What is the shortcut for the Selection and Direct Selection tools?

Press V for the Selection tool and A for the Direct Selection tool. The Selection tool moves whole objects, while Direct Selection edits individual anchor points and path segments.

How do I switch between Outline and Preview mode?

Press Command Y on macOS or Ctrl Y on Windows to toggle Outline mode. Outline mode hides fills and strokes so you can see and select underlying paths quickly.

How do I make a clipping mask in Illustrator?

Select the objects with the mask shape on top, then press Command 7 on macOS or Ctrl 7 on Windows. Release it again with Command/Ctrl Alt 7.

What does Transform Again do?

Command D on macOS or Ctrl D on Windows repeats your last transform — move, rotate, scale or duplicate — which is handy for creating evenly spaced patterns.

Are these the default Illustrator shortcuts?

Yes, they match Illustrator's default keyboard set. If you edited shortcuts under Edit then Keyboard Shortcuts, your assignments may differ from this list.

What is the Adobe Illustrator Shortcuts?

An interactive Adobe Illustrator keyboard shortcut reference covering tools, object arrangement, paths and pathfinder, view controls and type, with correct keys for macOS and Windows. It runs free in your browser on Gera Tools, with nothing uploaded.

Adobe Illustrator Shortcuts

Name: Adobe Illustrator Shortcuts
Creator: Gera Tools
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Adobe Illustrator keyboard shortcuts

This searchable reference collects the Illustrator shortcuts that vector designers use constantly, with the correct keys for both macOS and Windows. It spans the single-letter tool keys, object arrangement, path and pathfinder operations, view controls and type formatting.

How it works

Illustrator gives each tool a single-letter shortcut — P for Pen, V for Selection, T for Type — while command shortcuts use Command (macOS) or Ctrl (Windows) together with Option/Alt and Shift. Arrange commands like bring-to-front use bracket keys, and clipping masks, compound paths and blends each have their own combination. Pick your operating system, search for an action, and every row shows the exact keys for that platform.

Essential shortcuts by category

Selection and tools

Action	macOS	Windows
Selection tool	V	V
Direct Selection	A	A
Pen tool	P	P
Type tool	T	T
Zoom in	⌘ +	Ctrl +
Zoom to fit artboard	⌘ 0	Ctrl 0

Object arrangement and grouping

Action	macOS	Windows
Group	⌘ G	Ctrl G
Ungroup	⌘ Shift G	Ctrl Shift G
Bring to front	⌘ Shift ]	Ctrl Shift ]
Send to back	⌘ Shift [	Ctrl Shift [
Bring forward	⌘ ]	Ctrl ]
Send backward	⌘ [	Ctrl [

Paths and masks

Action	macOS	Windows
Make clipping mask	⌘ 7	Ctrl 7
Release clipping mask	⌘ Alt 7	Ctrl Alt 7
Make compound path	⌘ 8	Ctrl 8
Join path endpoints	⌘ J	Ctrl J

View and document

Action	macOS	Windows
Outline / Preview toggle	⌘ Y	Ctrl Y
Transform again	⌘ D	Ctrl D
Undo	⌘ Z	Ctrl Z
Save	⌘ S	Ctrl S

Tips for faster workflows

Transform Again (⌘ D / Ctrl D) is one of the highest-leverage shortcuts in Illustrator. After moving, rotating, or scaling an object while holding Option/Alt (to duplicate), pressing ⌘ D repeats the transform on a new copy — essential for creating evenly spaced repeated elements like star bursts or grid patterns.
Outline mode (⌘ Y) strips fills and strokes and shows only path wireframes. Use it to select objects buried under other objects or to check that paths are correctly constructed before scaling.
Lock/hide layers before editing. While not a keyboard shortcut, clicking the layer lock icon before using the pen or shape tools prevents accidentally selecting anchors from underlying layers — a common source of messy paths.

These are the default Illustrator shortcuts. If you or someone on your team has edited shortcuts via Edit → Keyboard Shortcuts, your assignments may differ. The search and OS toggle run in your browser; nothing is uploaded.