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indesign shortcutsHave you seen an episode of CSI? Did you notice that when they type on a computer, they never, ever use the mouse?! You might think that they overlooked this detail, but really, it is much more efficient, healthy and practical to use a keyboard rather than a mouse to get everything you want done.  The only way to get anywhere really fast is to use shortcuts. Except you can’t use them if you don’t know what or where they are. Here is a course you might be interested in entitled Getting Started in InDesign CC which shows you the basics of InDesign CC with an Adobe Authorized Training Center called Train Simple.

This is also true when using InDesign. Everyone knows that in InDesign, you can accomplish more tasks and increase your productivity by using keyboard shortcuts rather than a mouse. In other words, you get the job done faster, plus it’s easier.  Here is a course entitled Adobe InDesign CS6 that features nine hours of training covering all design fundamentals. This other course entitled Adobe InDesign CC is also something you should check out as it shows you how to become a master user of software for desktop publishing Adobe Indesign CC. While we’re on the topic, you might as well check out this article entitled InDesign vs Illustrator: Is One Design Option Better Than the Other?

Common InDesign Shortcuts

Here is a lost of a few handy InDesign shortcuts:

Mac Windows
+Ctrl Starting up
Command + Option+ Shift Ctrl + Alt + Shift Delete preferences when
Command + K Ctrl+K Preferences general
Window Menu Window Menu Placer, HJ GO! Design
Window Menu Window Menu HJ Layout Builder, HJ Art
Herff Jones Menu Herff Jones Menu Herff Jones Plug-ins
F1 F1 InDesign Help

More InDesign Shortcuts:

Here are the shortcut keys you need when you need to quickly change effects, stroke, swatches, links and layers without having to use your mouse. With shortcut keys such as these, you can get the effects you want so much faster than if you had to keep searching for where everything was:

Mac Windows
Shift + F10 Shift + F10 Swatches
F5 F5 Stroke
Command + Option + Shift + F Ctrl + Alt + Shift + F Preflight
Command F12 F12 Pages
Command + Shift + D Ctrl + Alt + Shift + D Links
F7 F7 Layers
F8 F8 Info
Command + Options + 6 Ctrl + Alt + 6 Control
Command + Shift + F7 Shift + F7 Align

 

InDesign Shortcuts for Character:

Here are the shortcut keys you need for keeping options, subscript or superscript and even dropping caps—how convenient is this?

Mac Windows
Command + Option + R Ctrl + Alt _ R Drop caps & nested styles
Command + Shift + Option + J Ctrl + Shift + Alt + J Paragraph justification
Command + Option + J Ctrl + Alt + J Paragraph rule
Command + Option + K Ctrl + Alt + K Keep options
Command + Shift + Option + R Ctrl + Alt + Shift + R Redefine styles
Command + Shift + U Ctrl + Shift + U Underline
Command + Shift + = Ctrl + Shift + = Superscript
Command + Shift + Option + = Ctrl + Alt + Shift + = Subscript
Command + Shift + Control + / Ctrl + Shift + / Strikethrough
Command + Shift + H Ctrl + Shift + H Small Caps
Command + Shift + K Ctrl + Shift + K All Caps

 

InDesign Shortcuts for Object:

When you need to fit the frame to the content or vice versa, drop shadow, group or ungroup among other things, here are the buttons you need to push:

Mac Windows
Command + 8 Ctrl + 8 Compound Path Make
Command + Shift + Option + K Ctrl + Alt + Shift + K Clipping Path
Command + Option + M Ctrl + Alt + M Drop Shadow
Command +Shift + Option + E Ctrl + Alt + Shift + E Fit Content Proportionally
Command +Option + C Ctrl + Alt + C Fit Frame to Content
Command +Option + E Ctrl + Alt + E Fit Content to Frame
Command + B Ctrl + B Text Frame Options
Command +Option + L Ctrl; + Alt + L Unlock Position
Command +L Ctrl + L Lock Position
Command +Shift + G Ctrl + Shift + G Ungroup
Command +G Ctrl + G Group
Command + [ Ctrl + [ Send Backward
Command + ] Ctrl + ] Bring Forward
Command + Shift + [ Ctrl + Shift + [ Send to Back
Command + Shift + ] Ctrl + Shift + ] Bring to Front

 

InDesign Shortcuts for Type:

These shortcuts for type help you align center, left, right or justify anything you want on a page with a few buttons on your keyboard:

Mac Windows
Command + Shift + Y Ctrl + Shift + Y Apply Normal
Command + Shift + I Ctrl + Shift + I Apply Italic
Command + Shift + B Ctrl + Shift + B Apply Bold
Command + Shift + Option + G Ctrl + Alt + Shift + G Align to Baseline Grid
Command + Shift + F Ctrl + Shift + F Justify all lines
Command + Shift + J Ctrl + Shift +J Justify all but last line
Command + Shift + R Ctrl + Shift + R Align Right
Command + Shift + L Ctrl + Shift + L Align Left
Command + Shift + C Ctrl + Shift + C Align Center
Command + Shift + Option + O Ctrl + Alt + Shift + O Create Outlines Without Deleting Text
Command + Shift + O Ctrl + Shift + O Create Outlines
Command + Option + W Ctrl + Alt + W Text Wrap
Command + Option + X Ctrl + Alt + X Nonbreaking Space
Command + Shift + Option + N Ctrl + Alt + Shift + N Auto Page Number
Command + F11 F11 Paragraph Styles
Command + Option + T Ctrl + M Paragraph
Command + Shift + T Ctrl + Shift + T Tabs
Command + Shift + F11 Shift + F11 Character Styles
Command + T Ctrl + T Character

 

InDesign Shortcuts for Move To:

These shortcut keys make it easy for you to go to the beginning of the story, end of the story, end of line, right one word or left one word with just a couple of keyboard clicks.

Mac Windows
Command + Right Arrow Ctrl + Right Arrow Right one word
Command + Left Arrow Ctrl + Left Arrow Left one word
End End End of line
Home Home Start of line
Command + End Ctrl + End End of story
Command + Home Ctrl + Home Beginning of story

 

Indesign Shortcuts for Layout:

You probably will love this set of shortcut keys the most, as you can do all sorts of things including go to the next page, last page, previous page or first page as well as add new page all without even having to look at the mouse, much less touch it!

Mac Windows
Command + Shift P Ctrl + Shift + P Add New Page
Command + Page Down Ctrl + Page Down Go Forward
Command + Page Up Ctrl + Page Up Go Back
Option + Page Up Alt + Page Up Previous Spread
Option + Page Down Alt + Page Down Next Spread
Command + Shift + Page Down Ctrl + Shift + Page Down Last Page
Shift + Page Down Shift + Page Down Next Page
Shift + PageUp Shift + PageUp Previous Page
Command + Shift + PageUp Ctrl + Shift + PageUp First Page

Indesign Shortcuts for Indexing:

When you need to mark proper names, clubs or businesses or do some sort of indexing, all you need are these convenient keys:

Mac Windows
Command + Option + X Ctrl + Alt + X Nonbreaking Space
Command + Option + Shift + [ Ctrl + Alt + Shift + [ Mark Businesses/ Clubs
Command + Option + Shift + ] Ctrl + Alt + Shift + ] Mark Proper Names
Shift+F8 Shift + F8 Index Palette
Command + 7 Ctrl + 7 New

 

InDesign Shortcuts for Tools:

Everyone knows how inconvenient it is to look through all your different tools in your toolbar just to zoom into something. Well, with these convenient InDesign shortcut keys that work for both Windows and Mac, you can say goodbye to your mouse for good!

Mac/Windows
Z Zoom Tool
T Type tool
Shift + T Type of Path tool
Shift + X Swap fill & stroke colors
X Swap fill & stroke colors
S Scale tool
R Rotate tool
M Rectangle tool
F Rectangle frame tool
N Pencil tool
P Pen Tool
K Measure tool
\ Line tool
H Hand tool
G Gradient tool
E Free Transform tool
I Eyedropper tool
L Ellipse tool
A Direct Selection tool
V Selection tool

 

InDesign Shortcuts for Edit:

Gone are the days when you had to search your toolbar wasting precious minutes looking for spell-check, copy, redo, undo or paste, among other things. Here are the shortcut keys that make life a lot easier for you. All you have to do is practice the keys and before you know it, you will be an InDesign shortcut expert.

Mac Windows
Command + I Ctrl + I Check Spelling
Command +F Ctrl + F Change/Find
Command +Y Ctrl + Y Edit in Story Editor
Command + Shift + A Ctrl + Shift + A Deselect All
Command + A Ctrl + A Select All
Command + Shift + U Ctrl + Shift + U Step & Repeat
Command + Shift + Option + D Ctrl + Alt + Shift + D Duplicate
Command + Shift + Option + V Ctrl + Alt + Shift + V Paste in Place
Command + V Ctrl + V Paste
Command + Option + V Ctrl + Alt + V Paste Into
Command + X Ctrl + X Cut
Command + C Ctrl + C Copy
Command + Shift + Z Ctrl + Shift + Z Redo
Command + Z Ctrl + Z Undo

 

InDesign Shortcuts for View:

You know how hard it is to find where to click so the page shows your grids? With these shortcut keys you can worry no more. Plus, I’ve included the shortcut keys for both Windows and Mac for your total convenience.

Mac Windows
Command + Options + Tab Alt + Ctrl + Tab Open/Close panels in side tabs
Tab Tab Hide/show all panels
Command + ; Ctrl + ; Hide/ show guides
Command + R Ctrl + R Hide/ show rulers
Shift + F5 Shift + F5 Force redraw
Command + Option + = Alt + Ctrl + = Fit Selection Window
Shift + Option + Page Down Alt + Shift + Page Down Last Spread
Shift + Option + Page Up Alt + Shift + Page Up First Spread
Shift + Command + Option + 0 Alt + Shift + Ctrl + 0 Entire Pasteboard
Command + 5 Ctrl + 5 50%
Command + 4 Ctrl + 4 400%
Command + 2 Ctrl + 2 200%
Command + 1 Ctrl + 1 Actual Size
Command + Option + 0 Alt + Ctrl + 0 Fit Spread in Window
Command + 0 Ctrl + 0 Fit Page in Window
Command +- Ctrl + – (hyphen) Zoom Out
Command + = Ctrl + = Zoom In

 

InDesign Shortcuts for File:

If you are not used to shortcut keys, you will love the fact that you can save, save a copy, save all, print, open or exit, among other things, all by using the keyboard shortcut keys. Here are the shortcuts for both Windows and Mac, so you can learn all the shortcuts for file commands no matter what your system happens to be.

Mac Windows  
Command + Q Ctrl + Q Exit
Command + P Ctrl + P Print
Command + Option + Shift + P Ctrl + Alt + Shift + P Package
Command + D Ctrl + D Place
Command + Shift + Option + S Ctrl + Alt + Shift + S Save all
Command + Option + S Ctrl + Alt + S Save a Copy
Command + Shift + S Ctrl + Shift + S Save as
Command + Command + S Ctrl + S Save
Command + Shift + Option + W Ctrl + Alt + Shift + W Close All
Command +W Ctrl + W Close Document
Command + Option + O Ctrl + Alt + O Browse
Command + O Ctrl + O Open
Command + N Ctrl + N New Document

 

Hope this helps! For more on InDesign, you might want to check out this course entitled Intro to Adobe InDesign which helps you learn the ropes with expert designer Joseph Caserto.

Page Last Updated: May 2014

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