GIMP Keyboard Shortcuts Cheatsheet

Gimp Shortcuts Featured

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is an open-source photo editor which is available on Windows, Mac or Linux, that boasts a huge number of features and functions that rival Photoshop. Unlike Adobe’s offering, however, GIMP is totally free to install and use, which certainly helps boost its appeal. Like you’d expect, GIMP has a large number of default keyboard shortcuts that can speed up your workflow considerably. We’ve aggregated them into a single post, so you can quickly view them at a glance.

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Selection Tools

Selection tools are designed to help you select certain regions from the active layer, so you can work on then without affecting the unselected areas.

Windows & LinuxMacFunction
RRRectangle select
EEEllipse select
FFFree select
UUFuzzy select
Shift + OShift + O Select by color
IIScissors
Shift + VShift + VSelect from Path
OOColor Picker

Selections

The table below includes shortcuts to help you interact with selection more easily.

Windows & LinuxMacFunction
Ctrl + TCommand + TToggle selections
Ctrl + ACommand + ASelect all
Shift + Ctrl + A Shift + Command + ASelect none
Ctrl + I Command + IInvert selection
Shift + Ctrl + L Shift + Command + LFloat selection
Shift + VShift + VSelect from path

Editing

GIMP’s Toolbox allows you to quickly perform several actions by clicking on them. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcuts below to make life easier.

Windows & LinuxMacFunction
MMMove
Shift + CShift + CCrop and resize
Shift + RShift + RRotate
Shift + TShift + TScale
Shift + SShift + SShear
Shift + PShift + PPerspective
Shift + FShift + FFlip
TTText
Shift + BShift + BBucket fill
LLBlend
NNPencil
PPPaintbrush
Shift + EShift + EEraser
AAAirbrush
KKInk
CCClone
SSSmudge
Shift + DShift + DDodge / Burn
XXSwap colors
DDDefault colors

File

Access and interact with new files and images with these keyboard shortcuts.

Windows & LinuxMacFunction
Ctrl + NCommand + NOpen new file
Ctrl + OCommand + OOpen image
Ctrl + Alt + OCommand + Option + OOpen image as new layer
Ctrl + 1
Ctrl + 2
Ctrl + 3
and so on
Command + 1
Command + 2
Command + 3
and soon
Open recent image 01
Open recent image 02
Open recent image 03
Shift + Ctrl + VShift + Command + V Create a new image from Clipboard
Shift + Ctrl + SShift + Command + SSave under a new name
Shift + Ctrl + WShift + Command + WClose All
Ctrl + Q Command + Q Quit

View

The shortcuts in this table will make interacting with the various elements in GIMP a lot easier.

Windows & LinuxMacFunction
F10F10Main menu
Shift + F10Shift + F10Drop-down menu
F11F10Switch to full screen
Shift + QShift + QToggle quickmask
Ctrl + WCommand + WClose document window
Ctrl + ECommand + EShrink wrap
Shift + Ctrl + EShift + Command + E Fit image in window
Shift + Ctrl + R Shift + Command + R Toggle rulers
Shift + Ctrl + T Shift + Command + TToggle guides
Ctrl + ZCommand + ZUndo
Ctrl + Y Command + YRedo
Ctrl + C Command + CCopy selection
Ctrl + X Command + X Cut selection
Ctrl + Shift + CCommand + Shift + CCopy visible
Ctrl + Shift + V Command + Shift + V Paste as new image
Ctrl + V Command + V Paste clipboard
Ctrl + K Command + K Clear selection
Shift + Ctrl + C Shift + Command + C Named copy selection
Shift + Ctrl + X Shift + Command + X Named cut selection
Shift + Ctrl + V Shift + Command + V Named paste clipboard
Ctrl + , Command +,Fill with FG color
Ctrl + . Command +. Fill with BG color
Ctrl + : Command +:Fill with pattern

Dialogs

In GIMP, dialogs are moving windows which contain options for a tool for or is dedicated to a specific task. With these shortcuts you’ll be able to manipulate them more easily.

Windows & LinuxMacFunction
Ctrl + LCommand + LLayers
Shift + Ctrl + B Shift + Command + B Brushes
Shift + Ctrl + P Shift + Command + P Patterns
Shift + Ctrl + T Shift + Command + T Tool options
Ctrl + PCommand + P Palettes
Shift + Ctrl + I Shift + Command + IInfo window
Shift + Ctrl + N Shift + Command + N Navigation window
Alt + F4Option + F4Close the window
TabTabGo to the next widget
Shift + TabShift + Tab Jump to the previous widget
EnterOptionSet new value
SpaceSpaceActivate current button on the list
Ctrl + Alt + Page UpCommand + Option + Page UpSwitch tabs, when in a multi-tab dialog
Shift + LShift + LOpen location
Alt + ↓Option + ↓Down folder
Alt + ↑ Option + ↑Up folder
Alt + Home Option + HomeHome folder
EscEscClose dialog

Layers

Manipulate layers with ease with these shortcuts.

Windows & LinuxMacFunction
Shift + Ctrl + NShift + Command + NNew layer
Shift + Ctrl + D Shift + Command + DDuplicate layer
Ctrl + HCommand + HAnchor layer
Page UpPage Up Select the above layer
Page DownPage Down Select the layer below
HomeHomeSelect the first layer
EndEndSelect the last layer
Ctrl + MCommand + MMerge visible layers
Ctrl + HCommand + HAnchor layer

Plug-ins

Windows & LinuxMacFunction
Ctrl + FCommand + FRepeat last plug-in
Shift + Ctrl + F Shift + Command + FReshow last plug-in
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Alexandra Arici
Alexandra Arici - Staff Writer

Alexandra is passionate about mobile tech and can be often found fiddling with a smartphone from some obscure company. She kick-started her career in tech journalism in 2013, after working a few years as a middle-school teacher. Constantly driven by curiosity, Alexandra likes to know how things work and to share that knowledge with everyone.