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Top 10 Killer Photoshop Combo Moves for Windows

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Is time kickin’ your ass? Well, learn to defend yourself! Master these killer Photoshop keyboard combos and you’ll find yourself with more time for the important things (e.g. Facebook trivia questions). These combos assume you’re using Photoshop CS3 on Windows platform with default keyboard shortcuts.

Is time kickin’ your ass? Well, learn to defend yourself! Master these killer Photoshop keyboard combos and you’ll find yourself with more time for the important things (e.g. Facebook trivia questions). These combos assume you’re using Photoshopon Windows platform with default keyboard shortcuts.

Legend:

( ) = Repeat as desired { } = Manual Input Required

10. Cloak of Invisibility

Remove everything from the screen except for your file.

F, F, F | Cycle through Screen Modes

Cycle through Screen Modes Tab | Remove Tools and Palettes

Remove Tools and Palettes Ctrl+H | Hide/Show Extras (Grid, Guides, Slices, etc.)

Hide/Show Extras (Grid, Guides, Slices, etc.) Ctrl+R | Show/Hide Rulers

9. Quick Brush Jab

Quickly and easily customize a brush. This combo is a staple for digital painting.

B | Brush Tool

Brush Tool Right-Click and Select or F5 and Select | Open condensed or full Brush Palette

Open condensed or full Brush Palette . or , or Shift+. or Shift+, | Cycle through brushes or jump to first or last brush

or or or Cycle through brushes or jump to first or last brush Alt+Right-click | Shrink or enlarge brush radius and decrease (drag left and right) or increase brush hardness (drag up and down)

Shrink or enlarge brush radius and decrease (drag left and right) or increase brush hardness (drag up and down) {Numeric Input} | Change brush opacity (e.g. ‘5’ = 50%, ‘55’ = 55%)

8. Quick Brush Jab Path Stroke

Stroke a path with a customized brush.

{Draw Path} | Use Pen tool to draw a path

Use Pen tool to draw a path B | Select Brush Tool

Select Brush Tool Quick Brush Jab | Use the Quick Brush Jab Combo to customize brush

Use the Quick Brush Jab Combo to customize brush Pen Tool+Right-click on Path | Stroke path with your customized brush

7. Gaussian Attack

Apply a filter, fade it and apply again. Good combo for fine-tweaking filters.

{Apply a Filter} | Manually choose and apply a filter

Manually choose and apply a filter Ctrl+Shift+F | Fade the filter

Fade the filter (Ctrl+F or Ctrl+Alt+F) | Reapply filter with or without dialog box

6. Shadow Maker

Create a basic shadow based on a chosen layer.

{Select Layer} | Select the layer the shadow will be created after. The transparency of this layer needs to resemble the desired shape of the shadow.

Select the layer the shadow will be created after. The transparency of this layer needs to resemble the desired shape of the shadow. Ctrl+J | Layer via Copy

Layer via Copy Ctrl+[ | Move layer down

Move layer down D | Reset color defaults

Reset color defaults Alt+Shift+Backspace | Fill with black and preserve transparency

Fill with black and preserve transparency Ctrl+T | Free transform

Free transform {Transform} | Modify to your liking

Modify to your liking Enter | Commit (and use Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur)

5. Layer Catcher

Select, group and mask layers. Often easier than using the layers palette.

V | Selection Tool

Selection Tool Ctrl+Click or Ctrl+Shift+Click or Right-Click | Select your layers

Select your layers Ctrl+G | Group Layers

4. Layer Sort

Rearrange your layers quickly and easily. Great cure for you neuroticism.

F7 | Hide/Show Layer Palette

Hide/Show Layer Palette Alt+[ or Alt+] or Alt+, or Alt+. | Select a layer

Select a layer Shift+Alt+[ or Shift+Alt+] or Shift+Alt+, or Shift+Alt+. | Select more layers

Select more layers Ctrl+[ or Ctrl+] or Shift+Ctrl+[ or Shift+Control+] | Move layers down or up or send to bottom or bring to top

3. Ultimate Flattener

Merge All Layers (even those hidden). Quick way to flatten a file.

Alt+. | Select Top Layer

Select Top Layer Alt+< | Select all layers between currently selected and bottom layer

Select all layers between currently selected and bottom layer Ctrl+E | Merge the selected layers

2. Infinite Dupe

Duplicate and evenly distribute or transform items. Nice way to distribute something like nav buttons.

Ctrl+T | Transform

Transform {Transform/Move} | Manually Move or Transform

Manually Move or Transform Enter | Commit Transform

Commit Transform (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+T) | Duplicate and transform relative to the newest item

1. Finishing Move - The Web Extractor

Extract a selection and save it for the web. Extremely useful when pulling individual elements from a design, such as buttons or rules.

{Create Selection} | Select the area you want to extract

Select the area you want to extract Ctrl+Shift+C | Copy Merged to clipboard

Copy Merged to clipboard Ctrl+N | Create New Image based on selection size

Create New Image based on selection size Enter | Confirm New Image

Confirm New Image Ctrl+V | Paste from clipboard

Paste from clipboard Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S | Save for the Web