InDesign Shortcuts That Get You Where You Want to Go Much Faster!
Have 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 | |
| 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.
Recommended Articles
Top courses in Adobe InDesign
Adobe InDesign students also learn
Empower your team. Lead the industry.
Get a subscription to a library of online courses and digital learning tools for your organization with Udemy Business.