Keyboard Shortcuts For Paint.NET Free Graphics Editor

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Using the keyboard shortcuts instead of the mouse can save you time and make your work a lot easier and smoother. Here is a list of shortcut keys in Paint.NET that you might find useful.

Managing Your Image Files

  • Ctrl + O – Open
  • Ctrl + N – New
  • Ctrl + W – Close
  • Ctrl + S – Save
  • Ctrl + Shift + S – Save As
  • Ctrl + P - Print
  • Alt + F4 – Exit the application

Basic Editing

  • Ctrl + Z – Undo
  • Ctrl + Y – Redo
  • Ctrl + X – Cut
  • Ctrl + C – Copy
  • Ctrl + V – Paste
  • Ctrl + Shift + V – Paste As New Layer
  • Ctrl + Alt + V – Paste As New Image

Working with selections

  • Delete – Erase Selection
  • Backspace – Fill Selection
  • Ctrl + I – Invert Selection
  • Ctrl + A – Select All
  • Ctrl + D – Deselect
  • Ctrl + Shift + X – Crop to selection

Changing the dimensions

  • Ctrl + R – Resize
  • Ctrl + Shift + R – Canvas Size

Rotating an image

  • Ctrl + G – Rotate clockwise by 90°
  • Ctrl + H – Rotate counter-clockwise by 90°
  • Ctrl + J – Rotate by 180°

Zooming an image

  • Ctrl + Plus Sign (+) - Zoom In
  • Ctrl + Minus Sign (-) – Zoom Out
  • Ctrl + Shift + A – Actual Size
  • Ctrl + B – Zoom to Window
  • Ctrl + Shift + B – Zoom to Selection

Working with Layers

  • Ctrl + Shift + N – Add New Layer
  • Ctrl + Shift + D – Duplicate Layer
  • Ctrl + Shift + Delete – Delete Layer
  • Ctrl + M – Merge Layer Down
  • Ctrl + Shift + F – Flatten
  • Ctrl + Shift + Z – Rotate/Zoom
  • F4 – Layer Properties

Color Adjustments

  • Ctrl + Shift + L – Auto-Level
  • Ctrl + L – Levels
  • Ctrl + Shift + C – Brightness / Contrast
  • Ctrl + Shift + U – Hue / Saturation
  • Ctrl + Shift + G – Convert to black and white
  • Ctrl + Shift + E – Convert to sepia
  • Ctrl + Shift + I – Invert Colors
  • Ctrl + Shift + M – Curves
  • Ctrl + Shift + P – Posterize

Show / Hide Windows

  • F5 – Toggle Tools window
  • F6 – Toggle History window
  • F7 – Toggle Layers window
  • F8 – Toggle Colors window

Image List and Navigation

  • Ctrl + Q – Show Image List
  • Ctrl + Tab – Next Tab
  • Ctrl + Shift + Tab – Previous Tab

Effects

  • Ctrl + F – Repeat the last effect

Help

  • F1 – Help Topics

Tools

When the same letter is assigned to more than one tool, press it multiple times to cycle through.

  • SSelection Tools (Rectangle Select, Lasso Select, Ellipse Select, Magic Wand)
  • MMoving Tools (Move Selected Pixels, Move Selection)
  • ZZoom
  • H – Pan (Hand)
  • B – Paint Brush
  • PPencil
  • EEraser
  • F – Paint Bucket (Fill)
  • GGradient
  • K – Color Picker
  • L – Clone Stamp
  • RRecolor
  • TText
  • OObjects (Line / Curve, Rectangle, Rounded Rectangle, Ellipse, Freeform Shape)