GIMP Keyboard Shortcuts
GIMP keyboard shortcut reference covering 25 bindings for Windows, Mac & Linux. Commonly searched bindings include Save, Undo, and Paintbrush. 25 of 25 shortcuts are verified against official GIMP documentation, each with a linked source when available. Search by action name, filter by category, look up what a key combination does, print a cheat sheet, or practice with flashcards.
Official GIMP documentation
Editing
| Action | Description | Windows | Mac | Verified | Source |
|---|
| Undo |
Undo last action |
Ctrl+Z |
Cmd+Z |
Yes |
Source |
| New Layer |
Add a new layer |
Ctrl+Shift+N |
Cmd+Shift+N |
Yes |
Source |
| Duplicate Layer |
Duplicate the active layer |
Ctrl+Shift+D |
Cmd+Shift+D |
Yes |
Source |
| Merge Visible |
Merge all visible layers |
Ctrl+M |
Cmd+M |
Yes |
Source |
File
| Action | Description | Windows | Mac | Verified | Source |
|---|
| Save |
Save current image |
Ctrl+S |
Cmd+S |
Yes |
Source |
| New Image |
Create a new image |
Ctrl+N |
Cmd+N |
Yes |
Source |
| Open Image |
Open an existing image file |
Ctrl+O |
Cmd+O |
Yes |
Source |
| Export As |
Export image to file |
Ctrl+Shift+E |
Cmd+Shift+E |
Yes |
Source |
General
| Action | Description | Windows | Mac | Verified | Source |
|---|
| Preferences |
Open GIMP preferences |
Ctrl+, |
Cmd+, |
Yes |
Source |
Navigation
| Action | Description | Windows | Mac | Verified | Source |
|---|
| Layers Dialog |
Open Layers dialog |
Ctrl+L |
Cmd+L |
Yes |
Source |
Selection
| Action | Description | Windows | Mac | Verified | Source |
|---|
| Select All |
Select entire layer |
Ctrl+A |
Cmd+A |
Yes |
Source |
| Deselect |
Clear selection |
Ctrl+Shift+A |
Cmd+Shift+A |
Yes |
Source |
Tools
| Action | Description | Windows | Mac | Verified | Source |
|---|
| Paintbrush |
Paintbrush tool |
P |
P |
Yes |
Source |
| Move Tool |
Move layer/selection |
M |
M |
Yes |
Source |
| Free Select |
Free selection (lasso) tool |
F |
F |
Yes |
Source |
| Eraser Tool |
Activate eraser tool |
Shift+E |
Shift+E |
Yes |
Source |
| Bucket Fill |
Activate bucket fill tool |
Shift+B |
Shift+B |
Yes |
Source |
| Rect Select |
Activate rectangular selection |
R |
R |
Yes |
Source |
| Ellipse Select |
Activate elliptical selection |
E |
E |
Yes |
Source |
| Color Picker |
Pick color from canvas |
O |
O |
Yes |
Source |
| Swap Colors |
Swap foreground and background colors |
X |
X |
Yes |
Source |
| Default Colors |
Reset colors to black and white |
D |
D |
Yes |
Source |
View
| Action | Description | Windows | Mac | Verified | Source |
|---|
| Zoom In |
Zoom in on canvas |
Plus |
Plus |
Yes |
Source |
| Toggle Fullscreen |
Toggle fullscreen mode |
F11 |
F11 |
Yes |
Source |
| Zoom Out |
Zoom out on canvas |
Minus |
Minus |
Yes |
Source |
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