Microsoft Publisher Keyboard Shortcuts: Complete List
Quick answer: Microsoft Publisher has more than 120 keyboard shortcuts. The ones you will use most are Ctrl + N (new publication), Ctrl + S (save), Ctrl + Shift + G (group or ungroup objects), Ctrl + M (switch to the master page), Ctrl + Shift + O (show or hide boundaries) and F9 (toggle actual size). These shortcuts work in Publisher 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021 and Publisher for Microsoft 365 on Windows.
Version note: Every shortcut on this page is checked against Microsoft’s official Publisher documentation and applies to the Windows desktop app. Publisher was never released for Mac.
TL;DR
- Text formatting in Publisher uses the same core keys as Word: Ctrl + B, Ctrl + I, Ctrl + U, Ctrl + E, Ctrl + L, Ctrl + R and Ctrl + J.
- Ctrl + Shift + G is a toggle. It groups selected objects and ungroups a grouped object.
- Ctrl + ] and Ctrl + [ change font size by exactly 1 point. Ctrl + Shift + > and Ctrl + Shift + < jump to the next size in the Font Size list.
- Ribbon commands without a direct shortcut can be reached with KeyTips: press Alt, then the letter codes shown on screen.
- A printable PDF of the most useful shortcuts is available at the end of this guide.
Top 15 Most Used Publisher Shortcuts
If you learn only fifteen shortcuts, learn these. They cover the actions designers repeat dozens of times while building a flyer, newsletter or brochure.
| Shortcut | What it does | When you need it |
| Ctrl + N | Open a new instance of Publisher | Starting a new publication |
| Ctrl + S | Save (opens Save As the first time) | Saving your work often |
| Ctrl + Z | Undo the last action | Fixing a wrong move or edit |
| Ctrl + Y | Redo the last action | Restoring an undone change |
| Ctrl + Shift + G | Group selected objects, or ungroup a group | Moving a logo and caption together |
| Alt + F6 | Bring the selected object to the front | Placing text above a background image |
| Alt + Shift + F6 | Send the selected object to the back | Pushing a background shape behind content |
| Ctrl + M | Switch between the current page and the master page | Editing headers, footers and page numbers |
| Ctrl + Shift + O | Turn boundaries on or off | Checking alignment of text boxes |
| F9 | Switch between the current view and actual size | Proofreading small text |
| Ctrl + Shift + L | Zoom to full page view | Seeing the whole layout at once |
| Ctrl + Shift + C | Copy formatting | Matching heading styles |
| Ctrl + Shift + V | Paste formatting | Applying copied styles |
| Ctrl + Shift + U | Insert a duplicate of the selected page | Reusing a page layout |
| Ctrl + P | Open Print view | Final print or PDF check |
Do Publisher Shortcuts Still Work After End of Support?
Yes, if you own a perpetual license. Support ending stops updates and security fixes; it does not stop the app or its shortcuts from working.
| Date | What changed | Who it affects |
| February 2024 | Microsoft announced Publisher’s retirement | All users |
| October 1, 2026 | Publisher removed from Microsoft 365 subscriptions | Microsoft 365 subscribers |
| October 13, 2026 | Support ends for perpetual Publisher, alongside Office LTSC 2021 and Office 2021 | Publisher 2016, 2019 and 2021 owners |
What this means in practice:
- Microsoft 365 subscribers can no longer open or install Publisher, so these shortcuts no longer apply to them.
- Perpetual license owners can keep installing and using Publisher. Every shortcut in this guide still works.
- Your .pub files should be saved as PDF or opened in another app while you still have Publisher, since few other programs open .pub files reliably.
Microsoft suggests Word, PowerPoint and Microsoft Designer for common Publisher tasks. For full page layout work, many users are moving to Adobe InDesign or the free Affinity app by Canva, whose Layout mode replaced Affinity Publisher.
File Shortcuts: Create, Open, Save and Close
| Shortcut | Action |
| Ctrl + N | Open a new instance of Publisher |
| Ctrl + O | Display the Open Publication dialog box |
| Ctrl + S | Save the publication (shows the Save As dialog the first time) |
| Ctrl + F4 or Ctrl + W | Close the current publication |
Editing Shortcuts: Copy, Cut, Paste, Undo and Find
| Shortcut | Action |
| Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Insert | Copy the selected text or object |
| Ctrl + X or Shift + Delete | Cut the selected text or object |
| Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert | Paste text or an object |
| Delete or Ctrl + Shift + X | Delete the selected object |
| Ctrl + Z or Alt + Backspace | Undo the last action |
| Ctrl + Y or F4 | Redo the last action |
| Ctrl + F, F3 or Shift + F4 | Open Find and Replace with Find selected |
| Ctrl + H | Open Find and Replace with Replace selected |
| F7 | Check spelling |
| Shift + F7 | Open the Thesaurus task pane |
| Alt + click a word | Open the Research task pane |
| Ctrl + A | Select all text in the current story (inside a text box) or all objects on the page (outside a text box) |
Text Formatting Shortcuts
Font Style and Size
| Shortcut | Action |
| Ctrl + B | Make text bold |
| Ctrl + I | Make text italic |
| Ctrl + U | Underline text |
| Ctrl + Shift + K | Apply small capitals, or return small capitals to normal case |
| Ctrl + Shift + F | Open the Font dialog |
| Ctrl + ] | Increase font size by 1 point |
| Ctrl + [ | Decrease font size by 1 point |
| Ctrl + Shift + > | Increase to the next size in the Font Size list |
| Ctrl + Shift + < | Decrease to the next size in the Font Size list |
| Ctrl + Spacebar | Return character formatting to the current text style |
Subscript, Superscript and Kerning
| Shortcut | Action |
| Ctrl + = | Apply or remove subscript |
| Ctrl + Shift + = | Apply or remove superscript |
| Ctrl + Shift + ] | Increase space between letters (kerning) |
| Ctrl + Shift + [ | Decrease space between letters (kerning) |
Paragraph Alignment
| Shortcut | Action |
| Ctrl + L | Align paragraph left |
| Ctrl + E | Center paragraph |
| Ctrl + R | Align paragraph right |
| Ctrl + J | Justify paragraph (align both sides) |
| Ctrl + Shift + D | Distribute paragraph evenly horizontally |
| Ctrl + Shift + J | Apply newspaper alignment (East Asian languages only) |
Copy and Paste Formatting
| Shortcut | Action |
| Ctrl + Shift + C | Copy formatting from the selected text |
| Ctrl + Shift + V | Apply copied formatting to text |
Hyphenation, Special Characters and Fields
| Shortcut | Action |
| Ctrl + Shift + H | Open the Hyphenation dialog box |
| Ctrl + Shift + 0 (zero) | Stop a word from being hyphenated at the end of a line |
| Ctrl + Shift + Y | Show or hide special characters (spaces, paragraph marks) |
| Alt + Shift + T | Insert the current time |
| Alt + Shift + D | Insert the current date |
| Alt + Shift + P | Insert the current page number |
Tip: Ctrl + ] is the better choice for fine control because it always changes size by 1 point. Ctrl + Shift + > can jump several points at once, for example from 12 pt to 14 pt.
Object Shortcuts: Select, Group, Nudge, Layer and Snap
Objects in Publisher are text boxes, pictures, shapes and tables. These shortcuts control how they sit on the page.
Select and Group Objects
| Shortcut | Action |
| Ctrl + A | Select all objects on the page (when the cursor is not in a text box) |
| Ctrl + Shift + G | Group selected objects, or ungroup grouped objects |
| Esc | Clear the selection from selected text or a selected object |
| Esc | Select the whole object when your cursor is in its text, including an object inside a group |
Nudge Objects
| Shortcut | Action |
| Arrow keys | Nudge a selected object up, down, left or right |
| Alt + arrow keys | Nudge the object when the cursor is inside its text |
Layer Objects
| Shortcut | Action |
| Alt + F6 | Bring object to front |
| Alt + Shift + F6 | Send object to back |
Snap to Guides
| Shortcut | Action |
| F10, then Shift + R, Shift + S, Shift + M | Turn Snap to Guides on or off |
The Snap to Guides shortcut is a key sequence, not a single combination. Press F10 to activate the menu keys, then press each Shift combination in order.
Page Shortcuts
In Two-Page Spread view, these commands apply to the selected spread. Otherwise they apply to the selected page.
Insert and Move Between Pages
| Shortcut | Action |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | Insert a page or two-page spread (opens the Insert Pages dialog in a newsletter) |
| Ctrl + Shift + U | Insert a duplicate page after the selected page |
| F5 or Ctrl + G | Open the Go To Page dialog box |
| Ctrl + Page Down | Go to the next page |
| Ctrl + Page Up | Go to the previous page |
Master Page
| Shortcut | Action |
| Ctrl + M | Switch between the current page and the master page |
Anything you place on the master page, such as a logo, footer or page number, appears on every page that uses that master. Press Ctrl + M, make the change, then press Ctrl + M again to return.
View Shortcuts: Zoom, Boundaries and Guides
| Shortcut | Action |
| F9 | Switch between the current view and actual size |
| Ctrl + Shift + L | Zoom to full page view |
| Ctrl + Shift + O | Turn boundaries on or off |
| Ctrl + F7 | Turn horizontal baseline guides on or off (not available in web view) |
| Ctrl + Shift + F7 | Turn vertical baseline guides on or off (East Asian languages only, not in web view) |
Baseline guides help you line up text across columns so lines sit at the same height. Turn them on with Ctrl + F7 when building multi-column newsletters.
Ribbon Shortcuts (Alt KeyTips)
KeyTips let you reach ribbon commands that have no direct shortcut. Contextual tabs, such as Drawing Tools or Picture Tools, use two-letter codes.
How to use KeyTips:
- Select the object (a shape, picture or text box).
- Press and release Alt. Letters appear on the ribbon.
- Type the two-letter tab code, such as JD for the Drawing Tools Format tab.
- Type the command code, then use Tab and Enter to pick an option.
Example: To add a shadow to a shape, select it and press Alt, J, D, S, E, S, then tab through the shadow options.
Shape Effects (Drawing Tools)
| KeyTip sequence | Action |
| Alt, JD, SE | Open the Shape Effects menu |
| Alt, JD, SE, S | Shadow gallery |
| Alt, JD, SE, R | Reflection gallery |
| Alt, JD, SE, G | Glow gallery |
| Alt, JD, SE, E | Soft Edges gallery |
| Alt, JD, SE, B | Bevel gallery |
| Alt, JD, SE, D | 3-D Rotation gallery |
| Alt, JD, ST | Shape Styles gallery |
Picture Effects (Picture Tools)
| KeyTip sequence | Action |
| Alt, JP, PE | Open the Picture Effects menu |
| Alt, JP, PE, S | Shadow gallery |
| Alt, JP, PE, R | Reflection gallery |
| Alt, JP, PE, G | Glow gallery |
| Alt, JP, PE, E | Soft Edges gallery |
| Alt, JP, PE, B | Bevel gallery |
| Alt, JP, PE, D | 3-D Rotation gallery |
| Alt, JP, K | Picture Styles gallery |
| Alt, JP, K, C | Clear Picture Style |
Text Fill, Outline and Effects (Text Box Tools)
| KeyTip sequence | Action |
| Alt, JX, TI | Open Text Fill dropdown |
| Alt, JX, TI, N | No fill |
| Alt, JX, TI, M | More fill colors |
| Alt, JX, TI, F | Fill effects |
| Alt, JX, TI, T | Tints |
| Alt, JX, TI, S | Sample font color |
| Alt, JX, TO | Open Text Outline dropdown |
| Alt, JX, TO, N | No outline |
| Alt, JX, TO, M | More outline colors |
| Alt, JX, TO, O | Outline effects |
| Alt, JX, TO, S | Sample line color |
| Alt, JX, TO, W | Outline weight |
| Alt, JX, TO, D | Outline dashes |
| Alt, JX, TE | Open Text Effects dropdown |
| Alt, JX, TE, S | Text shadow |
| Alt, JX, TE, R | Text reflection |
| Alt, JX, TE, G | Text glow |
| Alt, JX, TE, B | Text bevel |
Print and Print Preview Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
| Ctrl + P | Open Print view (also exits Print Preview to Print view) |
| Esc | Exit Print Preview |
| Up Arrow or Down Arrow | Scroll up or down in the preview |
| Left Arrow or Right Arrow | Scroll left or right |
| Page Up or Ctrl + Up Arrow | Scroll up in large steps |
| Page Down or Ctrl + Down Arrow | Scroll down in large steps |
| Ctrl + Left Arrow | Scroll left in large steps |
| Ctrl + Right Arrow | Scroll right in large steps |
| Home | Jump to the upper left corner of the page |
| End | Jump to the lower right corner of the page |
| Ctrl + F6 | Go to the next window when several publications are open |
F9, F5, Ctrl + Page Up and Ctrl + Page Down also work in Print view, with the same actions as in normal view.
Hyperlink Shortcut
| Shortcut | Action |
| Ctrl + K | Open the Insert Hyperlink dialog (cursor must be in a text box) |
Email Shortcuts
These work after you choose File > Share > Email to send a page as a message. Outlook must be open, or the message waits in your Outbox.
| Shortcut | Action |
| Alt + S | Send the current page or publication |
| Ctrl + Shift + B | Open the Address Book (cursor in the message header) |
| Alt + . (period) | Open the Address Book with the To box selected |
| Alt + C | Open the Address Book with the Cc box selected |
| Alt + B | Open the Address Book with the Bcc box selected (Bcc field must be visible) |
| Ctrl + K | Check names on the To, Cc and Bcc lines |
| Alt + J | Go to the Subject box |
| Alt + K | Open the Design Checker |
| Alt + P | Open Outlook Message Options |
| Ctrl + Shift + G | Create a message flag (cursor in the message header) |
| Tab | Move to the next header field |
| Shift + Tab | Move to the previous header field |
| Ctrl + Tab | Switch between the message header and the Send button |
Note that Ctrl + K and Ctrl + Shift + G do different things in the email header than in a normal publication.
Macro and VBA Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
| Alt + F8 | Open the Macros dialog box |
| Alt + F11 | Open the Visual Basic Editor |
Microsoft Publisher Shortcuts on Mac
Microsoft never released Publisher for Mac, so there are no official Mac shortcuts. Mac users have three practical options:
- Run Windows Publisher through a virtual machine such as Parallels, where the Windows shortcuts in this guide apply.
- Use Affinity by Canva (free), whose Layout mode covers the features of the former Affinity Publisher.
- Use Apple Pages for simple flyers and newsletters.
Publisher vs Word vs InDesign Shortcuts
Switching apps after Publisher’s retirement? This table shows the same task in each program on Windows.
| Task | Publisher | Word | InDesign |
| Bold | Ctrl + B | Ctrl + B | Ctrl + Shift + B |
| Small caps | Ctrl + Shift + K | Ctrl + Shift + K | Ctrl + Shift + H |
| Superscript | Ctrl + Shift + = | Ctrl + Shift + = | Ctrl + Shift + = |
| Subscript | Ctrl + = | Ctrl + = | Ctrl + Alt + Shift + = |
| Increase font size by 1 point | Ctrl + ] | Ctrl + ] | Ctrl + Shift + > (2 pt by default) |
| Insert page number | Alt + Shift + P | Alt + Shift + P | Ctrl + Alt + Shift + N |
| Insert date | Alt + Shift + D | Alt + Shift + D | No default shortcut |
| Check spelling | F7 | F7 | Ctrl + I |
| Find and replace | Ctrl + H | Ctrl + H | Ctrl + F |
| Group objects | Ctrl + Shift + G | No default shortcut | Ctrl + G |
| Bring to front | Alt + F6 | No default shortcut | Ctrl + Shift + ] |
| Send to back | Alt + Shift + F6 | No default shortcut | Ctrl + Shift + [ |
Formatting shortcuts transfer easily to Word. Object and layout shortcuts are closer to InDesign, which is worth learning if you do serious page layout. See our Adobe InDesign shortcuts guide.
How to Create Custom Shortcuts in Publisher
Publisher has no Customize Keyboard dialog like Word. Use these two workarounds instead.
Quick Access Toolbar: Right-click any ribbon command and choose Add to Quick Access Toolbar. Press Alt to see its number, then press Alt plus that number (for example Alt + 4) to run it.
Macros:
- Press Alt + F11 to open the Visual Basic Editor.
- Insert a module and write or paste your macro.
- Add the macro to the Quick Access Toolbar.
- Run it with its Alt plus number shortcut, or press Alt + F8 and choose it from the list.
Download the Publisher Shortcuts PDF
Keep the most useful shortcuts next to your keyboard. The free one-page PDF groups them by task (file, text, objects, pages, view and print), sized to print on A4 or US Letter.
Download the Microsoft Publisher Shortcut Keys PDF
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the shortcut to group objects in Publisher?
Press Ctrl + Shift + G. The same shortcut ungroups a selected group, because it works as a toggle.
What does Ctrl+Shift+K do in Publisher?
It applies small capitals to selected text, or returns small capitals to normal upper and lower case. It does not switch text between all caps and lowercase.
How do I go to the master page in Publisher?
Press Ctrl + M. Press it again to return to your regular page.
How do I zoom to the full page in Publisher?
Press Ctrl + Shift + L for full page view. Press F9 to switch between the current zoom and actual size.
How do I bring an object to the front in Publisher?
Select the object and press Alt + F6. Press Alt + Shift + F6 to send it to the back.
Can I still use Publisher shortcuts after October 2026?
Yes, if you have a perpetual version such as Publisher 2016, 2019 or 2021. The app keeps working after support ends. Microsoft 365 subscribers lost access on October 1, 2026.
Does Microsoft Publisher work on Mac?
No. Publisher was only released for Windows. Mac users can run it in a Windows virtual machine or switch to Affinity or Apple Pages.
Can I create custom keyboard shortcuts in Publisher?
Not directly. Add commands or macros to the Quick Access Toolbar and run them with Alt plus their number.
Which Publisher shortcuts also work in Word?
Most text shortcuts are identical, including Ctrl + B, Ctrl + I, Ctrl + U, Ctrl + E, Ctrl + ], Ctrl + [, Ctrl + Shift + K, Ctrl + = and Alt + Shift + P.
Conclusion
The fastest way to speed up Publisher is to master five shortcuts first: Ctrl + Shift + G for grouping, Alt + F6 for layering, Ctrl + M for the master page, Ctrl + Shift + O for boundaries and Ctrl + Shift + C with Ctrl + Shift + V for formatting. Add the rest as you need them. If you are moving away from Publisher, most text shortcuts carry straight over to Word.
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