Essential Tools
| Tool | Shortcut | Use |
|---|
Move Tool | V | Move layers and selections |
Marquee Tool | M | Rectangular/elliptical selections |
Lasso Tool | L | Freeform selections |
Magic Wand | W | Select by color range |
Crop Tool | C | Crop and straighten |
Brush Tool | B | Paint and draw |
Clone Stamp | S | Duplicate areas of an image |
Healing Brush | J | Remove blemishes and imperfections |
Layer Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| New Layer | Cmd+Shift+N (Mac) / Ctrl+Shift+N (Win) |
| Duplicate Layer | Cmd+J / Ctrl+J |
| Merge Visible | Cmd+Shift+E / Ctrl+Shift+E |
| Group Layers | Cmd+G / Ctrl+G |
| Select All Layers | Cmd+Opt+A / Ctrl+Alt+A |
Selection & Transform
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| Select All | Cmd+A / Ctrl+A |
| Deselect | Cmd+D / Ctrl+D |
| Inverse Selection | Cmd+Shift+I / Ctrl+Shift+I |
| Free Transform | Cmd+T / Ctrl+T |
| Content-Aware Fill | Shift+F5 then choose Content-Aware |
Blending Modes Quick Guide
| Mode | Effect | Best For |
|---|
| Multiply | Darkens — white becomes transparent | Shadows, darkening, textures |
| Screen | Lightens — black becomes transparent | Highlights, lens flares |
| Overlay | Increases contrast | Adding texture, sharpening |
| Soft Light | Subtle contrast boost | Dodge and burn, vignettes |
Save & Export
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| Save | Cmd+S / Ctrl+S |
| Save As | Cmd+Shift+S / Ctrl+Shift+S |
| Save for Web | Cmd+Opt+Shift+S / Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S |
| Export As | Cmd+Opt+Shift+W / Ctrl+Alt+Shift+W |
Pro Tip: Use non-destructive editing: always duplicate your background layer (Cmd+J) before making changes. Use adjustment layers instead of direct edits — you can tweak or remove them anytime without degrading the original image.