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Useful Keyboard Shortcuts in Lightroom

August 26, 2008 | Scott Rouse | Comments 6

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Efficiency is what really makes Lightroom shine. In order to take full advantage of what Lightroom has to offer, you’ll want to learn some of the most commonly used keyboard shortcuts. It’s much quicker to navigate through all that Lightroom has to offer using the keyboard rather than the mouse, in most cases.

There are LOTS of keyboard shortcuts, and this is far from a complete list. Check out the article and let us know your favorites in the comments section.

I’ve included downloadable Quick Reference Sheets at the end of the article that you can print out and keep near your computer for, well…Quick Reference. Enjoy.

Modules

There are five Modules in Lightroom. They are listed across the top-right of the Lightroom interface in the “Module Picker.”

The Lightroom Module Picker

You should never need to drag your mouse up there to move from module to module. In fact, you should go ahead and hide the entire top pane for more screen real estate. You’ll never miss it. Memorize the following shortcuts to select the module you need:

Action	Mac	Windows
Go to Library Module	Command – Option – 1 or G	Control – Alt – 1 or G
Go to Develop Module	Command – Option – 2 or D	Control – Alt – 2 or D
Go to Slideshow Module	Command – Option – 3	Control – Alt – 3
Go to Print Module	Command – Option – 4 or Command – P	Control – Alt – 4 or Control – P
Go to Web Module	Command – Option – 5	Control – Alt – 5
Go to Previous Module	Command – Option – Up Arrow	Control – Alt – Up Arrow

Panels

The two side panels in Lightroom contain many important features, but they do take up quite a bit of space. The image below shows the location of the Left and Right Module Panels.

Left and Right Module Panels in Lightroom

These shortcuts, particularly the first four, are quite important. I use them daily.

Action	Mac	Windows
Show/Hide Side Panels	Tab	Tab
Show/Hide Side Panels and Filmstrip and Module Picker	Shift – Tab	Shift – Tab
Show/Hide Toolbar	T	T
Show/Hide Filter Bar in Library Module	\	\
Show/Hide Module Picker	F5	F5
Show/Hide Filmstrip	F6	F6
Show/Hide Left Module Panels	F7	F7
Show/Hide Right Module Panels	F8	F8

Organization

Some of these organizational and sorting keyboard shortcuts work in the Library Module as well as some of the other Modules. I use all of these shortcuts almost every, single time I’m in Lightroom.

Action	Mac	Windows
Flag as Pick	P	P
Flag a Reject	X	X
Unflag	U	U
Set Star Rating – Zero-Five Stars	0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5	0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5
Set Color Label – Red	6	6
Set Color Label – Yellow	7	7
Set Color Label – Green	8	8
Set Color Label – Blue	9	9
Add to Quick Collection	B	B
Create New Collection	Command – N	Control – N

Library Module

I use the first six and the last four of these quite a bit.

Action	Mac	Windows
Go to Library Module	Command – Option – 1	Control – Alt – 1
Go to Library Module in Grid View	G	G
Go to Library Module in Loupe View	E	E
Go to Library Module in Compare View	C	C
Survey View (Once you’re in the Library Module)	N	N
Zoom View	Z	Z
Zoom In	Command – =	Control – =
Zoom Out	Command – - (minus)	Control – - (minus)
Increase Grid Size	+	+
Decrease Grid Size	-	-
Show/Hide Navigator Panel	Control – Command – 0	Control – Shift – 0
Show/Hide Catalog Panel	Control – Command – 1	Control – Shift – 1
Show/Hide Folders Panel	Control – Command – 2	Control – Shift – 2
Show/Hide Collections Panel	Control – Command – 3	Control – Shift – 3
Show/Hide Histogram Panel	Command – 0	Control – 0
Show/Hide Quick Develop Panel	Command – 1	Control – 1
Show/Hide Keywording Panel	Command – 2	Control – 2
Show/Hide Keyword List Panel	Command – 3	Control – 3
Show/Hide Metadata Panel	Command – 4	Control – 4
Start an Impromptu Slideshow	Command – Return	Control – Enter
Focus on Find Panel	Command – F	Control – F
Focus on Keywording Panel	Command – K	Control – K
Save Metadata to File	Command – S	Control – S

Develop Module

The first 11 of these, as well as the last one, get a lot of use from me.

Action	Mac	Windows
Go to Develop Module	D or Command – Option – 2	D or Control – Alt – 2
Zoom In/Out	Z	Z
Crop Tool	R	R
Crop Tool – Constrain Crop to Current Aspect Ratio	S	S
When in Crop Tool, Toggle Constraint of Aspect Ratio	A	A
Reset Crop	Command – Option – R	Control – Alt – R
Enter Spot Removal Tool	N	N
Enter Graduated Filter Tool	M	M
Enter Local Adjustment Brush Tool	K	K
Increase Spot Removal Tool/Brush Size	]	]
Decrease Spot Removal Tool/Brush Size	[	[
Pick up White Balance Selector Tool	W	W
Show/Hide Navigator Panel	Control – Command – 0	Control – Shift – 0
Show/Hide Presets Panel	Control – Command – 1	Control – Shift – 1
Show/Hide Snapshots Panel	Control – Command – 2	Control – Shift – 2
Show/Hide History Panel	Control – Command – 3	Control – Shift – 3
Show/Hide Histogram Panel	Command – 0	Control – 0
Show/Hide Basic Panel	Command – 1	Control – 1
Show/Hide Tone Curve Panel	Command – 2	Control – 2
Show/Hide HSL/Color/Grayscale Panel	Command – 3	Control – 3
Show/Hide Split Toning Panel	Command – 4	Control – 4
Show/Hide Detail Panel	Command – 5	Control – 5
Show/Hide Vignettes Panel	Command – 6	Control – 6
Show/Hide Camera Calibration Panel	Command – 7	Control – 7
Show/Hide All Adjustments Made to Image	\	\

Slideshow Module

Learn these if you’d like, but, honestly, I rarely use them.

Action	Mac	Windows
Go to Slideshow Module	Command – Option – 3	Control – Alt – 3
Show/Hide Preview Panel	Control – Command – 0	Control – Shift – 0
Show/Hide Template Browser Panel	Control – Command – 1	Control – Shift – 1
Show/Hide Collections Panel	Control – Command – 2	Control – Shift – 2
Show/Hide Options Panel	Command – 1	Control – 1
Show/Hide Layout Panel	Command – 2	Control – 2
Show/Hide Overlays Panel	Command – 3	Control – 3
Show/Hide Backdrop Panel	Command – 4	Control – 4
Show/Hide Titles Panel	Command – 5	Control – 5
Show/Hide Playback Panel	Command – 6	Control – 6
Show/Hide Guides	Shift – Command – H	Shift – Control – H
Add Text Overlay	Command – T	Control – T
Run Slideshow	Return	Enter
End Slideshow	Escape	Escape
Export PDF Slideshow	Command – J	Control – J
Export JPEG Slideshow	Shift – Command – J	Shift – Control – J
New Template	Command – N	Control – N
New Template Folder	Shift – Command – N	Shift – Control – N

Print Module

Although helpful, these aren’t keyboard shortcuts that I use that often, either. I’m sure if I were printing more often, I’d be using them much more.

Action	Mac	Windows
Go to Print Module	Command – Option – 4 or Command – P	Control – Alt – 4 or Control – P
Show/Hide Preview Panel	Control – Command – 0	Control – Shift – 0
Show/Hide Template Browser Panel	Control – Command – 1	Control – Shift – 1
Show/Hide Collections Panel	Control – Command – 2	Control – Shift – 2
Show/Hide Layout Engine Panel	Command – 1	Control – 1
Show/Hide Image Settings Panel	Command – 2	Control – 2
Show/Hide Rulers, Grid & Guides Panel	Command – 3	Control – 3
Show/Hide Cells Panel	Command – 4	Control – 4
Show/Hide Overlays Panel	Command – 5	Control – 5
Show/Hide Print Job Panel	Command – 6	Control – 6
Show/Hide Guides	Shift – Command – H	Shift – Control – H
Show/Hide Page Bleed Guides	Shift – Command – Y	Shift – Control – Y
Show/Hide Margins and Gutters	Shift – Command – M	Shift – Control – M
Show/Hide Image Cells	Shift – Command – T	Shift – Control – T
Show/Hide Dimensions	Shift – Command – U	Shift – Control – U
Show/Hide Rulers	Command – R	Control – R
Show/Hide Info Overlay	I	I
New Template	Command – N	Control – N
New Template Folder	Shift – Command – N	Shift – Control – N
Page Setup	Shift – Command – P	Shift – Control – P
Print Settings	Option – Shift – Command – P	Alt – Shift – Control – P
Print (once you’re already in the Print Module)	Command – P	Control – P
Print One	Option – Command – P	Alt – Control – P

Web Module

The “Reload” and “Preview in Browser” shortcuts get a fair amount of use from me, but the others…not so much.

Action	Mac	Windows
Go to Web Module	Command – Option – 5	Control – Alt – 5
Show/Hide Preview Panel	Control – Command – 0	Control – Shift – 0
Show/Hide Template Browser Panel	Control – Command – 1	Control – Shift – 1
Show/Hide Collections Panel	Control – Command – 2	Control – Shift – 2
Show/Hide Engine Panel	Command – 1	Control – 1
Show/Hide Site Info Panel	Command – 2	Control – 2
Show/Hide Color Palette Panel	Command – 3	Control – 3
Show/Hide Appearance Panel	Command – 4	Control – 4
Show/Hide Image Info Panel	Command – 5	Control – 5
Show/Hide Output Settings Panel	Command – 6	Control – 6
Show/Hide Upload Settings Panel	Command – 7	Control – 7
New Template	Command – N	Control – N
New Template Folder	Shift – Command – N	Shift – Control – N
Reload	Command – R	Control – R
Export Web Gallery	Command – J	Control – J
Preview in Browser	Option – Command – P	Alt – Control – P

General

I use most of these quite a bit.

Action	Mac	Windows
Preferences	Command – ,	Control – ,
Catalog Settings	Option – Command – ,	Alt – Control – ,
Open Catalog	Command – O	Control – O
Import Photos From Disk	Shift – Command – I	Shift – Control – I
Export	Shift – Command – E	Shift – Control – E
Plug-In Manager	Option – Shift – Command – ,	Alt – Shift – Control – ,
Show Quick Collection	Command – B	Control – B
Save Quick Collection	Option – Command – B	Alt – Control – B
Clear Quick Collection	Shift – Command – B	Shift – Control – B
Toggle Library Filters On/Off	Command – L	Control – L
Undo	Command – Z	Control – Z
Redo	Shift – Command – Z	Shift – Control – Z
Cut	Command – X	Control – X
Copy	Command – C	Control – C
Paste	Command – V	Control – V
Select All	Command – A	Control – A
Select None	Command – D	Control – D

Quick Reference Sheets

Click on the links below to download the Quick Reference Sheets.

If you find any errors, or if you have some shortcuts of your own you’d like to share, please feel free to leave a comment.

Filed Under: FAQ • Getting Started • Tips • Tools

Tags: keyboard • module • shortcut

About the Author: Scott Rouse is an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE), photographer, teacher, and graphic- and web-designer in Missoula, MT. His photography focuses on wildlife and adventure sports and can be viewed at ScottRousePhotography.com. His design and consulting work can be seen at ScottRouseDigital.com. To learn more about available workshops, please visit the Photographers Alliance Workshops.