Learn the best GIMP Keyboard Shortcuts to get the most out of the GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Programme). You can speed up your work, get more done, and easily switch between the many features of this powerful open-source image editing software by using these shortcuts. Whether you’re an experienced GIMP user or a beginner who wants to get the most out of editing, learning these keyboard shortcuts will make you much more productive.
The Best GIMP Keyboard Shortcuts can be used for a lot of different things, from simple things like choosing tools and moving between layers to more complex things like changing the opacity and adding filters. By using these keyboard shortcuts when you edit, you can speed up common tasks and save time and effort. Below, we have mention the best GIMP Keyboard Shortcuts.
Importance of Keyboard Shortcuts in GIMP
In GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Programme), keyboard shortcuts are very important for making work faster and more productive. They make it easy for users to quickly do common tasks like choosing tools, moving between layers, and adding effects without having to go through menus.
GIMP users can speed up the editing process, avoid interruptions, and stay focused on the creative parts of their projects by learning and using keyboard shortcuts correctly. This makes them more productive and improves the overall user experience.
Best GIMP Keyboard Shortcuts
GIMP is a powerful open-source programme for editing images. It has a lot of keyboard shortcuts that make work easier and faster. You can undo by pressing Ctrl + Z, copy by pressing Ctrl + C, and paste by pressing Ctrl + V. Learning these shortcuts makes you more productive and makes editing in GIMP go more smoothly.
General Shortcuts
Shortcut | Description |
---|---|
Ctrl + N | New File |
Ctrl + O | Open File |
Ctrl + S | Save File |
Ctrl + Shift + S | Save As |
Ctrl + Q | Quit GIMP |
Ctrl + Z | Undo |
Ctrl + Y | Redo |
Ctrl + X | Cut |
Ctrl + C | Copy |
Ctrl + V | Paste |
Ctrl + A | Select All |
Ctrl + D | Deselect |
Ctrl + Shift + D | Duplicate Layer |
Ctrl + Shift + F | Fill |
Ctrl + Shift + J | Anchor Layer |
Ctrl + Shift + N | Create New Layer |
Ctrl + Shift + T | Transform |
Ctrl + Shift + U | Desaturate |
Ctrl + + | Zoom In |
Ctrl + – | Zoom Out |
Ctrl + 0 | Reset Zoom |
Ctrl + I | Invert Selection |
Ctrl + Shift + L | Auto Levels |
File Operations
Shortcut | Description |
---|---|
Ctrl + N | New |
Ctrl + O | Open |
Ctrl + S | Save |
Ctrl + Shift + S | Save As |
Ctrl + Q | Quit |
Editing
Shortcut | Description |
---|---|
Ctrl + X | Cut |
Ctrl + C | Copy |
Ctrl + V | Paste |
Ctrl + Z | Undo |
Ctrl + Shift + Z | Redo |
Tools Shortcuts
Shortcut | Description |
---|---|
B | Paintbrush Tool |
P | Pencil Tool |
E | Eraser Tool |
F | Flip Tool |
S | Scale Tool |
T | Text Tool |
R | Rectangle Select Tool |
U | Ellipse Select Tool |
L | Lasso Select Tool |
Shift + B | Blend Tool |
Shift + E | Smudge Tool |
Shift + O | Dodge/Burn Tool |
Shift + R | Fuzzy Select Tool |
Shift + T | Color Picker Tool |
Shift + U | Measure Tool |
Shift + F | Free Select Tool |
Shift + I | Scissors Select Tool |
Image Navigation
Shortcut | Description |
---|---|
Space | Pan Tool |
Ctrl + + | Zoom In |
Ctrl + – | Zoom Out |
Ctrl + 0 | Fit Image in Window |
Navigation Shortcuts
Shortcut | Description |
---|---|
Space | Move around image |
Ctrl + Space | Zoom Tool |
Tab | Toggle Docks |
Ctrl + L | Move Layer Up |
Ctrl + J | Move Layer Down |
Ctrl + M | Move Layer |
Ctrl + Shift + M | Align Layer |
Ctrl + H | Toggle Selection |
Best GIMP Keyboard Shortcuts for different platforms
GIMP is a powerful open-source programme for editing images. It has many keyboard shortcuts that make it easier to use on different platforms. For Windows, key combinations like Ctrl+C (to copy) and Ctrl+V (to paste) make editing faster. On macOS, the Command key equivalents stay the same, like Command+C and Command+V. Learning these shortcuts will help you get more done and better understand how to use GIMP’s features.
Windows/Linux Shortcuts
Shortcut | Description |
---|---|
Ctrl + N | New image |
Ctrl + O | Open image |
Ctrl + S | Save image |
Ctrl + Shift + S | Save image as… |
Ctrl + Z | Undo |
Ctrl + Y | Redo |
Ctrl + C | Copy selection |
Ctrl + X | Cut selection |
Ctrl + V | Paste selection |
Ctrl + Shift + C | Copy visible |
Ctrl + Shift + V | Paste as new layer |
Ctrl + A | Select all |
Ctrl + D | Deselect |
Ctrl + Shift + A | Select none |
Ctrl + Shift + J | Fill with foreground color |
Ctrl + . | Grow selection |
Ctrl + , | Shrink selection |
Ctrl + L | Levels |
Ctrl + M | Curves |
Ctrl + Shift + E | Export as… |
Ctrl + Shift + F | Fit image in window |
Ctrl + Shift + L | Convert to grayscale |
Ctrl + Shift + N | Create a new layer |
Ctrl + Shift + T | Transform layer |
Ctrl + Shift + I | Invert selection |
Ctrl + 1 | Zoom in |
Ctrl + 0 | Actual size |
Ctrl + – | Zoom out |
Ctrl + Space | Pan image |
Ctrl + Shift + Z | Redo (Repeat) |
Ctrl + Shift + Alt + E | Merge visible layers |
Ctrl + Shift + N | Create new layer |
macOS Shortcuts
Shortcut | Description |
---|---|
Cmd + N | New image |
Cmd + O | Open image |
Cmd + S | Save image |
Cmd + Shift + S | Save image as… |
Cmd + Z | Undo |
Cmd + Y | Redo |
Cmd + C | Copy selection |
Cmd + X | Cut selection |
Cmd + V | Paste selection |
Cmd + Shift + C | Copy visible |
Cmd + Shift + V | Paste as new layer |
Cmd + A | Select all |
Cmd + D | Deselect |
Cmd + Shift + A | Select none |
Cmd + Shift + J | Fill with foreground color |
Cmd + . | Grow selection |
Cmd + , | Shrink selection |
Cmd + L | Levels |
Cmd + M | Curves |
Cmd + Shift + E | Export as… |
Cmd + Shift + F | Fit image in window |
Cmd + Shift + L | Convert to grayscale |
Cmd + Shift + N | Create a new layer |
Cmd + Shift + T | Transform layer |
Cmd + Shift + I | Invert selection |
Cmd + 1 | Zoom in |
Cmd + 0 | Actual size |
Cmd + – | Zoom out |
Cmd + Space | Pan image |
Cmd + Shift + Z | Redo (Repeat) |
Cmd + Shift + Alt + E | Merge visible layers |
Cmd + Shift + N | Create new layer |
Tips for Memorizing and Learning GIMP Keyboard Shortcuts
When working with images and graphics, learning and remembering GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Programme) keyboard shortcuts can make your work much faster and easier. To help you remember and learn GIMP keyboard shortcuts better, here are some tips:
Start with the A to Z: To start, learn the GIMP keyboard shortcuts that you will use most often. Some of these are shortcuts for basic actions like choosing tools, moving between layers, and editing tasks like copying, pasting, and undoing.
Pay attention to shortcuts you use often: Figuring out the keyboard shortcuts you use most often while editing photos is important. Examples of these are keyboard shortcuts for tools or actions you do often. Learn these shortcuts as soon as possible.
Practice Using Them Often: Using GIMP keyboard shortcuts often will help you remember them and make you faster. Don’t just use the mouse or menus to get things done; make an effort to use shortcuts instead.
Group Shortcuts by Function: You can group keyboard shortcuts by what they do or what tools they work with. Like, put shortcuts for selection tools together, shortcuts for painting tools together, and so on. Putting shortcuts in order by what they do can help you remember them.
Make Cheat Sheets: Write down the GIMP keyboard shortcuts you want to remember on cheat sheets or reference guides. You can keep these cheat sheets close to your desk and use them whenever you need to review something.
Troubleshooting and Common Issues with GIMP Shortcuts
Fixing common problems with GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Programme) shortcuts can help you get more done and speed up your work. If you’re having trouble with GIMP shortcuts, try these steps and solutions:
Check Shortcut Conflicts: Make sure there are no shortcut conflicts. Shortcuts might not work as expected if they are in conflict with other system shortcuts or GIMP settings. Check the keyboard shortcuts on your system to make sure they don’t interfere with the GIMP shortcuts. You can also look in GIMP’s preferences to see if any of the shortcuts are being used in ways that don’t work well together.
Reset Shortcut Preferences: If you’re having trouble with certain shortcuts or if shortcuts don’t work at all, you can reset GIMP’s shortcut preferences to the way they were when it was first installed. Click on the “Reset Saved Shortcuts to Default” button under “Edit > Preferences > Interface > Shortcut Keys.”
Verify Shortcut Keybindings: To make sure that the shortcut keybindings are set up correctly in GIMP, check the shortcut keybindings. To see and change how shortcut keys are bound, go to Edit > Preferences > Interface > Shortcut Keys. Make sure that the shortcuts you want to use are linked to the right tools or actions.
Restart GIMP: Sometimes, restarting GIMP is all it takes to fix problems with shortcuts that stopped working or were glitchy because of temporary software problems or memory leaks. Open GIMP again after closing it to see if the shortcuts work again.
Upgrade GIMP: Make sure you have the most recent version of GIMP, as newer versions may fix bugs and make shortcuts work better. You can use the package manager for your distribution to get the latest version of GIMP or check the official GIMP website for updates.
FAQs
Start the command. To access this command, use Edit → Fill with Pattern in the image menubar or the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+;.
The Eraser removes colour from the current layer or a selection.