120 Most Useful Adobe Illustrator Keyboard Shortcuts

Using Adobe Illustrator keyboard shortcuts will help you create art faster and focus more time on the creativity side. Use them regularly, and you won’t have to go back and forth to select, find the right tool, or make new shapes. This’ll eliminate the need to click several times to achieve the desired action.

As you look over the tools menu, you’ll notice that they already have a keyboard shortcut in parenthesis right next to the name of each individual tool. For example, you’ll notice a (P) next to the pen tool. So go ahead and press P on your keyboard, and you won’t have to go to the tools menu and manually select the Pen.

But Adobe Illustrator has much more shortcuts than just tools. You can use them to select items, copy them, group items, and so on. This article lists the ones mostly used by professionals and beginners alike. So use our keyboard shortcut tables for your cheat sheets. Also, make sure to check our list with the best GIMP keyboard shortcuts for maximum productivity.

Most Popular Shortcuts

These keyboard shortcuts will help you interact with Adobe Illustrator and perform various tasks quickly. They are most popular because they are actions that need to be repeated frequently, no matter what you are working on.

Documents Related Shortcuts

The keyboard shortcuts listed in the next table will help you set up your document and work with it in various ways. Use them to quickly create new documents or to save existing ones. You can even use a shortcut to print out your work without the hassle of going through the different menus.

Adobe Illustrator Tool Shortcuts

Adobe Illustrator is filled with useful tools that you’ll use regularly in your projects. As mentioned, many tools have already written shortcuts next to their name, but some are grouped together, and you’d have to navigate around the toolbox a lot just to find them. The best would be to learn the ones you use the most by heart. That way, you won’t have to spend time searching through the tools menu each time you need to switch a tool.

View and Navigation Shortcuts

The shortcuts described in the next table will help you view your document and navigate any section of it quickly.

Work With Selections

Working with selections can be tiresome. It’s very nuanced work, and you need tons of practice to perfect it. But these shortcuts might help you along with your workflow.

Work with Text

Text can be a huge part of your Adobe Illustrator projects. Here are some keyboard shortcuts that’ll help you manipulate the text faster.

With Adobe Illustrator’s vast array of helpful keyboard shortcuts, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be flying through your design projects faster and with greater precision. Whether you’re a first-time user or an experienced professional graphic designer, taking advantage of this more efficient way to work can save both time and frustration. Learning these shortcuts may take some time and practice but with a bit of dedication, that time will be well spent! Don’t forget to come back and check out our other posts if you’re looking for even more Adobe software tips and tricks.