Go to Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.
Last updated on
Jul 17, 2024
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Learn how to customize, define, clear, or delete shortcuts in Illustrator.
Keyboard shortcuts make you more productive in Illustrator. You can use the default shortcuts or add and customize shortcuts to suit your needs.
You can define your own sets of shortcuts, change individual shortcuts within a set, and switch between sets of shortcuts. You can create separate sets for different workspaces by going to Window > Workspace.
Find help in the app
Follow along to view and customise keyboard shortcuts in one simple step.
Define new keyboard shortcuts
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Select a set of shortcuts from the Set options in the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog.
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Select a shortcut type from the menu above the shortcut display.
Menu Commands
You can customize keyboard shortcuts for items in the menu bar and panel menus.
Tools
You can customize keyboard shortcuts for tools in the toolbox.
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Follow any of these options:
- Select the Shortcut column of the scroll list and type a new shortcut to change an existing one. If you enter a shortcut assigned to another command or tool, you'll view an alert. Select Undo to undo the change, or Go To Conflict to go to the other command or tool and give it a new shortcut. In the Symbol column, type the symbol in the menu or tool tip for the command or tool and then select OK. You can use any of the characters allowed in the Shortcut column.
- Select OK to save a new set of shortcuts. Enter a name for the new shortcut set, and select OK. The new key set will appear in the pop‑up menu under the new name.
- Select Export Text... to export the displayed shortcuts into a text file. In the Save Key Set File As dialog, enter a filename for the current key set, and select OK. You can use this text file to print a copy of your keyboard shortcuts.
Note:macOS does not allow you to assign Command+Option+8 as a menu shortcut.
Example: Create a custom keyboard shortcut for Crop Image
Here's an example of creating a shortcut to Crop Image:
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Go to Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.
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Select Menu Commands.
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Select Object > Crop Image.
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Type a new shortcut.
An alert appears if the keyboard shortcut is already assigned to another command or tool in the set. Reassign a shortcut, select OK and Go To Conflict to assign a new shortcut to the other command or tool.
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Enter a name for the saved keyset.
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Select OK.
You can also clear shortcuts from a command or tool and delete a set of shortcuts.
Clear a single shortcut
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Select Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.
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Select the command or tool name whose shortcut you want to delete in the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog.
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Select Clear and then select OK.
Delete a set of shortcuts
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Go to Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.
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Select the shortcut set you want to delete in the Set drop-down list.
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Select the Delete icon and then select OK.
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To customize your keyboard shortcuts, navigate to Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.
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Select Menu Commands > Other Text, then navigate to the Bold, Italics, or Underline section.
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Assign a new shortcut, and then select OK.
The customized keyboard shortcut you create should be unique and accompanied by a modifier key (like Ctrl or Command).
Locate custom shortcuts on your machine
The custom Illustrator keyboard shortcuts are saved in the following locations:
macOS:
user/Library/Preferences/Illustrator CC Settings/[language]/mycustomshortcut.kys
Windows:
<rootdir>\Users\[user name]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator CC Settings\[language]\mycustomshortcut.kys
Note:
In addition to keyboard shortcuts, you can access many commands using context-sensitive menus. Context-sensitive menus display commands relevant to the active tool, selection, or panel. To display a context-sensitive menu, right-click (Windows) or control-click (macOS) in the document window or panel.
If you've previously saved a set of keyboard shortcuts other than the default, then the keyboard shortcuts are stored in a .kys file in the preferences folder. You can copy this file into the same location on the new computer. You can then choose this set from the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog.
You can use the same .kys file across platforms as long as the modified shortcuts are valid.
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