InDesign Keyboard Shortcuts
100+ Adobe InDesign shortcuts for layout design, typography, and print production. Mac and Windows reference.
Selection
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Selection Tool | |
| Select All | |
| Deselect All | |
| Select All on Active Spread | |
| Deselect / Switch to Selection Tool | |
| Select next object | |
| Select previous object | |
| Select through group | |
| Select next spread | |
| Select previous spread |
Tools
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Type Tool | |
| Type on a Path Tool | |
| Pen Tool | |
| Pencil Tool | |
| Rectangle Frame Tool | |
| Rectangle Tool | |
| Ellipse Tool | |
| Line Tool | |
| Rotate Tool | |
| Scale Tool | |
| Shear Tool | |
| Free Transform Tool | |
| Eyedropper Tool | |
| Gradient Tool | |
| Scissors Tool | |
| Hand Tool | |
| Zoom Tool | |
| Direct Selection Tool | |
| Gap Tool |
Typography
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Increase font size | |
| Decrease font size | |
| Increase leading (line spacing) | |
| Decrease leading | |
| Increase kerning/tracking | |
| Decrease kerning/tracking | |
| Increase font size x5 | |
| Decrease font size x5 | |
| Bold | |
| Italic | |
| Underline | |
| Strikethrough | |
| All Caps | |
| Small Caps | |
| Justify all lines | |
| Align Left | |
| Align Right | |
| Align Center |
Objects
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Group objects | |
| Ungroup objects | |
| Lock object | |
| Unlock all on spread | |
| Bring Forward | |
| Bring to Front | |
| Send Backward | |
| Send to Back | |
| Fit Content to Frame | |
| Fit Frame to Content | |
| Fit Content Proportionally | |
| Fill Frame Proportionally | |
| Place (import) file |
Pages
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Add new page | |
| Go to page | |
| Apply Master to pages | |
| Override master page item | |
| Next page | |
| Previous page |
View
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Zoom in | |
| Zoom out | |
| Fit page in window | |
| Zoom to 100% | |
| Fit spread in window | |
| Toggle Preview mode | |
| Show/Hide guides | |
| Show/Hide frame edges | |
| Lock/Unlock guides | |
| Show/Hide rulers | |
| Show/Hide baseline grid |
File
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Save | |
| Save As | |
| Export | |
| New document | |
| Open document | |
| Undo | |
| Redo | |
| Document Setup |
Panels
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Show/Hide Swatches panel | |
| Show/Hide Color panel | |
| Show/Hide Layers panel | |
| Show/Hide Character panel | |
| Show/Hide Paragraph panel | |
| Show/Hide Stroke panel | |
| Show/Hide Pages panel |
Pro tips
Master the Type Tool
InDesign is built for typography. Learn kerning (Alt+Arrow), tracking, and leading shortcuts - they're faster than the Character panel and give you precise control.
Use Parent Pages (Masters)
Set up repeating elements like page numbers, headers, and footers on parent pages. Ctrl+Shift+Click overrides individual elements when needed.
Fitting Shortcuts Save Time
Ctrl+Alt+C (fit content to frame), Ctrl+Alt+E (fit frame to content), Ctrl+Shift+Alt+E (fill proportionally). These 3 shortcuts handle 90% of image fitting.
Preview Mode is Essential
Press W to toggle Preview mode - it hides all guides, grids, and frame edges so you see your layout exactly as it will print. Check your work frequently.
Place Multiple Files at Once
Ctrl+D opens Place. Select multiple files, then click or drag on your layout to place them one by one. Hold Shift to place as a grid. Massive time saver.
Learn Object Styles
Like paragraph styles but for frames. Define stroke, fill, corner effects, text wrap - then apply consistently. When the design changes, update the style once.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between InDesign and Illustrator?
InDesign is for multi-page layouts (books, magazines, brochures, reports). Illustrator is for single-page vector graphics (logos, icons, illustrations). Use InDesign when you have pages with flowing text; use Illustrator for standalone graphics.
How do I set up a document for print?
File → New → set dimensions, margins, bleed (typically 3mm/0.125"), and columns. Use CMYK color mode. Set up parent pages for repeating elements. Use paragraph styles for consistent text formatting throughout.
What's the difference between a frame and an object?
Frames are containers - they hold text or images. Objects are shapes. A rectangle frame (M) is meant to hold placed content; a rectangle (F) is a filled shape. You can convert between them, but starting with the right type is cleaner.
How do I create a table of contents?
First, apply paragraph styles consistently to your headings. Then go to Layout → Table of Contents. Map your heading styles to TOC styles. InDesign generates the TOC automatically with correct page numbers.
How do I export a print-ready PDF?
File → Export → Adobe PDF (Print). Use the 'Press Quality' preset for professional printing, or 'High Quality Print' for general use. Ensure bleeds are included, fonts are embedded, and images are at 300 DPI.
How do I use paragraph and character styles?
Paragraph styles control entire paragraphs (font, size, leading, alignment, spacing). Character styles override specific words within a paragraph (bold, italic, color). Define them in the respective panels, then apply with one click.
Want to master InDesign?
Go beyond shortcuts with in-depth InDesign video courses, from the basics all the way to advanced workflows.
Explore InDesign courses