Working with Objects

Illustrator offers keyboard shortcuts for selecting objects; changing their stacking order; transforming them; and grouping, locking, and hiding them.

Keyboard Shortcuts for Selecting Objects

Windows [Ctrl]-[A], Mac [ z ]-[A]

Select all objects

Windows [Ctrl]-[Shift]-[A], Mac [ z ]-[Shift]-[A]

Deselect the selection

Windows [Ctrl]-[6], Mac [ z ]-[6]

Reselect the selection you ve just deselected

Windows [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[]], Mac [ z ]-[Option]-[]]

Select the next object above the current object

Windows [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[[], Mac [ z ]-[Option]-[[]

Select the next object below the current object

Windows [Ctrl], Mac [ z ]

Select the last-used of the selection tools

Windows [Ctrl]-[Tab], Mac [ z ]-[Tab]

Toggle between the Selection tool and the Direct Selection tool or the Group Selection tool

When you press this shortcut from the Selection tool, Illustrator switches to whichever tool was last used ”the Direct Selection tool or the Group Selection tool. Press this shortcut again to switch back to the Selection tool.

Windows [Shift]-click, Mac [Shift]-click

Add the clicked object to, or subtract it from, the current selection

This shortcut works with the Selection tool, the Direct Selection tool, the Group Selection tool, and the Magic Wand tool.

Windows [Shift]-drag, Mac [Shift]-drag

Add to the selection with the Lasso tool

Windows [Alt]-drag, Mac [Option]-drag

Subtract from the selection with the Lasso tool

Keyboard Shortcuts for Moving Objects

Windows [], [], [], [], Mac [], [], [], []

Move the selection by one increment

When you press an arrow key, Illustrator moves the selection by the increment defined in the Keyboard Increment text box on the General sheet of the Preferences dialog box.

Windows [Shift]-[], [Shift]-[], [Shift]-[], [Shift]-[], Mac [Shift]-[], [Shift]-[], [Shift]-[], [Shift]-[]

Move the selection by ten increments

Illustrator moves the selection by ten of the increments defined in the Keyboard Increment text box on the General sheet of the Properties dialog box.

Windows [Shift], Mac [Shift]

Constrain the movement to a 45-degree angle

This shortcut doesn t work with the Reflect tool.

Keyboard Shortcuts for Changing the Stacking Order of Objects

Windows [Ctrl]-[]], Mac [ z ]-[]]

Bring the object forward by one object in the stack

Windows [Ctrl]-[Shift]-[]], Mac [ z ]-[Shift]-[]]

Bring the object to the front of the stack

Windows [Ctrl]-[[], Mac [ z ]-[[]

Send the object backward by one object in the stack

Windows [Ctrl]-[Shift]-[[], Mac [ z ]-[Shift]-[[]

Send the object to the back of the stack

Keyboard Shortcuts for Transforming Objects

Windows [Alt]-click, Mac [Option]-click

Set the origin point and display the appropriate dialog box

This shortcut works with the Rotate tool, the Scale tool, the Reflect tool, and the Shear tool. For example, with the Rotate tool selected, [Alt]-click to set the origin point and display the Rotate dialog box.

Windows [Alt]-drag, Mac [Option]-drag

Duplicate the selection and transform it

This shortcut works with the Selection tool, the Scale tool, the Reflect tool, and the Shear tool.

Windows [~]-drag, Mac [~]-drag

Transform the pattern independent of the object

This shortcut works with the Selection tool, the Scale tool, the Reflect tool, and the Shear tool.

Windows [Ctrl]-[D], Mac [ z ]-[D]

Transform again

Press this shortcut to repeat the previous transformation.

Windows [Ctrl]-[Shift]-[M], Mac [ z ]-[Shift]-[M]

Display the Move dialog box

In the Move dialog box (the Mac version is shown here), specify how to move the object, and then press [Enter] or [Return].

Tip

After selecting an object, you can also display the Move dialog box by double-clicking the Selection tool, the Direct Selection tool, or the Group Selection tool.

Windows [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[Shift]-[D], Mac [ z ]-[Option]-[Shift]-[D]

Display the Transform Each dialog box

Use the Transform Each dialog box (the Windows version is shown here) to move multiple objects by the same amount. You can also use the Random option to move the objects randomly up to the distances you specify in the Horizontal text box and Vertical text box in the Move group box.

Keyboard Shortcuts for Grouping and Ungrouping Objects

Windows [Ctrl]-[G], Mac [ z ]-[G]

Group the selected objects together

By grouping two or more objects together, you can treat them as a single unit ” for example, so that you can move them and format them as if they were a single object.

Windows [Ctrl]-[Shift]-[G], Mac [ z ]-[Shift]-[G]

Ungroup the selected group of objects

Keyboard Shortcuts for Locking and Unlocking Objects

Windows [Ctrl]-[2], Mac [ z ]-[2]

Lock the selected object or objects

Lock an object when you want to make sure you don t select it or edit it.

Windows [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[2], Mac [ z ]-[Option]-[2]

Unlock all objects

Unlock locked objects when you need to work with them again.

Windows [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[Shift]-[2], Mac [ z ]-[Option]-[Shift]-[2]

Lock all deselected artwork

Keyboard Shortcuts for Hiding and Showing Objects

Windows [Ctrl]-[3], Mac [ z ]-[3]

Hide the selection

Hide a selection when you want to prevent yourself from selecting it or modifying it or when you simply want to remove it from view so that you can work with objects that it overlaps.

Windows [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[3], Mac [ z ]-[Option]-[3]

Show all hidden items

Press this shortcut to display hidden items so that you can see them and work with them again.

Keyboard Shortcuts for Joining and Averaging Paths

Windows [Ctrl]-[J], Mac [ z ]-[J]

Join the endpoints of the selected open path

Windows [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[J], Mac [ z ]-[Option]-[J]

Average two or more anchor points

Use the Average command to move selected anchor points to a new position derived from the average of their current positions . The points can be on different paths or the same path.

Keyboard Shortcuts for Making and Releasing Compound Paths

Windows [Ctrl]-[8], Mac [ z ]-[8]

Make a compound path from the selected paths

Windows [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[8], Mac [ z ]-[Option]-[8]

Release the selected compound path

Keyboard Shortcuts for Blending Objects

Windows [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[B], Mac [ z ]-[Option]-[B]

Issue a Make Blend command

Press this shortcut to have Illustrator create intermediate objects between the objects you ve selected.

Windows [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[Shift]-[B], Mac [ z ]-[Option]-[Shift]-[B]

Release the blended objects

Keyboard Shortcuts for Envelope Distort

Windows [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[Shift]-[W], Mac [ z ]-[Option]-[Shift]-[W]

Display the Warp Options dialog box

In the Warp Options dialog box (the Mac version is shown here), choose the warp style and other options, and then press [Enter] (on Windows) or [Return] (on the Mac).

Windows [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[M], Mac [ z ]-[Option]-[M]

Display the Envelope Mesh dialog box

In the Envelope Mesh dialog box (the Windows version is shown here), specify the number of rows and columns for the mesh, and then press [Enter] or [Return].

Windows [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[C], Mac [ z ]-[Option]-[C]

Make an envelope with the top object

Windows [Ctrl]-[Shift]-[V], Mac [ z ]-[Shift]-[V]

Edit the contents of the selected envelope

Keyboard Shortcuts for Making and Releasing Clipping Masks

Windows [Ctrl]-[7], Mac [ z ]-[7]

Make a clipping mask

Windows [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[7], Mac [ z ]-[Option]-[7]

Release the selected clipping mask

Keyboard Shortcuts for Painting Objects

Windows [X], Mac [X]

Toggle between fill and stroke

Windows [D], Mac [D]

Set the fill and stroke to the default setting

Windows [Shift]-[X], Mac [Shift]-[X]

Swap the fill and the stroke

Windows [.], Mac [.]

Select Gradient Fill mode

Windows [,], Mac [,]

Select Color Fill or Stroke mode

Windows [/], Mac [/]

Select No Stroke or No Fill mode

Windows [Ctrl]-[/], Mac [ z ]-[/]

Add a new fill

Windows [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[/], Mac [ z ]-[Option]-[/]

Add a new stroke

Windows [Alt], Mac [Option]

Toggle between the Paint Bucket tool and the Eyedropper tool

Press this shortcut when the Paint Bucket tool is selected to change temporarily to the Eyedropper tool, and vice versa.

Windows [Shift]-click with Eyedropper tool, Mac [Shift]-click with Eyedropper tool

Sample the color

Use this shortcut to sample the color from a picture or an intermediate color from a gradient.

Windows [Alt]-[Shift]-click with Eyedropper tool, Mac [Option]-[Shift]-click with Eyedropper tool

Sample the style and append the appearance of the currently selected item

Windows [Ctrl]-click the Gradient button, Mac [ z ]-click the Gradient button

Restore the gradient to black and white