Affinity Designer 2 keyboard shortcuts
Affinity Designer 2 assigns tools by Persona and combines them with document, view, text, drawing-modifier, and layer controls. Tool letters can be tapped to keep a tool active or held for temporary use before returning to the previous tool.
Windows, macOS · 80 shortcutsDocuments and editing
These commands use Control on Windows and Command on macOS. Return converts the current object to curves without a modifier.
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Create a new document | CtrlN | CmdN |
| Open a document | CtrlO | CmdO |
| Close the document | CtrlW | CmdW |
| Save | CtrlS | CmdS |
| CtrlP | CmdP | |
| Undo | CtrlZ | CmdZ |
| Redo | CtrlY | CmdY |
| Cut | CtrlX | CmdX |
| Copy | CtrlC | CmdC |
| Paste | CtrlV | CmdV |
| Select all | CtrlA | CmdA |
| Deselect | CtrlD | CmdD |
| Duplicate | CtrlJ | CmdJ |
| Group selected objects | CtrlG | CmdG |
| Lock the selection | CtrlL | CmdL |
| Open Settings or Preferences | Ctrl, | Cmd, |
| Convert the selection to curves | Enter | Return |
Designer Persona tools
These single-letter defaults select vector tools in the Designer Persona. Repeated letters cycle tools where the sheet names a family.
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Activate the Move tool | V | V |
| Activate the Node tool | A | A |
| Activate the Point Transform tool | F | F |
| Activate the Contour tool | O | O |
| Activate the Corner tool | C | C |
| Activate the Pen tool | P | P |
| Activate the Pencil tool | N | N |
| Activate the Stroke Width tool | W | W |
| Activate the Knife tool | K | K |
| Activate the Vector Brush tool | B | B |
| Activate the Gradient tool | G | G |
| Activate the Transparency tool | Y | Y |
| Activate the Vector Flood Fill tool | R | R |
| Cycle Shape tools | M | M |
| Activate the Shape Builder tool | S | S |
| Cycle Text tools | T | T |
| Activate the Colour Picker tool | I | I |
| Activate the View tool | H | H |
| Activate the Zoom tool | Z | Z |
Pixel Persona tools
Pixel Persona reuses several vector keys but assigns its own selection, paint, erase, fill, and retouch tools.
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Activate the Move tool | V | V |
| Cycle Marquee tools | M | M |
| Activate the Freehand Selection tool | L | L |
| Cycle Selection Brush and Flood Select | W | W |
| Activate the Pixel tool | Y | Y |
| Activate the Paint Brush tool | B | B |
| Activate the Erase Brush tool | E | E |
| Activate the Flood Fill tool | G | G |
| Cycle Dodge and Burn brushes | O | O |
| Activate the Colour Picker tool | I | I |
| Activate the View tool | H | H |
| Activate the Zoom tool | Z | Z |
View, colour, and brush controls
Number keys set opacity when no Control or Command modifier is held. Modified number keys select fixed zoom levels.
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Show or hide the interface | Tab | Tab |
| Zoom in | Ctrl+ | Cmd+ |
| Zoom out | Ctrl- | Cmd- |
| Zoom to fit | Ctrl0 | Cmd0 |
| Zoom to 100% | Ctrl1 | Cmd1 |
| Zoom to 200% | Ctrl2 | Cmd2 |
| Zoom to 400% | Ctrl3 | Cmd3 |
| Zoom to 800% | Ctrl4 | Cmd4 |
| Set opacity from 10% through 100% | 1-9or0 | 1-9or0 |
| Decrease brush size | [ | [ |
| Increase brush size | ] | ] |
| Switch the active fill or stroke selector | X | X |
| Set selectors to black and white | D | D |
| Set fill or stroke to none | / | / |
| Toggle snapping | ; | ; |
| Show or hide rulers | CtrlR | CmdR |
| Show or hide guides | Ctrl; | Cmd; |
| Show or hide the grid | Ctrl' | Cmd' |
| Temporarily use the View tool | Space | Space |
| Toggle full-screen mode | Not documented | ControlCmdF |
| Hide Affinity Designer | Not documented | CmdH |
| Hide other applications | Not documented | OptionCmdH |
Drawing and selection modifiers
Hold these modifiers while drawing, transforming, selecting, painting, or zooming. The Windows and macOS sheets use different center-scaling and overlap-selection keys.
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Temporarily switch a drawing or painting tool to Colour Picker | Alt | Option |
| Reverse the aspect-ratio constraint while scaling | Shift | Shift |
| Scale from the center of the selection | Ctrl | Cmd |
| Ignore snapping during an operation | Alt | Option |
| Select multiple objects or layers | Shift | Shift |
| Select an object or layer behind the current selection | Alt | Option |
| Draw a straight line between pixel-brush strokes | Shift | Shift |
| Drag to change pixel-brush size and hardness | CtrlAltDrag | ControlOptionDrag |
| Zoom out with the Zoom tool | AltClick | OptionClick |
| Drag a zoom marquee | AltDrag | OptionDrag |