Save loads of time in Photoshop with these shortcuts..

CT Member Kacy here, this time with some time-saving shortcuts in Photoshop!  The four shortcuts I use most often are:

1. File, Scripts, Load Files into Stack – this allows you to select all the pieces you want to use in a kit, and have Photoshop open and put all the files into one layered document for you, instead of opening and duplicating all the layers into one document yourself.
2. Mouse right-click to select a layer – this saves me tons of time to find the layer I’m looking for instead of scrolling through the layers  palette.  Just right-click with your mouse over the item you want to work with and select the appropriate layer from the box that pops up.
3. Ctrl + J (Cmd + J on a Mac) to duplicate the currently selected layer.
4. While the layer you want to duplicate is selected, Alt + left-click on the mouse, then drag the item (while still holding down the Alt key) to create a new layer quickly.

Some other great timesavers:

• Fill a layer with a solid color:

-Windows:  Alt + Delete [foreground color] or Ctrl + Delete [background color]

-Mac:  Alt + Backspace, Cmd + Backspace

• Fill a selection with the current foreground color:

-Windows/Mac:  Shift + F5

• Bring the currently selected layer to the top of the stack in the Layers palette:

-Windows:  Ctrl + Shift + ]

-Mac:  Cmd + Shift + ]

• Send the currently selected layer to the bottom of stack:

-Windows: Ctrl + Shift + [

-Mac:  Cmd + Shift + [

• Undo (I use this a lot):

-Windows:  Ctrl + Z

-Mac:  Cmd + Z

• Step backward (keep undoing the changes you made, in order of how you made them):

-Windows:  Ctrl + Alt + Z

-Mac:  Cmd + Alt + Z

• Select bottom layer:

-Windows/Mac:  Alt + Comma(,)

• Select the top layer:

-Windows/Mac:  Alt + Period(.)

• This is a new one I’ve just learned about – have you ever pasted something into your Photoshop document and it’s bigger than the window?  The re-sizing handles may be difficult or even impossible to find.  To size the image inside the window:

-Windows:  Ctrl + T, then Ctrl + 0 (zero)

-Mac:  Cmd + T, then Cmd + 0 (zero)

• Fit everything onto the screen:

-Windows:  Ctrl + 0 (zero)

-Mac:  Cmd +0 (zero)

• Zoom In:

-Windows:  Ctrl + plus sign (+)

-Mac:  Cmd + plus sign (+)

• Zoom Out:

-Windows:  Ctrl + minus sign (-)

-Mac:  Cmd + minus sign (-)

I hope that was helpful – happy scrapping!