130+ Adobe InDesign Keyboard Shortcuts (Windows & Mac)
If you work with Adobe InDesign regularly, memorizing the right keyboard shortcuts can save you hours every week. Instead of digging through menus, Adobe InDesign shortcuts let you format text, manage pages, switch tools, and control layouts instantly. Whether you’re designing magazines, brochures, ebooks, or social media layouts, knowing the correct InDesign shortcut keys makes your workflow faster and more accurate.
Table of Contents
- 1 Top 10 Most Used Adobe InDesign Shortcuts
- 2 Formatting InDesign Shortcuts (Windows & Mac)
- 3 File Menu InDesign Shortcut Keys
- 4 Edit Menu InDesign Shortcut Keys
- 5 Layout Menu InDesign Shortcut Keys
- 6 Object Menu InDesign Shortcut Keys
- 7 View Menu InDesign Shortcut Keys
- 8 Panels Shortcuts in InDesign
- 9 Type Menu InDesign Shortcut Keys
- 10 InDesign Tools Shortcuts (Selection, Type, etc.)
- 11 Zoom Shortcuts in InDesign (Windows & Mac)
- 12 Adobe InDesign Shortcuts FAQs
This guide covers the most useful Adobe InDesign keyboard shortcuts for both Windows and Mac users. You’ll find shortcuts for tools, text formatting, object alignment, pages, and common actions designers use daily. If you’re a beginner, these shortcuts will help you get comfortable with InDesign faster. If you’re an experienced designer, they’ll help you work more efficiently and avoid repetitive clicks.
Bookmark this page and use it as a quick reference whenever you’re working in InDesign.
Who should use this page?
This shortcut guide is useful for beginners learning InDesign, designers working on magazines or brochures, and professionals who want to speed up their layout workflow.
Top 10 Most Used Adobe InDesign Shortcuts
These are the most commonly used Adobe InDesign shortcuts that designers rely on daily. If you remember only a few shortcuts, start with these.
| Action | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Selection Tool | V | V |
| Direct Selection Tool | A | A |
| Type Tool | T | T |
| Zoom In | Ctrl + = | Command + = |
| Zoom Out | Ctrl + – | Command + – |
| Fit Page in Window | Ctrl + 0 | Command + 0 |
| Place File | Ctrl + D | Command + D |
| Save Document | Ctrl + S | Command + S |
| Undo Last Action | Ctrl + Z | Command + Z |
| Preview Mode | W | W |
If you’re exploring other layout tools, check out our detailed guide on Adobe InDesign Alternatives to compare similar design software.
Formatting InDesign Shortcuts (Windows & Mac)
| Action | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Increase font size | Ctrl + Shift + > | Command + Shift + > |
| Decrease font size | Ctrl + Shift + < | Command + Shift + < |
| Flush left | Ctrl + Shift + L | Command + Shift + L |
| Flush Right | Ctrl + Shift + R | Command + Shift + R |
| Center | Ctrl + Shift + C | Command + Shift + C |
| Justify | Ctrl + Shift + J | Command + Shift + J |
| Bold | Ctrl + Shift + B | Command + Shift + B |
| Italic | Ctrl + Shift + I | Command + Shift + I |
| Underline | Ctrl + Shift + U | Command + Shift + U |
File Menu InDesign Shortcut Keys
| Action | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| New file | Ctrl + N | Command + N |
| Open file | Ctrl + O | Command + O |
| Close window | Ctrl + W | Command + W |
| Open in bridge | Ctrl + Alt + O | Command + Option + O |
| Place | Ctrl + D | Command + D |
| Save | Ctrl + S | Command + S |
| Save as | Ctrl + Shift + S | Command + Shift + S |
| Ctrl + P | Command + P | |
| Page Setup | Ctrl + Alt + P | Command + Option + P |
| Package | Ctrl + Shift + Alt + P | Command + Shift + Option + P |
| Quit Application | Ctrl + Q | Command + Q |
| Export | Ctrl + E | Command + E |
Edit Menu InDesign Shortcut Keys
| Action | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Undo | Ctrl + Z | Command + Z |
| Redo | Ctrl + Shift + Z | Command + Shift + Z |
| Cut | Ctrl + X | Command + X |
| Copy | Ctrl + C | Command + C |
| Paste | Ctrl + V | Command + V |
| Paste without Formatting | Ctrl + Shift + V | Command + Shift + V |
| Select all | Ctrl + A | Command + A |
| Deselect all | Ctrl + Shift + A | Command + Shift + A |
| Find/change | Ctrl + F | Command + F |
| Check to spell | Ctrl + I | Command + I |
| Paste in place | Ctrl + Shift + Alt + V | Command + Shift + Option + V |
| Paste info | Ctrl + Alt + V | Command + Option + V |
| Duplicate | Ctrl + Shift + Alt + D | Command + Shift + Option + D |
| Edit in story editor | Ctrl + Y | Command + Y |
| Check out | Ctrl + F9 | Command + F9 |
| Check-in | Ctrl + Shift + F9 | Command + Shift + F9 |
| Update content | Ctrl + F5 | Command + F5 |
| Quick Apply | Ctrl + Enter | Command + Return |
Layout Menu InDesign Shortcut Keys
| Action | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Go to page | Ctrl + J | Command + J |
| Add page | Ctrl + Shift + P | Command + Shift + P |
| Previous spread | Alt + Page Up | Option + Page Up |
| Next spread | Alt + Page Down | Option + Page Down |
Object Menu InDesign Shortcut Keys
| Action | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Transform again | Ctrl + Alt + 4 | Command + Option + 4 |
| Group | Ctrl + G | Command + G |
| UnGroup | Ctrl + Shift + G | Command + Shift + G |
| Compound path | Ctrl + 8 | Command + 8 |
| Drop shadow | Ctrl + Alt + M | Command + Option + M |
| Center content | Ctrl + Shift + E | Command + Shift + E |
| Fill frame proportionally | Ctrl + Shift + Alt + C | Command + Shift + Option + C |
| Bring to front | Ctrl + Shift + [ | Command + Shift + [ |
| Send to Back | Ctrl + Shift + ] | Command + Shift + ] |
| Text frame options | Ctrl + B | Command + B |
View Menu InDesign Shortcut Keys
| Action | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Smart Guides | Ctrl + U | Command + U |
| Guides | Ctrl + ; | Command + ; |
| High-Quality Display | Ctrl + Alt + H | Command + Option + H |
| Text Threads | Ctrl + Alt + Y | Command + Option + Y |
| Frame edges | Ctrl + H | Command + H |
| Rulers | Ctrl + R | Command + R |
| Actual size | Ctrl + 1 | Command + 1 |
| 200% size | Ctrl + 2 | Command + 2 |
| 400% size | Ctrl + 4 | Command + 4 |
| 50% size | Ctrl + 5 | Command + 5 |
| Set the Presentation background to black | B | B |
| Set the Presentation background to gray | G | G |
| Set the Presentation background to white | W | W |
| Show Cyan plate | Ctrl + Shift + Alt + 1 | Command + Shift + Option + 1 |
| Show Magenta plate | Ctrl + Shift + Alt + 2 | Command + Shift + Option + 2 |
| Show Yellow plate | Ctrl + Shift + Alt + 3 | Command + Shift + Option + 3 |
| Show Black Plate | Ctrl + Shift + Alt + 4 | Command + Shift + Option + 4 |
| Show 1st spot plate | Ctrl + Shift + Alt + 5 | Command + Shift + Option + 5 |
| Show 2nd spot plate | Ctrl + Shift + Alt + 6 | Command + Shift + Option + 6 |
| Show 3rd spot plate | Ctrl + Shift + Alt + 7 | Command + Shift + Option + 7 |
| Show All Plates | Ctrl + Shift + Alt + ‘ | Command + Shift + Option + ‘ |
Panels Shortcuts in InDesign
| Action | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Swatches | F5 | F5 |
| Layers | F7 | F7 |
| Stroke | F10 | F10 |
| Paragraph styles | F11 | F11 |
| Character styles | Shift + F11 | Shift + F11 |
| Text wrap | Ctrl + Alt + W | Command + Option + W |
| Links | Ctrl + Shift + D | Command + Shift + D |
| Info | F8 | F8 |
| Character | Ctrl + T | Command + T |
| Control | Ctrl + Alt + 6 | Command + Option + 6 |
| Object Styles | Ctrl + F7 | Command + F7 |
| Colors | F6 | F6 |
| Paragraph Styles | F11 | F11 |
| Index | Shift + F8 | Shift + F8 |
| Tables | Shift + F9 | Shift + F9 |
| Scripts | Ctrl + Alt + F11 | Command + Option + F11 |
Type Menu InDesign Shortcut Keys
| Action | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Tabs | Ctrl + Shift + T | Command + Shift + T |
| Glyphs | Alt + Shift + F11 | Option + Shift + F11 |
| Forced link break | Shift + Enter | Shift + Return |
| Hidden Characters | Ctrl + Alt + I | Command + Option + I |
InDesign Tools Shortcuts (Selection, Type, etc.)
| Action | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Selection tool | V | V |
| Direct selection tool | A | A |
| Magic wind tool | Y | Y |
| Lasso tool | Q | Q |
| Pen tool | P | P |
| Add anchor point tool | + | + |
| Delete anchor point tool | – | – |
| Type tool | T | T |
| Line segment tool | \ | \ |
| Rectangle tool | M | M |
| Ellipse tool | L | L |
| Paintbrush tool | B | B |
| Pencil tool | N | N |
| Rotate tool | R | R |
| Reflect tool | O | O |
| Scale tool | S | S |
| Free Transform tool | E | E |
| Column graph tool | J | J |
| Mesh tool | U | U |
| Gradient tool | G | G |
| Eyedropper tool | I | I |
| Blend tool | W | W |
| Zoom tool | Z | Z |
| Hand tool | H | H |
| Scissors tool | C | C |
| Blob brush tool | Shift + B | Shift + B |
| Convert anchor point tool | Shift + C | Shift + C |
| Warp tool | Shift + R | Shift + R |
| Width tool | Shift + W | Shift + W |
| Shape builder tool | Shift + M | Shift + M |
| Perspective grid tool | Shift + P | Shift + P |
| Perspective selection tool | Shift + V | Shift + V |
| Symbol sprayer tool | Shift + S | Shift + S |
| Eraser tool | Shift + E | Shift + E |
| Slice tool | Shift + K | Shift + K |
| Live Paint Selection tool | Shift + L | Shift + L |
Zoom Shortcuts in InDesign (Windows & Mac)
| Action | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Drag the mouse to Zoom | Ctrl + Spacebar | Command + Spacebar |
| Fit Page in view | Ctrl + 0 | Command + 0 |
| Fit Spread in View | Ctrl + Alt + 0 | Command + Option + 0 |
| Zoom in | Ctrl + + | Command + + |
| Zoom out | Ctrl + – | Command + – |
It is often said that you can accomplish more tasks and boost productivity by using keyboard shortcuts instead of a mouse. Above, you’ll find a list of Adobe InDesign shortcut keys that are both useful and essential for day-to-day work.
Adobe InDesign Shortcuts FAQs
Some of the most useful Adobe InDesign shortcuts include V for the Selection Tool, T for the Type Tool, Ctrl/Cmd + D to place files, Ctrl/Cmd + Z to undo actions, and W to toggle Preview Mode. These shortcuts are used daily by most InDesign designers.
Most Adobe InDesign shortcuts are similar on Windows and Mac, but the Control (Ctrl) key on Windows is usually replaced by the Command (Cmd) key on Mac. Other keys and tool shortcuts generally remain the same.
You can customize InDesign shortcuts by going to Edit → Keyboard Shortcuts. From there, you can create a new shortcut set, modify existing shortcuts, and assign custom key combinations based on your workflow.
Most Adobe InDesign keyboard shortcuts work across all recent versions. However, some shortcuts may change or behave slightly differently depending on updates. It’s a good idea to check shortcuts after major InDesign updates.
Yes, many designers prefer using a printable reference. You can bookmark this page or download an Adobe InDesign shortcuts PDF if available on this site for quick offline access.
Absolutely. Learning InDesign shortcuts early helps beginners work faster, reduce mistakes, and build confidence. Even memorizing a few essential shortcuts can significantly improve productivity.
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