Master Adobe InDesign: Top 100 Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

In the world of digital design, Adobe InDesign is a titan, renowned for its robust feature set that caters to everything from magazine layouts to interactive PDFs. However, even the most seasoned designers might not be tapping into
InDesign’s full potential. How? By not utilizing keyboard shortcuts. That’s right, those little keystrokes that could shave precious seconds off your tasks, cumulating into hours of saved time on projects. In this blog, we’re unlocking the
door to efficiency with the top 100 keyboard shortcuts for Adobe InDesign. Whether you’re laying out a brochure, designing a newsletter, or creating digital publications, these shortcuts will have you working like an InDesign wizard in no
time. Let’s boost your productivity and make your design process as seamless as your creations.

Navigating and Viewing Documents

1. Cmd/Ctrl + 0 – Fit Page in Window
2. Cmd/Ctrl + 1 – Actual Size
3. Cmd/Ctrl + 2 – Zoom to 200%
4. Cmd/Ctrl + +/- – Zoom In/Out
5. Cmd/Ctrl + J – Go to Page
6. Cmd/Ctrl + Page Up/Page Down – Previous/Next Page
7. Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + 0 – Fit Spread in Window
8. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + E – Preview Mode
9. W (with no text selected) – Switch between Normal and Preview Mode
10. Cmd/Ctrl + Y – Story Editor

Text and Typography

11. T – Type Tool
12. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + T – Character Panel
13. Cmd/Ctrl + Option/Alt + T – Tabs Panel
14. Cmd/Ctrl + B – Text Frame Options
15. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + < or > – Decrease/Increase Font Size
16. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + K – Toggle All Caps
17. Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + Shift + K – Toggle Small Caps
18. Cmd/Ctrl + L – Align Left
19. Cmd/Ctrl + R – Align Right
20. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + C – Align Center

Working with Objects

21. V – Selection Tool
22. A – Direct Selection Tool
23. Cmd/Ctrl + D – Place
24. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + M – Move
25. E – Free Transform Tool
26. Cmd/Ctrl + B – Text Frame Options
27. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + [ – Send to Back
28. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + ] – Bring to Front
29. Cmd/Ctrl + [ – Send Backward
30. Cmd/Ctrl + ] – Bring Forward

Layers and Colors

31. F7 – Layers Panel
32. F6 – Color Panel
33. F5 – Swatches Panel
34. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + F5 – Gradient Panel
35. Cmd/Ctrl + F8 – Stroke Panel
36. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + F10 – Effects Panel
37. Cmd/Ctrl + M – New Color Swatch
38. Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + Shift + M – New Gradient Swatch
39. Cmd/Ctrl + 3 – Hide Selection
40. Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + 3 – Show All

Tables and Data

41. Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + Shift + T – Table Panel
42. Cmd/Ctrl + T – Tabs Panel
43. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + F8 – Text Wrap Panel
44. Cmd/Ctrl + B – Table Options
45. Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + B – Table Cell Options
46. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + F9 – Table Styles
47. Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + Shift + F9 – Cell Styles
48. Cmd/Ctrl + Option/Alt + Up/Down Arrow – Increase/Decrease Row Height
49. Cmd/Ctrl + Option/Alt + Left/Right Arrow – Increase/Decrease Column Width
50. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + L – Convert Text to Table

Panels and Windows

51. F9 – Pages Panel
52. F10 – Paragraph Styles Panel
53. F11 – Character Styles Panel
54. Cmd/Ctrl + F11 – Glyphs Panel
55. Cmd/Ctrl + F12 – Scripts Panel
56. Cmd/Ctrl + 6 – Links Panel
57. Cmd/Ctrl + 7 – Layers Panel
58. Cmd/Ctrl + F7 – Object Styles Panel
59. Cmd/Ctrl + F10 – Stroke Panel
60. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + F7 – Effects Panel

Productivity Boosters

61. Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + Shift + N – New Document
62. Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + Shift + S – Save All
63. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Option/Alt + V – Paste in Place
64. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + W – Close All Windows
65. Cmd/Ctrl + Option/Alt + W – Close All But This Window
66. Cmd/Ctrl + ‘ (apostrophe) – Show/Hide Guides
67. Cmd/Ctrl + ; (semicolon) – Lock/Unlock Guides
68. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P – Page Tool
69. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + B – Text Frame Baseline Options
70. Cmd/Ctrl + Option/Alt + J – Content Collector Tool

Exporting and Sharing

71. Cmd/Ctrl + E – Export
72. Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + E – Export for Digital Editions
73. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Option/Alt + E – Quick Export as PNG
74. Cmd/Ctrl + P – Print
75. Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + Shift + P – Package
76. Cmd/Ctrl + H – Hide InDesign
77. Cmd/Ctrl + Q – Quit InDesign
78. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + M – Export to Adobe PDF (Print)
79. Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + Shift + M – Export to Adobe PDF (Interactive)
80. Cmd/Ctrl + T – Export to EPUB

Efficiency and Customization

81. Cmd/Ctrl + K – Preferences
82. Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + K – Keyboard Shortcuts
83. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + K – Customize Menus
84. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + J – Object Export Options
85. Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + Shift + O – Preflight
86. Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + Shift + X – Index
87. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + X – Cross-References
88. Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + Shift + V – Variables
89. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + V – Paste Without Formatting
90. Cmd/Ctrl + Option/Alt + Shift + J – Conditional Text

Advanced Techniques

91. Cmd/Ctrl + Option/Alt + G – Grep Search
92. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + F – Font Search
93. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + H – Hidden Characters
94. Cmd/Ctrl + Option/Alt + Shift + K – Kerning and Tracking
95. Cmd/Ctrl + B – Frame Fitting Options
96. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + N – New Layer
97. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + U – Update Content
98. Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + U – Update Links
99. Cmd/Ctrl + Option/Alt + Shift + S – Dynamic Spelling
100. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Y – Transparency Effects

Conclusion

With these 100 keyboard shortcuts for Adobe InDesign at your fingertips, you’re well-equipped to streamline your design process, ensuring you work more efficiently and productively. While it might take some time to memorize these shortcuts,
incorporating them into your daily workflow will drastically reduce the time spent on routine tasks, allowing you to focus more on the creative aspects of your projects. Remember, the key to mastering InDesign is not just in knowing what
each tool does, but in learning how to access those tools at the speed of thought. So, start practicing these shortcuts, and watch your productivity soar!