Appendix F - GIMP Keyboard Shortcuts
While tools like the GIMP are better used interactively using the mouse or drawing tablet, there are many features that can be accessed directly from the keyboard using keyboard shortcuts. In fact, any feature with a menu entry can be accessed through the keyboard even if there is no default keyboard shortcut for it. That's because all GIMP menus are user configurable - to change the shortcut you move the mouse over the menu entry (but don't click on it) and type the new shortcut keys. If you want to use Shift, ALT, or CTRL keys, be sure to press these first and hold them down while you press the letter key that completes the shortcut sequence. For example, you might set the Print option to ALT-Shift-P. You would open the File menu from a Canvas menu, move the mouse over the Print option, hold down ALT and Shift together and then press the P key.
The shortcuts listed here are the defaults for GIMP 1.2. Use this reference to verify that the keystrokes you want to use aren't already in use. Note that using an existing shortcut a second time will remove it from its current location.
The following abbreviations are used in the following tables:
Ctrl The Control key
ALT The ALT key
Note that all letter keys are listed in uppercase for clarity, but only where Shift is listed is the key actually the uppercase version.
All Toolbox options work only with the mouse over the Toolbox. Canvas menu shortcuts apply to the currently active window. Layer menu options apply only when the mouse is in the Layers and Channels window and a layer has been clicked on.
Not all menu entries have default keyboard shortcuts.
Toolbox options
File New
Ctrl-N
File Open
Ctrl-O
Quit
Ctrl-Q
Help
F1
Contextual Help
Shift F1
Layers, Channels and Paths Dialog
Ctrl-L
Tool Options
Shift-Ctrl-T
Brushes Dialog
Shift-Ctrl-B
Patterns Dialog
Shift-Ctrl-P
Gradients Dialog
Ctrl-G
Palettes Dialog
Ctrl-P
Open a previous image
Ctrl-x, where x is 1 to 9 or the maximum Recent Documents value set in the Preferences dialog.
Canvas Menu File Options
New
Ctrl-N
Open
Ctrl-O
Save
Ctrl-S
Close (Closes current Canvas Window)
Ctrl-W
Quit (Complete exit GIMP)
Ctrl-Q
Canvas Menu Edit Options
Undo
Ctrl-Z
Redo
Ctrl-R
Cut
Ctrl-X
Copy
Ctrl-C
Paste
Ctrl-V
Clear
Ctrl-K
Fill with Foreground Color
Ctrl-,
Fill with Background Color
Ctrl-.
Cut Named Buffer
Shift-Ctrl-X
Copy Named Buffer
Shift-Ctrl-C
Paste Named Buffer
Shift-Ctrl-V
Canvas Menu Select Options
Invert
Ctrl-I
All
Ctrl-A
None
Shift-Ctrl-A
Float
Shift-Ctrl-L
Feather
Shift-Ctrl-F
Sharpen
Shift-Ctrl-H
Canvas Menu View Options
Zoom In
=
Zoom Out
-
Info Window
Shift-Ctrl-I
Navigation Window
Shift-Ctrl-N
Toggle Selection
Ctrl-T
Toggle Rulers
Shift-Ctrl-R
Toggle Statusbar
Shift-Ctrl-S
Toggle Guides
Shift-Ctrl-T
Shrink Wrap
Ctrl-E
Canvas Menu Image Options
RGB Mode
ALT-R
Grayscale Mode
ALT-G
Indexed Mode
ALT-I
Offset Transform
Shift-Ctrl-O
Duplicate
Ctrl-D
Canvas Menu Layer Options
Anchor Layer
Ctrl-H
Merge Visible Layers
Ctrl-M
Previous Layer
Prior (Page Up key, usually)
Next Layer
Next (Page Down key, usually)
Raise Layer
Shift-Prior
Lower Layer
Shift-Next
Layer to Top
Ctrl-Prior
Layer to Bottom
Ctrl-Next
Canvas Menu Tool Options
Reset Default Colors
D
Move
M
Swap Colors
X
Magnify
Shift-M
Text Tool
T
Crop / Resize
Shift-C
Color Picker
O
Transform
Shift-T
Rectangular Select
R
Flip
Shift-F
Elliptical Select
E
Bucket Fill
Shift-B
Free Select
F
Blend
L
Fuzzy Select
Z
Pencil
Shift-P
Bezier Select
B
Paintbrush
P
Intelligent Scissors
I
Eraser
Shift-E
Airbrush
A
Clone
C
Convolve
V
Ink
K
Dodge / Burn
Shift-D
Smudge
Shift-S
Canvas Menu Filters Options
Repeat Last (reruns last filter without dialog)
ALT-F
Re-Show Last (reopens last filter dialog)
Shift-ALT-F
Note: None of the actual filters comes with default keyboard shortcuts installed.
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