GIMP Keyboard Shortcuts

Cheat sheet guide

GIMP shortcuts worth learning first

This page collects 105 searchable GIMP keyboard shortcuts across 5 categories. Start with the shortcuts for File, Tools, Edit & Selection, Layers, then print the cheat sheet once the important ones are worth keeping nearby.

New imageCtrlN
Rectangle SelectR
UndoCtrlZ
New layerCtrlShiftN
Zoom inCtrl=+
Open imageCtrlO

File

13 shortcuts

New image

CtrlN

Ctrl+N · Cmd+N

Open image

CtrlO

Ctrl+O · Cmd+O

Save (overwrite)

CtrlS

Ctrl+S · Cmd+S

Export as

CtrlShiftE

Ctrl+Shift+E · Cmd+Shift+E

Overwrite file

CtrlAltShiftS

Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S · Cmd+Opt+Shift+S

Revert to saved

No default shortcut

Quit

CtrlQ

Ctrl+Q · Cmd+Q

File: Open files as image layers

CtrlAltO

Ctrl+Alt+O · Cmd+Opt+O

File: Close all open images

CtrlShiftW

Ctrl+Shift+W · Cmd+Shift+W

File: Locate the file in the file manager

CtrlAltF

Ctrl+Alt+F · Cmd+Opt+F

File: Save the image under another name

CtrlShiftS

Ctrl+Shift+S · Cmd+Shift+S

File: Export to the previously chosen destination

CtrlE

Ctrl+E · Cmd+E

Image: Create a separate copy of the image

CtrlD

Ctrl+D · Cmd+D

Image: Inspect image properties

AltEnter

Alt+Enter · Opt+Enter

Tools

37 shortcuts

Rectangle Select

R

Ellipse Select

E

Free Select (Lasso)

F

Fuzzy Select (Magic Wand)

U

Select by Color

ShiftO

Shift+O

Move tool

M

Crop

ShiftC

Shift+C

Scale / Transform

ShiftT

Shift+T

Rotate

ShiftR

Shift+R

Perspective

ShiftP

Shift+P

Flip

ShiftF

Shift+F

Paintbrush

P

Pencil

N

Eraser

ShiftE

Shift+E

Bucket fill

ShiftB

Shift+B

Blend / Gradient

L

Clone tool

C

Heal tool

H

Smudge

S

Dodge / Burn

ShiftD

Shift+D

Text tool

T

Path tool

B

Color picker / Eyedropper

O

Zoom tool

Z

Colors: Reset foreground and background colors

D

Colors: Swap foreground and background colors

X

Filters: Open the offset filter

CtrlShiftO

Ctrl+Shift+O · Cmd+Shift+O

Filters: Repeat the most recent filter

CtrlF

Ctrl+F · Cmd+F

Tool options: Decrease opacity by one step

Shift,

Shift+,

Tool options: Increase opacity by one step

Shift.

Shift+.

Tool options: Decrease opacity by ten steps

CtrlShift,

Ctrl+Shift+, · Cmd+Shift+,

Tool options: Increase opacity by ten steps

CtrlShift.

Ctrl+Shift+. · Cmd+Shift+.

Tool options: Restore the default tool size

\

Tool options: Decrease tool size by one step

[

Tool options: Increase tool size by one step

]

Tool options: Decrease tool size by ten steps

Shift[

Shift+[

Tool options: Increase tool size by ten steps

Shift]

Shift+]

Edit & Selection

19 shortcuts

Undo

CtrlZ

Ctrl+Z · Cmd+Z

Redo

CtrlY

Ctrl+Y · Cmd+Y

Cut

CtrlX

Ctrl+X · Cmd+X

Copy

CtrlC

Ctrl+C · Cmd+C

Paste

CtrlV

Ctrl+V · Cmd+V

Select all

CtrlA

Ctrl+A · Cmd+A

Deselect all

CtrlShiftA

Ctrl+Shift+A · Cmd+Shift+A

Invert selection

CtrlI

Ctrl+I · Cmd+I

Feather selection

CtrlShiftF

Ctrl+Shift+F · Cmd+Shift+F

Fill with foreground

Ctrl,

Ctrl+, · Cmd+,

Fill with background

Ctrl.

Ctrl+. · Cmd+.

Edit: Undo while skipping visibility-only changes

CtrlShiftZ

Ctrl+Shift+Z · Cmd+Shift+Z

Edit: Redo while skipping visibility-only changes

CtrlShiftY

Ctrl+Shift+Y · Cmd+Shift+Y

Edit: Copy the visible composite

CtrlShiftC

Ctrl+Shift+C · Cmd+Shift+C

Edit: Create an image from the clipboard

CtrlShiftV

Ctrl+Shift+V · Cmd+Shift+V

Edit: Clear the selected pixels

Delete

Delete

Edit: Paste at the original coordinates

CtrlAltV

Ctrl+Alt+V · Cmd+Opt+V

Paths: Create a selection from the selected paths

ShiftV

Shift+V

Selection: Cut the selection into floating data

CtrlShiftL

Ctrl+Shift+L · Cmd+Shift+L

Layers

11 shortcuts

New layer

CtrlShiftN

Ctrl+Shift+N · Cmd+Shift+N

Duplicate layer

CtrlShiftD

Ctrl+Shift+D · Cmd+Shift+D

Merge visible layers

CtrlM

Ctrl+M · Cmd+M

Flatten image

CtrlShiftM

Ctrl+Shift+M · Cmd+Shift+M

Move layer up

CtrlPageUp

Ctrl+PageUp · Cmd+PageUp

Move layer down

CtrlPageDown

Ctrl+PageDown · Cmd+PageDown

Layers: Anchor the floating layer or mask

CtrlH

Ctrl+H · Cmd+H

Layers: Select the top layer

Home

Home

Layers: Select the bottom layer

End

End

Layers: Select the previous layer

PageUp

PageUp

Layers: Select the next layer

PageDown

PageDown

View

24 shortcuts

Zoom in

Ctrl=+

Ctrl+= · Cmd+=

Zoom out

Ctrl--

Ctrl+- · Cmd+-

Zoom to fit

ShiftCtrlE

Shift+Ctrl+E · Cmd+Shift+E

Zoom 100%

CtrlShiftJ

Ctrl+Shift+J · Cmd+Shift+J

Toggle guides

Ctrl;

Ctrl+; · Cmd+;

Toggle snap to guides

CtrlShift;

Ctrl+Shift+; · Cmd+Shift+;

Toggle fullscreen

F11

F11

Help: Open the help reference

F1

Help: Request help for a chosen interface item

ShiftF1

Shift+F1

View: Close the active image view

CtrlW

Ctrl+W · Cmd+W

View: Center the image in its window

ShiftJ

Shift+J

View: Restore the previous zoom level

View: Reset canvas flipping and rotation

Shift1

Shift+1

View: Fit the window to the displayed image

CtrlJ

Ctrl+J · Cmd+J

View: Show or hide the selection outline

CtrlT

Ctrl+T · Cmd+T

View: Show or hide the rulers

CtrlShiftR

Ctrl+Shift+R · Cmd+Shift+R

View: Set zoom to 1600 percent

5

View: Set zoom to 800 percent

4

View: Set zoom to 400 percent

3

View: Set zoom to 200 percent

2

View: Set zoom to 50 percent

Shift2

Shift+2

View: Set zoom to 25 percent

Shift3

Shift+3

View: Set zoom to 12.5 percent

Shift4

Shift+4

View: Set zoom to 6.25 percent

Shift5

Shift+5

Official reference check for these additions

50 additional actions were checked against official references, including default keymap definitions, on 2026-11-03. Existing actions were retained. This is a reference check, not a test in an installed application. A dash means this batch does not provide a verified binding for that system. The editor or mode named in an action is part of its context.

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