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Keep your attention on the board while you save, duplicate, arrange, and edit. Start with a few everyday keys, then add panel and canvas shortcuts as you need them.
Windows and macOSAbout 6 minutesDesktop editor
1. Open the shortcut reference and focus the canvas
Choose the board title/menu button at the top left. Scroll its menu to Help, then choose Keyboard shortcuts. Scroll inside the dialog to see more commands. Choose Back to the Editor, the close button, or Esc to return.
In this guide, Ctrl/Cmd means Ctrl on Windows or Command on a Mac. The following letter stays the same. Press unmodified letter shortcuts without Ctrl, Cmd, Shift, or Alt.
2. Save, undo, copy, and duplicate
Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
Save board | Ctrl + S | Cmd + S |
Undo | Ctrl + Z | Cmd + Z |
Redo | Ctrl + Y or Ctrl + Shift + Z | Cmd + Shift + Z |
Duplicate selected items | Ctrl + D | Cmd + D |
Copy selected items | Ctrl + C | Cmd + C |
Cut selected items | Ctrl + X |
3. Select and group the right items
Action | Shortcut | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|
Select all visible content | Ctrl/Cmd + A | Canvas; skips hidden layers, repeating banners, and board borders. |
Add or remove a canvas item from the selection | Shift + click | Canvas elements. |
Select a range of layers | Shift + click | Layers; selects the range from the selection anchor to the clicked row, excluding banners and borders. |
Toggle one layer in the selection | Ctrl/Cmd + click | Layers. |
Group, ungroup, or convert back | Ctrl/Cmd + G | Depends on the current selection. |
4. Make precise movement and rotation adjustments
Select unlocked items, then press an arrow key to nudge them one canvas unit. Hold Shift with an arrow for a ten-unit nudge. These are small design movements, not one-inch or ten-inch steps.
For an axis-constrained drag, hold Shift while moving a single item. When moving a multi-selection, begin the drag and then hold Shift to constrain it horizontally or vertically. Release Shift to return to free movement.
Hold Shift while dragging the rotation handle to snap to 10-degree increments. Use the numeric position and rotation fields in Properties when you need a specific measurement.
For Regular text, a side handle changes the wrapping width and a corner handle scales the text and box together. Use the handle appropriate to your goal. See Add and Format Regular Text: Paragraphs, Lists, and Wrapping.
5. Open the selected element's editor
For one unlocked supported element, Ctrl/Cmd + E opens or toggles its editor. The result depends on its type:
Selected element | Ctrl/Cmd + E action |
|---|---|
Decorative text | Switch between its text controls and Basics in Properties. |
Group | Open or close the group appearance editor. |
Repeating banner or board border | Open or close the tile editor. |
Name tag | Open the name tag dialog. |
Word Builder title | Open Word Builder for that title. |
For Regular text, choose Edit Text or double-click the words to edit and format them. While typing directly on the canvas,
6. Jump to panels or change a fill
With no compatible fill selection, these unmodified letters open the named tab and show its panel:
Panel | Key |
|---|---|
Clipart | C |
Uploads | U |
Text | T |
Shapes | S |
Inserts | I |
Letters | L |
Borders | B |
Name Tags | N |
Board inspector | O or E |
Properties | P |
7. Zoom and pan without moving your design
Use these gestures over the canvas. They change your view, leaving the board size and element positions intact.
Goal | Gesture |
|---|---|
Zoom toward the pointer | Ctrl/Cmd + mouse wheel; the editor supports 10%–500% zoom. |
Pan vertically | Mouse wheel. A touchpad can also pan horizontally. |
Pan horizontally | Shift + mouse wheel. |
Pan freely | Hold Space and drag with the primary mouse button, or middle-click and drag. |
Use Fit to screen in the top bar or Zoom menu to return to the whole board. Finish any text edit before using Space to pan.
8. Fix a shortcut that behaves differently
What happens | What to check |
|---|---|
A letter appears in a field | Finish typing and click the canvas before using a panel or fill shortcut. |
A command does nothing | Close open dialogs, check the selection type and count, and unlock items you want to edit. |
C or P changes appearance | The selected items support quick fill changes. Deselect before opening Clipart or Properties. |
Select All misses items | It excludes hidden layers, banners, and borders. Select those directly or through Layers. |
Only part of a selection moves | Locked items stay fixed. Check the lock state of each intended item. |
The browser handles the keys | Focus the canvas and try again. Use the corresponding on-screen command if the browser or operating system takes priority. |
