Feb 23, 2015

It’s amazing how much time can be saved by knowing a few keyboard shortcuts. Many shortcuts work across platforms and different software packages. Today I’d like to introduce you to a few quick ways to Zoom (aka change a file's visual magnification) when using Adobe Acrobat, Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop. Some of these shortcuts also work in Microsoft Office, Google, Mozilla and other software products. Whenever I have the pleasure of playing with a new software, I always give the following shortcuts a go.

Zooming

For a quick zoom in / zoom out hold down the CTRL (PC) or Command (MAC) key and then tap the + key to zoom in or the – key to zoom out. If you have a keyboard with an extended number pad, you can usually use the extra +/- keys also. Other quick ways of Zooming include holding down CTRL or Command and tapping 0 (zero) to fit the page (InDesign, Acrobat), Art board (Illustrator) or document/image (Photoshop) in the window.

Temporary Tool Switching

You can save a substantial amount  time by using keyboard/mouse combinations to temporarily access tools in Adobe and other software products. The zoom tool in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Acrobat is a good example of this. For the zoom tool, use your non-mouse hand to hold down CTRL/Command Spacebar. Now, as you continue to hold down these keys, use your mouse to zoom in. Now click or alternatively marquee zoom by pressing and dragging across the area you want to view more closely. By adding Alt/Option to this key combo, you can also click to zoom out. These shortcuts definitely work in Acrobat, Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop. I always try these in Adobe and other software when I begin using them. The worst thing that happens is they don’t work. Sometimes, by trying these and other shortcuts, I find a happy new effect. Just in case, save your file beforehand. Below you will find a table of additional zooming shortcuts and temporary tool shifting key configurations that can save you seconds, then minutes, and perhaps days of your life. There are also a few hybrid situations that I have listed.

Zooming Shortcuts
Keyboard Shortcuts (Hold the CTRL or Command Key and then tap the additional key)
	PC	Mac
Zoom In	CTRL +	Command +
Zoom Out	CTRL -	Command -
Fit in the screen or window	CTRL 0	Command 0
Actual size/100%	CTRL 1	Command 1
Keyboard & Mouse Combinations  (Hold the keys down on the keyboard and use your mouse as you would when normally using the tool. Release the keyboard keys after you are done using your mouse)
Zoom Tool (Zoom in)	CTRL Spacebar	Command Spacebar (Hold the Spacebar down first to avoid activating Spotlight search)
Zoom Tool (Zoom Out)	Ctrl Alt Spacebar	Command Option Spacebar
	(Photoshop: Alt/Option Spacebar will also enable zoom out )
Hand Tool	Spacebar Alt Spacebar	Spacebar Option Spacebar
	(InDesign: When editing text, hold the Alt or Option key first to freeze the cursor then add the spacebar if desired)
Move Tool: Photoshop Selection Tool: Illustrator/InDesign & Photoshop (when editing paths)	CTRL	Command
Zooming with your mouse wheel	What happens is largely dependent on the program and preference settings you have chosen. Try holding down CTRL/Command or Alt/Option when using your mouse wheel. You will likely zoom or scroll.

  There are hundreds if not thousands of more keyboard/mouse combinations and shortcuts out there for just about anything you may wish to do in a program. The above are simply a few of my favourites to get you going. Please explore these shortcuts and as many others as possible. You will speed up your production and give yourself extra time to create. Till next time, happy creating, working and exploring in Adobe or wherever you choose to play.