Master Affinity Photo with these essential shortcuts!
Master Affinity Photo: Essential Shortcut Keys for Digital Artists
Affinity Photo, developed by Serif Ltd., is a powerful and award-winning raster graphics editor available for macOS, Windows, and iPad. It stands out as a formidable alternative to traditional subscription-based software, offering a one-time purchase model without compromising on professional features and performance.
Built from the ground up for speed and precision, Affinity Photo provides everything photographers and creative professionals need for image editing, retouching, multi-layered compositions, and digital painting. Key features include:
- Non-destructive editing: Work with adjustment layers, live filters, and masks that can be edited at any time without permanently altering your original image data.
- Full RAW development: A dedicated Develop Persona allows for comprehensive and non-destructive processing of RAW files, bringing out every detail in your photographs.
- Flawless retouching tools: Utilize advanced tools like Frequency Separation, Inpainting Brush, Dodge, Burn, Clone, and a dedicated Liquify Persona for precise image manipulation and enhancement.
- Robust selection capabilities: Make incredibly precise selections, even down to individual strands of hair, with advanced algorithms and tools like the Selection Brush and Magic Wand.
- Extensive brush engine: Access a vast library of brushes, create your own, and even import .abr Photoshop brush files for a natural painting experience.
- Compositions with unlimited layers and effects: Build complex images with unlimited layers, groups, blend modes, and a wide array of adjustments and live filters.
- Cross-platform compatibility: Enjoy 100% file format compatibility across Windows, Mac, and iPad, enabling a seamless workflow regardless of your device.
Affinity Photo is lauded for its impressive speed, smooth performance, and a clean, intuitive user interface, making it accessible for both beginners and seasoned professionals. It supports various color spaces (RGB, CMYK, LAB, Greyscale), 16-bit and 32-bit per channel editing, and is compatible with common file formats, including Adobe's PSD.
Using shortcut keys can significantly speed up your workflow in Affinity Photo, allowing you to access tools and commands quickly without navigating through menus. This comprehensive list of essential shortcut keys will help you master the software. (Note: Shortcuts often differ between macOS and Windows; both are provided where applicable.)
🚀 General & File Management
| Description | macOS Shortcut | Windows Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Access Keyboard Shortcuts modal | ⌘Cmd + / | Ctrl + / |
| New Document | ⌘Cmd + N | Ctrl + N |
| New from Clipboard | ⌥Option + ⇧Shift + ⌘Cmd + N | Alt + Shift + Ctrl + N |
| Open Document | ⌘Cmd + O | Ctrl + O |
| Close Document / Close App (no docs open) | ⌘Cmd + W | Ctrl + W |
| Save | ⌘Cmd + S | Ctrl + S |
| Save As | ⇧Shift + ⌘Cmd + S | Shift + Ctrl + S |
| Export | ⌥Option + ⇧Shift + ⌘Cmd + S | Alt + Shift + Ctrl + S |
| ⌘Cmd + P | Ctrl + P | |
| Undo | ⌘Cmd + Z | Ctrl + Z |
| Redo | ⇧Shift + ⌘Cmd + Z | Shift + Ctrl + Z |
| Copy Merged | ⇧Shift + ⌘Cmd + C | Shift + Ctrl + C |
| Toggle UI | Tab | Tab |
| Hide Workspace | ⌘Cmd + H | Ctrl + H |
✨ Canvas & View Controls
| Description | macOS Shortcut | Windows Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| View Tool (Hand Tool) | H | H |
| Zoom In | ⌘Cmd + = | Ctrl + = |
| Zoom Out | ⌘Cmd + - | Ctrl + - |
| Zoom to Fit | ⌘Cmd + 0 | Ctrl + 0 |
| Zoom to 100% | ⌘Cmd + 1 | Ctrl + 1 |
| Zoom to Pixel Size | ⌘Cmd + 9 | Ctrl + 9 |
| Show Rulers | ⌘Cmd + R | Ctrl + R |
| Show Guides | ⌘Cmd + ; | Ctrl + ; |
| Show Grid | ⌘Cmd + ' | Ctrl + ' |
🎨 Tool Controls
| Tool | macOS Shortcut | Windows Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Move Tool | V | V |
| Crop Tool | C | C |
| Selection Tools cycle (Selection Brush, Flood Select) | W | W |
| Marquee Selection Tools cycle | M | M |
| Freehand Selection Tool | L | L |
| Flood Fill Tool / Gradient Tool cycle | G | G |
| Paint Brush Tool | B | B |
| Erase Tools cycle | E | E |
| Dodge, Burn, and Sponge Brush Tool cycle | O | O |
| Clone Tool | S | S |
| Retouch Tools cycle | J | J |
| Pen and Node Tool cycle | P | P |
| Zoom Tool | Z | Z |
| Shape Tools cycle | U | U |
| Text Tools cycle | T | T |
| Color Picker Tool | I | I |
| Description | macOS Shortcut | Windows Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Pick up new brush color | ⌥Option + Drag | Alt + Drag |
| Draw straight line connecting two strokes | ⇧Shift + Click | Shift + Click |
| Switch between Stroke/Fill color selectors | X | X |
| Swap Stroke/Fill color selectors | ⇧Shift + X | Shift + X |
| Set No fill on Stroke/Fill color selectors | / | / |
叠 Layer & Panel Controls
| Description | macOS Shortcut | Windows Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| New Pixel Layer | ⇧Shift + ⌘Cmd + N | Shift + Ctrl + N |
| Duplicate | ⌘Cmd + J | Ctrl + J |
| Group | ⌘Cmd + G | Ctrl + G |
| Ungroup | ⇧Shift + ⌘Cmd + G | Shift + Ctrl + G |
| Merge Down | ⌘Cmd + E | Ctrl + E |
| Merge Selected | ⇧Shift + ⌘Cmd + E | Shift + Ctrl + E |
| Merge Visible | ⌥Option + ⇧Shift + ⌘Cmd + E | Alt + Shift + Ctrl + E |
| Invert | ⌘Cmd + I | Ctrl + I |
| Move to Front | ⇧Shift + ⌘Cmd + ] | Shift + Ctrl + ] |
| Move Forward One | ⌘Cmd + ] | Ctrl + ] |
| Move to Back | ⇧Shift + ⌘Cmd + [ | Shift + Ctrl + [ |
| Move Back One | ⌘Cmd + [ | Ctrl + [ |
| Toggle between Frequency Separation layers | F | F |
| Persona | macOS Shortcut | Windows Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Photo Persona | (Default) | (Default) |
| Develop Persona | ⌥Option + ⌘Cmd + R | Alt + Ctrl + R |
| Liquify Persona | ⌥Option + ⌘Cmd + L | Alt + Ctrl + L |
| Export Persona | ⌥Option + ⌘Cmd + E | Alt + Ctrl + E |
| Tone Mapping Persona | (No direct shortcut, accessed via menu) | (No direct shortcut, accessed via menu) |
🌈 Adjustments & Effects
| Description | macOS Shortcut | Windows Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Brightness/Contrast | ⌘Cmd + B | Ctrl + B |
| Hue/Saturation/Luminance | ⌘Cmd + U | Ctrl + U |
| Levels Adjustment | ⌘Cmd + L | Ctrl + L |
| Curves Adjustment | ⌘Cmd + M | Ctrl + M |
| Black & White Adjustment | ⌘Cmd + ⇧Shift + B | Ctrl + ⇧Shift + B |
| Selective Color Adjustment | ⌘Cmd + ⇧Shift + S | Ctrl + ⇧Shift + S |
| Channel Mixer Adjustment | ⌘Cmd + ⇧Shift + X | Ctrl + ⇧Shift + X |
💬 Text Formatting
| Description | macOS Shortcut | Windows Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Bigger text | ⌘Cmd + > | Ctrl + > |
| Smaller text | ⌘Cmd + < | Ctrl + < |
| Bold | ⌘Cmd + B | Ctrl + B |
| Italic | ⌘Cmd + I | Ctrl + I |
| Underline | ⌘Cmd + U | Ctrl + U |
| Align Left | ⌥Option + ⌘Cmd + L | Alt + Ctrl + L |
| Align Right | ⌥Option + ⌘Cmd + R | Alt + Ctrl + R |
| Align Center | ⌥Option + ⌘Cmd + C | Alt + Ctrl + C |
🛠️ Miscellaneous
| Description | macOS Shortcut | Windows Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Toggle Snapping | ; | ; |
| Cancel current operation | Esc | Esc |
| Preferences | ⌘Cmd + , | Ctrl + , |
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