling vector objects without changing the aspect ratio
Shift-drag from a corner handle
Change the object size from its center point
Ctrl-drag from a corner handle
Mirrored tilting
Ctrl-drag
Move step by step1
Arrow keys
Move step by step (by the modified distance)1
Shift+ Arrow keys
1 The distance for the incremental shift can be adjusted via Edit > Settings > Tools.
Action (painting)
key
Reduce/increase the brush width (only in the pixel persona)
] [
Reduce/enlarge brush width with screen display
Ctrl+ Alt-drag (left/right)
Decrease/increase brush hardness with screen display (pixel persona only)
Ctrl+ Alt-drag (up/down)
Painting a brushstroke along a straight line
Click and then click with the Shift key
Switching the brush properties (for width, hardness, shape/spacing or rotation):
Ctrl+ Alt + left-click
Setting the brush properties on the page (after setting the previously mentioned "switch option")
For width: Ctrl + Alt + left click + drag (left/right)
For hardness: Ctrl + Alt+ left-click + drag (up/down)
For the shape of the brush tip: Ctrl + Alt+ left-click + drag (left/right)
For the distance of the brush tip: Ctrl + Alt+ left-click + drag (up/down)
For the rotation of the brush tip: Ctrl + Alt+ left-click + drag (left/right)
Shortcuts for files
Action
button
New document
Ctrl + N
New from clipboard
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + N
Open document
Ctrl + O
Close document/close program (if no document is open)
Ctrl + W
Change document/view
Ctrl + Tab
Save document
Ctrl + S
Save as
Ctrl + Shift + S
Export
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + S
Document settings
Ctrl + Shift + P
Print
Ctrl + P
Shortcuts for tools
Action (General and Designer Persona)
key
Fill tool
G
The "Transparency" tool
Y
The "Move" tool
V
Node tool
A
Point transformation" tool
F
View tool
H
Outline tool
O
Corner tool
C
Drawing pen
P
Pencil
N
The zoom tool
Z
The vector brush
B
Switch between rectangle, ellipse and rounded rectangle
M
Switch between the "Graphic text" and "Frame text" tools
T
Color pipette
I
Action (only for Pixel Persona)
button
Switch between the paint brush and the pixel tool
B
Eraser
E
Selection brush
W
Switch between the selection tools with selection frame
M
Freehand selection
L
Switch between the "Dodge" and "Burn" tools
O
Fill tool
G
Action (only for export persona)
button
Slice tool
S
Slice selection" tool
L
Shortcuts for editing
Action
button
Undo
Ctrl + Z
Redo
Ctrl + Y
Transfer style
Ctrl + Shift + V
Transfer effect
Alt + Shift + V
Paste within
Ctrl + Alt + V
Paste without format
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + V
Shortcuts for working with objects
Action
Key
Group
Ctrl + G
Ungroup objects
Ctrl + Shift + G
Duplicate
Ctrl + J
All the way to the front
Ctrl + Shift + ]
One forward
Ctrl + ]
All the way back
Ctrl + Shift + [
One to the back
Ctrl + [
Move in
Ctrl + Alt + G
Move out
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + G
Show all
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + H
Protect
Ctrl + L
Unprotect
Ctrl + Shift + L
Unprotect all
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + L
New pixel layer
Ctrl + Shift + N
Convert to curves
Ctrl + Enter
Action
key
Open "Character" panel
Ctrl + T
Open "Typography" panel
Ctrl + Shift + T
Spelling options
Ctrl + Shift + ;
Action (navigation)
key
Moves the insertion point one character to the left
Left arrow key
Moves the insertion point one character to the right
Right arrow key
Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the word
Ctrl + Left arrow key
Moves the insertion point to the end of the word
Ctrl + Right arrow key
Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the line
Pos1
Moves the insertion point to the end of the line
End
Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the text frame
Ctrl + Pos1
Moves the insertion point to the end of the text frame
Ctrl + End
Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the current paragraph
Ctrl + Up Arrow key
Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph
Ctrl + Down Arrow key
To select the text between the start and end position of the insertion point when moving the insertion point, hold down the key at the same time.
Action (delete)
key
Deletes the character to the left of the insertion point
Backspace key
Deletes the character to the right of the insertion point
Delete
Deletes from the insertion point to the beginning of the word
Ctrl + Backspace
Deletes from the insertion point to the end of the word
Ctrl + Delete
Deletes from the insertion point to the beginning of the line
Ctrl + Shift + Backspace
Deletes from the insertion point to the end of the paragraph
Ctrl + Shift + Del
Action (formatting)
key
Larger text
Ctrl + >
Smaller text
Ctrl + <
Enlarge text precisely
Ctrl + Alt + >
Reduce text precisely
Ctrl + Alt + <
Bold
Ctrl + B
Italicize
Ctrl + I
Underline
Ctrl + U
Superscript
Ctrl + Shift + =
Subscript
Ctrl + Alt + -
Align left
Ctrl + Alt + L
Center
Ctrl + Alt + C
Align right
Ctrl + Alt + R
Justify left
Ctrl + Alt + |
Action (Typography)
key
Narrower (spacing; steps of 10 ‰)
Alt + Left
Further (distance; steps of 10 ‰)
Alt + Right
Even closer (distance; steps of 50 ‰)
Alt + Shift + Left
Further (distance; steps of 50 ‰)
Alt + Shift + Right
Raise baseline
Alt + Shift + Up
Lower baseline
Alt + Shift + Down
Raise baseline precisely
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + Up
Lower baseline precisely
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + Down
Increase paragraph indent
Alt + Up
Decrease paragraph indent
Alt + Down
Increase paragraph indent precisely
Ctrl + Alt + Down
Decrease paragraph indent precisely
Ctrl + Alt + Up
Action (special characters)
key
Line change
Shift + Enter
Protected space
Alt + Space
Protected separator
Alt + Ctrl + -
Bisector
Alt + -
Square stroke
Alt + Shift + -
Shortcuts for the view
Action
key
Rotate the document view
Alt + Rotate mouse wheel
Reset rotation of the document view
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + R
Rotate around the center of the document view
Shift + Alt + Rotate mouse wheel
Rotate document view faster
Ctrl + Rotate
Zoom in
Ctrl + =
Zoom out
Ctrl + -
Zoom to fit
Ctrl + 0
Zoom to selection
Ctrl + Alt + 0
Zoom to 100%
Ctrl + 1
Zoom to 200
Ctrl + 2
Zoom to 400
Ctrl + 3
Zoom to 800
Ctrl + 4
Zoom to actual size
Ctrl + 8
Zoom to pixel size
Ctrl + 9
Zoom by shortcut
Space + Ctrl-drag
Zoom in with shortcut
Space + Ctrl-click
Zoom out via shortcut
Spacebar +Alt-click
Zoom in with shortcut (selection frame)
Spacebar +Alt-drag
Pan using shortcut
Space bar
Scroll vertically (up/down)
Mouse wheel
Scroll horizontally (left/right)
Shift + mouse wheel
Show rulers
Ctrl + R
Show guides
Ctrl + ;
Show grid
Ctrl + '
Switch between projection planes of a grid
'
Wireframe view
Ctrl + Y
Pixel view
Ctrl + Alt + Y
Retina pixel view
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + Y
Split view on/off
,
Switch to next view
`
Limit on the canvas
\
Isolate an object
Alt-click on layer thumbnail in the "Layers" panel
Shortcuts for selection
Action
button
Select all
Ctrl + A
Deselect
Ctrl + D
Invert pixel selection
Ctrl + Shift + I
Select next
Ctrl + Alt + ]
Select previous
Ctrl + Alt + [
Move selection step by step
Arrow keys
Move selection step by step with modifier
Shift + arrow keys
Selection from layer
Ctrl-click on layer thumbnail
Create selection from layer brightness
Ctrl + Shift-click on layer thumbnail
Add/remove to/from an object selection (by clicking on the object)
Shift + click ("Move" tool)
Add/remove to/from an object selection (when the selection frame completely encloses the object)
Shift + drag ("Move" tool)
Add/remove to/from an object selection (if the selection frame only partially overlaps the object)
Drag with the left mouse button and then hold the right mouse button ("Move" tool)
Add to pixel selection
Ctrl + Alt-drag (freehand selection and selection frame tools)
Subtract from pixel selection
Alt-drag (freehand selection and selection frame tools)
Shortcuts for the workspace
Action
button
Show/hide studio
Ctrl + Shift + H
Show/hide toolbar
Ctrl + Alt + T
Show/hide program interface
Tab
Various shortcuts
Action
Key
Program settings
Ctrl + ,
Gradation curves (adjustment)
Ctrl + M
Black and white (adjustment)
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + B
10 helpful tips and tricks for Affinity Designer
Use of vector layers : Use vector layers for clean, scalable designs. Unlike pixels, vectors stay sharp with every resize.
Customizable workspaces : Set up your workspace to fit your needs. You can arrange toolbars and panels individually to optimize your workflow.
Use of artboards : Artboards are ideal for managing different designs within one file. They are ideal for creating design variants or multi-page documents.
Symbol function for efficient design : Create symbols from recurring design elements. Changes to one symbol are automatically applied to all instances.
Use of the corner tool : With the corner tool, you can easily adjust the corners of vector shapes to create rounded, beveled or other corner styles.
Dynamic Shapes for flexible shape design : Use Dynamic Shapes to quickly and easily customize shapes without having to start from scratch every time.
Advanced alignment and distribution options : Use the extensive alignment and distribution tools to precisely arrange elements.
Pixel persona for pixel-based editing : Switch to the pixel persona to make pixel-based edits without leaving Affinity Designer.
Use layer masks and effects : Layer masks and non-destructive effects allow you to make versatile edits and adjustments without altering the original material.
Shortcuts and key combinations : Learn the keyboard shortcuts for the most common actions. They save time and make the workflow much easier.
709, 693, 1060,791
Shortcuts for Affinity Designer - Keyboard shortcuts at a glance
Together with his brother Matthias, Stefan Petri runs the popular specialist forum PSD-Tutorials.de and the e-learning platform TutKit.com, which focuses on the training and further education of digital professional skills.
