Helpful Keyboard Shortcuts For Beginning Graphic Designers

When I first started using Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign I never used shortcuts. I spent a lot of time looking for tools than I did actually using them. It wasn't until my professor did a class demonstration that I finally understood how much time I wasted not using shortcuts.

Here are a few shortcuts I find myself using frequently:

Photoshop

• V - Move
• C - Crop
• T - Text
• W - Magic Wand/Quick Selection
•  Z - Zoom

Illustrator

• V - Selection 
• A - Direct Selection
• T- Text
• Command, Shift, O - Create (text) Outlines
• P - Pen

InDesign

• V - Selection
• A- Direct Selection
• Shift, P - Page Tool
• T - Text
• Command, D - Place

*Rule of thumb when it comes to keyboard shortcuts, if you use a tool more than once during a project memorize the shortcut.*