Corel Photo-Paint Keyboard Shortcuts: Complete List for Windows & Mac (2026)

Corel Photo-Paint is a professional raster image editor developed by Corel Corporation (Ottawa, Canada) and included with the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite. It runs on Windows and macOS and is used for photo retouching, compositing, digital painting, and image manipulation competing directly with Adobe Photoshop and Affinity Photo. Like all professional image editors, it supports a full set of keyboard shortcuts, hotkeys, and customisable accelerator tables to speed up your workflow.

Corel Photo-Paint keyboard shortcuts are key combinations that trigger commands and activate tools without using the mouse. The most commonly used shortcuts are: Ctrl+Z (Undo), Ctrl+S (Save), Ctrl+O (Open), F2 (Zoom In), F3 (Zoom Out), F4 (Fit in Window), Ctrl+T (Tone Curve), and Ctrl+A (Select All). For tool activation, single-key shortcuts are used press P for the Paint tool, T for Text, Z for Zoom, X for Eraser, D for Crop, and E for the Eyedropper. Shortcuts are organised into five accelerator tables: the Main table, Cutout Lab, Print Preview, Smart Carver, and the Text Editing table. All shortcuts can be customised via Preferences → Shortcuts.

Did you know? Research on keyboard shortcut usage shows that experienced users who rely on hotkeys complete repetitive tasks up to 38% faster than mouse-only users. In a professional design workflow where actions like Undo, Zoom, and tool switching happen hundreds of times per session learning Corel Photo-Paint shortcuts pays back the investment within the first week of use.

File Menu Shortcuts

Edit Menu Shortcuts

Toolbox Shortcuts (Single-Key Tool Activations)

Note: Single-key shortcuts only work when no text field or input is active. These are part of the Main accelerator table and apply to Corel Photo-Paint 2019 through 2024.

Brush and Paint Tool Shortcuts

Mask Menu Shortcuts

View / Zoom and Navigation Shortcuts

Adjust Menu Shortcuts

Effects and Filters Shortcuts

Objects Menu Shortcuts

Text Editing Shortcuts

Dockers Shortcuts

Macros Shortcuts

Window Shortcuts

Others / General Shortcuts

How to Customize Keyboard Shortcuts in Corel Photo-Paint

Corel Photo-Paint lets you reassign any shortcut to match your personal workflow. Here is how:

1. Click the Corel Photo-Paint menu → Preferences → Shortcuts
2. Select a shortcut table from the Shortcut key table list (e.g. Main table)
3. In the left pane, choose a command category (e.g. File, Edit)
4. Click the command you want to reassign (e.g. Export)
5. Click the New shortcut box and press your desired key combination
6. If a conflict appears in the Current Assignment area, choose a different key
7. Click OK to save

Click View All to see every existing shortcut in one list. Click Reset Defaults to undo all custom changes.

Corel Photo-Paint vs Adobe Photoshop – Shortcut Comparison

If you’re switching from Adobe Photoshop, here’s how the most common shortcuts compare side by side.

Frequently Asked Questions – Corel Photo-Paint Shortcuts

What are the most important Corel Photo-Paint keyboard shortcuts?

The most essential Corel Photo-Paint shortcuts are: Ctrl+Z (Undo), Ctrl+S (Save), Ctrl+O (Open), F2 (Zoom In), F3 (Zoom Out), F4 (Fit in Window), Ctrl+T (Tone Curve), Ctrl+A (Select All), and Ctrl+F (Repeat Last Effect). For tool activation, the single-key shortcuts P (Paint), T (Text), Z (Zoom), X (Eraser), and D (Crop) are used most frequently by professional designers.

How do I undo in Corel Photo-Paint?

Press Ctrl+Z to undo the last action in Corel Photo-Paint. To redo an undone action, press Ctrl+Shift+Z. To repeat the last command you applied, press Ctrl+L. Corel Photo-Paint supports multiple undo levels, which you can configure under Tools → Options → Workspace → General.

Does Corel Photo-Paint work on Mac?

Yes. Corel Photo-Paint is available for macOS as part of the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite for Mac (version 2019 and later). On Mac, the Command key (⌘) replaces the Ctrl key in most shortcuts. For example, Save is ⌘+S, Undo is ⌘+Z, and Open is ⌘+O. Some shortcuts differ between the Windows and Mac versions.

How do I customize keyboard shortcuts in Corel Photo-Paint?

To customize shortcuts: go to the Corel Photo-Paint menu → Preferences → Shortcuts. Select a shortcut table (such as the Main table), choose a command category, click the command you want to reassign, then press your new key combination in the New Shortcut box. Click OK to save. You can also click View All to see every assigned shortcut, and Reset Defaults to restore the original settings.

What is the difference between Corel Photo-Paint and CorelDRAW?

Corel Photo-Paint is a raster (pixel-based) image editor, similar to Adobe Photoshop. CorelDRAW is a vector graphics editor, similar to Adobe Illustrator. Both are included in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite. Photo-Paint is used for photo retouching, compositing, and painting. CorelDRAW is used for logos, illustrations, and scalable graphics. They share some keyboard shortcuts but are separate applications.

Is Corel Photo-Paint the same as Corel Painter?

No. These are two completely different programs. Corel Photo-Paint is a photo editor bundled with CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, focused on image retouching and manipulation. Corel Painter is a standalone digital painting application that simulates traditional art media like oils, watercolours, and pastels. Their keyboard shortcuts are also different.

Can I use Corel Photo-Paint shortcuts on Windows 11?

Yes. All Corel Photo-Paint keyboard shortcuts work identically on Windows 10 and Windows 11. The shortcuts are application-level, not OS-level, so the Windows version does not affect them. However, some Windows system shortcuts (like Win+D or Win+L) take priority and cannot be reassigned to Photo-Paint commands.

What shortcut opens the Brush Settings in Corel Photo-Paint?

Press Ctrl+F8 to open the Brush Settings docker in Corel Photo-Paint. This docker lets you adjust brush size, shape, transparency, and texture in real time while painting.

Final Thoughts

Mastering Corel Photo-Paint keyboard shortcuts is one of the fastest ways to improve your editing speed. The single-key toolbox shortcuts alone P for Paint, T for Text, Z for Zoom, X for Eraser eliminate hundreds of mouse clicks per session. Combined with the Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Shift+Z undo/redo stack and the Ctrl+T Tone Curve shortcut, most experienced users find they rarely need to reach for the menu bar at all.

If you are switching from Adobe Photoshop, refer to the comparison table above many shortcuts are identical, and the key differences (Zoom, Tone Curve, Fill) are easy to learn in a single practice session.

Download the free Corel Photo-Paint Shortcuts PDF below to keep this reference handy while you work. For the CorelDRAW vector shortcuts, see our complete CorelDRAW Shortcut Keys guide.

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