Photoshop shortcuts to speed up your workflow/creative blog

When working in Photoshop, simple tasks can become a
hindrance to your workflow. So to help out, we've got a great
selection of Photoshop shortcuts right here, all guaranteed to
speed up your workflow once you get the hang of them.
We've also got free Photoshop actions to create stunning effects
and some brilliant Photoshop tutorials to help you put them into
practise.
Whether you want to change the size of your text, deselect a
layer or merge a series of layers – we've got it covered! There
are also some handy hints for brushes, saving and closing, and
viewing options. So if you're using an old version of CS or the
latest Creative Cloud , these shortcuts will speed up your
workflow.
Layers
Create New layer
MAC: Shift+Cmd+N
WINDOWS: Shift+Ctrl+N
Get started on your latest project in next to no time with this
handy shortcut that instantly whips up a new layer and dialog
box.
Create new layer behind selected layer
MAC: Ctrl+New Layer icon
WINDOWS: Cmd+New Layer Icon
Mastering the new layer shortcut is a doddle, so once your
ready to drop in a layer behind it, be sure to use this shortcut.
Fill a layer
MAC: Alt+Backspace (foreground) or Cmd+Backspace
(background)
WINDOWS: Alt+Delete (foreground) or Ctrl+Delete
(background)
This command will fill an empty later with the current
foreground or background colour.
Flatten layers
MAC: Cmd+Alt+Shift+E
WINDOWS: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E
Add a new, empty layer to the top of your stack, select it and
use the above command to flatten the layers in an image to
sharpen the result. This adds a flattened version of the image to
the new layer but leaves the layers intact too.
Merge visible layers
MAC: Cmd+Shift+E
WINDOWS: Ctrl+Shift+E
This command will allow you merge all your existing layers in
order to create one new layer. Beware! Once merged, they are
extremely difficult to seperate.
Stamp down selected layers
MAC: Cmd+Alt+E
WINDOWS: Ctrl+Alt+E
Once you've selected your layers, use this command to merge
them into just one layer. To see them merged as a new layer,
simply add in the Shift modifier. This is useful if you need to
make adjustments later on.
New layer via copy
MAC: Cmd+J
WINDOWS: Ctrl+J
Use this command to create a new layer from an existing one.
Sound complicated? Give it a go!
New layer via cut
MAC: Cmd+Shift+J
WINDOWS: Ctrl+Shift+J
Like creating a new layer via copy, this command will create a
new layer with the selected image area in it, the only difference
via cut is that it will remove the selected image portion from the
original image.
Bring layer to top of stack
MAC: Cmd+Shift+]
WINDOWS: Ctrl+Shift+]
Here, you can move your preferred layer to the top of the stack of
images you're working with in Photoshop.
Send layer to bottom of stack
MAC: Cmd+Shift+[
WINDOWS: Ctrl+Shift+[
This is plenty self-explanatory in that it does exactly the same
as the command above but in the opposite direction.
Bring layer forward
MAC: Cmd+]
WINDOWS: Ctrl+]
This will allow you to bring any selected image to the front.
Send layer back
MAC: Cmd+[
WINDOWS: Ctrl+[
If you decide to change your mind, you can always select the
image and send it to the back of the pile!
Copy multiple layers
MAC: Shift+Cmd+C
WINDOWS: Shift+Ctrl+C
Draw a selection, then use this command to take every layer into
the clippig, rather than just the current layer selection.
Selecting
Reselect
MAC: Cmd+Shift+D
WINDOWS: Ctrl+Shift+D
This is a great command for any of you that accidentally click
away from a section. Pressing these buttons will have that
section reselected in no time.
Invert selection
MAC: Cmd+Shift+I
WINDOWS: Ctrl+Shift+I
Select objects around an already pre-selected image. This way,
you'll be able to work around your main focus without losing it!
Select all layers
MAC: Cmd+Opt+A
WINDOWS: Ctrl+Alt+A
A perfect command for those times when you need to get
everything in sync.
Select bottom layer
MAC: Opt+Comma(,)
WINDOWS: Alt+Comma(,)
This will select the bottom layer in the layers panel.
Select top layer
MAC: Opt+Period(.)
WINDOWS: Alt+Period(.)
This will select the top layer in the layers panel.
Deselect from the selection area
MAC: Opt+drag
WINDOWS: Alt+drag
If you need to deselect a certain area sharpish, then hit these
keys.
Deselect all but the intersected area
MAC: Shift+Opt+drag
WINDOWS: Shift+Alt+drag
If you don't want to deselect an area, you can use this shortcut
to ensure you're clicking on what you want.
Deselect the entire image
MAC: Cmd+D
WINDOWS: Ctrl+D
If you need to get away from the image, use this shortcut to
deselect anything that you've clicked on.
Find the sizing handles
MAC: Cmd+T, Cmd+0
WINDOWS: Ctrl+T, then Ctrl+0
When pasting a layer or selection into a Photoshop image and
it's bigger than the current image, it can be difficult to find the
sizing handles. This command selects Transform and sizes the
image inside the window so you can see the sizing handles.
Move a selection
MAC: Spacebar+Marquee Tool
WINDOWS: Spacebar+Marquee Tool
Want to move a selection easily? Simple press and hold the
Spacebar and continue to do so until the selection is in the
correct place.
Select individual channels
MAC: Cmd+3(red),4(green),5(blue)
WINDOWS: Ctrl+3(red),4(green),5(blue)
Selecting with Photoshop Channels makes removing a complex
object from the background much easier than with other tools.
And using this shortcut makes it even simpler.
Select a colour from an image
MAC: Opt+Brush Tool
WINDOWS: Alt+Brush Tool
When working with a Photoshop brush, if you want to sample a
colour from an image, instead of clicking the Eyedropper tool,
simply hold the Alt or Option key to switch temporarily. Then let
go to return to the Brush tool.
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