The Layers palette or panel is one of the most important in Photoshop. It’s where you isolate your artwork and is the key to non-destructive editing. By learning some keyboard shortcuts to select and move your layers you can speed up your work enormously. With one hand on the keyboard and one hand on the mouse, here’s a bunch of shortcuts that can help you save time and prevents the need to go back and forth to the main Photoshop menu.
Shortcuts for common layer commands
To create a new layer press Shift-Ctrl-N (Mac) or Shift+Ctrl+N (PC).
To create a new layer using a selection (layer via copy), press Ctrl + J (Mac and PC).
To group layers, press Ctrl + G, to ungroup them press Shift + Ctrl + G.
To merge all layers, press Ctrl + E, to merge all visible layers, press Shift + Ctrl + E.
Shortcuts for selecting layers
To select several layers at a time, select the first layer and then press Option-Shift-[ (Mac) or Alt+Shift+[ (PC) to select layers below the first one, or Option-Shift-] (Mac) or Alt+Shift+] to select layers above it. This lets you select one layer at a time. Simply type the keyboard shortcut again to select an additional layer above or beneath.
To select the layer below the current layer, press Option-[ or Alt+[
To select the layer above the current layer, press Option-] or Alt+]
To select the top layer in your Layers panel, press Option-. or Alt+. — to clarify that’s Option or Alt plus the period/full stop key.
To select the bottom layer, press Option-, or Alt+,
To select all the layers between the currently active layer and the top layer, press Option-Shift-. or Alt+Shift+. — Option or Alt plus Shift and the period/full stop key.
To select all the layers between the currently active layer and the bottom layer, press Option-Shift-, or Alt+Shift+, — Option or Alt plus Shift and the comma key.
To select every layer except the locked Background layer, press ⌘-Option-A or Ctrl+Alt+A. Note that If you’ve already unlocked the Background layer, it will be selected too.
Shortcuts for moving layers
Bring to the Front: To move the current layer to the top of the layer stack, press Shift-⌘-] or Shift+Ctrl+] .
Send To Back: To move it to the bottom of the layer stack, press Shift-⌘-[ or Shift+Ctrl+[
Bring Forward: To move the current layer up one slot in your layer stack, press ⌘-] or Ctrl+] .
Send Backward: To move it down one slot, press ⌘-[ or Ctrl+[ .
And there you have it. There are quite a few shortcuts there and the only way to remember them is to make a conscious effort to use them and practice them but with time they become second nature and can really help to speed up your work flow in Photoshop.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Photoshop Layer Shortcuts
What are the most essential Photoshop layer shortcuts I should know?
Photoshop layer shortcuts can significantly speed up your workflow. Some of the most essential ones include Ctrl+J (Cmd+J on Mac) to duplicate a layer, Ctrl+Shift+N (Cmd+Shift+N on Mac) to create a new layer, and Ctrl+Shift+Alt+N (Cmd+Shift+Option+N on Mac) to create a new layer without the dialog box. Additionally, using the bracket keys [ and ] can decrease and increase brush size, respectively, which is particularly useful when working on layers with brushes.
How can I quickly select layers using keyboard shortcuts?
You can quickly select layers using the Alt+[ or Alt+] shortcuts (Option+[ or Option+] on Mac). These shortcuts allow you to move up or down through your layers. If you add Shift to the shortcut (Alt+Shift+[ or Alt+Shift+]), you can select multiple layers at once.
Is there a shortcut to hide or show layers in Photoshop?
Yes, you can easily hide or show layers in Photoshop using the shortcut Ctrl+comma (Cmd+comma on Mac). This will toggle the visibility of the selected layer. If you want to hide all other layers except the one you’re working on, Alt-click (Option-click on Mac) on the eye icon next to the layer.
How can I use shortcuts to change the blending mode of a layer?
You can change the blending mode of a layer by first ensuring the layer is selected, then pressing Shift+plus/minus to cycle through the blending modes. This can be a great time-saver when experimenting with different effects.
What is the shortcut for flattening layers in Photoshop?
The shortcut for flattening layers in Photoshop is Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E (Cmd+Option+Shift+E on Mac). This creates a new layer that is a flattened version of all visible layers, which can be useful for applying effects to multiple layers at once.
How can I use shortcuts to adjust layer opacity in Photoshop?
You can adjust layer opacity by simply selecting the layer and pressing the numbers on your keyboard. For example, pressing 1 sets the opacity to 10%, pressing 5 sets it to 50%, and pressing 0 sets it to 100%. If you press two numbers quickly, you can set specific values, like 37% for pressing 3 and 7.
Is there a shortcut to link layers in Photoshop?
Yes, you can link layers in Photoshop by selecting the layers you want to link and then pressing Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E (Cmd+Option+Shift+E on Mac). This will create a new layer that is a composite of the linked layers.
How can I use shortcuts to move layers in the layers panel?
You can move layers in the layers panel using the shortcuts Ctrl+[ and Ctrl+] (Cmd+[ and Cmd+] on Mac). These shortcuts move the selected layer up or down in the stack.
What is the shortcut for creating a clipping mask in Photoshop?
The shortcut for creating a clipping mask in Photoshop is Ctrl+Alt+G (Cmd+Option+G on Mac). This is useful for applying adjustments to specific layers.
How can I use shortcuts to group and ungroup layers in Photoshop?
You can group layers by selecting them and pressing Ctrl+G (Cmd+G on Mac), and ungroup layers by selecting the group and pressing Ctrl+Shift+G (Cmd+Shift+G on Mac). This is useful for organizing your layers and keeping your workspace tidy.
Jennifer FarleyJennifer Farley is a designer, illustrator and design instructor based in Ireland. She writes about design and illustration on her blog at Laughing Lion Design.
