GIMP keyboard shortcuts

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is the leading free and open-source raster image editor, a Photoshop alternative for retouching, compositing, and image authoring. Its single-key tool shortcuts and menu accelerators make it very keyboard-friendly once learned, and every shortcut can be remapped. These are the 2.10 defaults. This cheat sheet covers 74 default shortcuts for Windows and Mac.

Tools

Move tool	`MM`
Rectangle Select tool	`RR`
Ellipse Select tool	`EE`
Free Select (lasso) tool	`FF`
Fuzzy Select (magic wand) tool	`UU`
Select by Color tool	`Shift`+`OShift`+`O`
Intelligent Scissors tool	`II`
Paths tool	`BB`
Paintbrush tool	`PP`
Pencil tool	`NN`
Eraser tool	`Shift`+`EShift`+`E`
Airbrush tool	`AA`
Ink tool	`KK`
Bucket Fill tool	`Shift`+`BShift`+`B`
Gradient tool	`GG`
Clone tool	`CC`
Heal tool	`HH`
Smudge tool	`SS`
Dodge/Burn tool	`Shift`+`DShift`+`D`
Text tool	`TT`
Crop tool	`Shift`+`CShift`+`C`
Unified Transform tool	`Shift`+`TShift`+`T`
Rotate tool	`Shift`+`RShift`+`R`
Scale tool	`Shift`+`SShift`+`S`
Perspective tool	`Shift`+`PShift`+`P`
Flip tool	`Shift`+`FShift`+`F`
Alignment tool	`QQ`
Warp Transform tool	`WW`
Measure tool	`Shift`+`MShift`+`M`
Color Picker tool	`OO`
Default colors (black/white)	`DD`
Swap foreground/background colors	`XX`

File

New image	`Ctrl`+`NCmd`+`N`
Open image	`Ctrl`+`OCmd`+`O`
Open as layers	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`OCmd`+`Option`+`O`
Save (as .xcf)	`Ctrl`+`SCmd`+`S`
Save As	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`SCmd`+`Shift`+`S`
Export As	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`ECmd`+`Shift`+`E`
Overwrite / re-export	`Ctrl`+`ECmd`+`E`
Close image	`Ctrl`+`WCmd`+`W`
Quit GIMP	`Ctrl`+`QCmd`+`Q`

Edit

Undo	`Ctrl`+`ZCmd`+`Z`
Redo	`Ctrl`+`YCmd`+`Y`
Cut	`Ctrl`+`XCmd`+`X`
Copy	`Ctrl`+`CCmd`+`C`
Copy visible	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`CCmd`+`Shift`+`C`
Paste	`Ctrl`+`VCmd`+`V`
Paste as new image	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`VCmd`+`Shift`+`V`
Fill with foreground color	`Ctrl`+`,Cmd`+`,`
Fill with background color	`Ctrl`+`.Cmd`+`.`
Fill with pattern	`Ctrl`+`;Cmd`+`;`

Selection

Select all	`Ctrl`+`ACmd`+`A`
Select none	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`ACmd`+`Shift`+`A`
Invert selection	`Ctrl`+`ICmd`+`I`
Toggle selection visibility	`Ctrl`+`TCmd`+`T`
Add to selection	`Shift`+`DragShift`+`Drag`
Subtract from selection	`Ctrl`+`DragCmd`+`Drag`
Toggle Quick Mask	`Shift`+`QShift`+`Q`

Layers & Image

New layer	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`NCmd`+`Shift`+`N`
Duplicate layer	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`DCmd`+`Shift`+`D`
Anchor floating layer	`Ctrl`+`HCmd`+`H`
Duplicate image	`Ctrl`+`DCmd`+`D`

View

Zoom in
Zoom out	`--`
Zoom to 100%	`11`
Fit image in window	`Shift`+`Ctrl`+`JShift`+`Cmd`+`J`
Toggle fullscreen	`F11F11`
Toggle docks (panels)	`TabTab`
Pan around the canvas	`Space`+`DragSpace`+`Drag`

Dialogs

Layers dialog	`Ctrl`+`LCmd`+`L`
Brushes dialog	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`BCmd`+`Shift`+`B`
Patterns dialog	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`PCmd`+`Shift`+`P`
Gradients dialog	`Ctrl`+`GCmd`+`G`
Toolbox	`Ctrl`+`BCmd`+`B`

Put your top GIMP shortcuts on real keys

The five GIMP actions most worth binding to a physical macropad key:

Ctrl+Shift+ECmd+Shift+E Export As The real 'save my image' in GIMP; ends every session.

Ctrl+Shift+DCmd+Shift+D Duplicate layer Non-destructive editing habit means duplicating layers constantly.

Ctrl+Shift+ACmd+Shift+A Select none Clearing selections is a nonstop reflex action in raster work.

Shift+Ctrl+JShift+Cmd+J Fit image in window Instant overview after working zoomed in on details.

Shift+QShift+Q Toggle Quick Mask Fast entry to paint-a-selection mode for precise masking.

I hand-build small-batch programmable macropads (QMK/VIA) in Barcelona. One press, any shortcut, any app.

See the macropads

GIMP shortcut FAQs

Why does Ctrl+S in GIMP not save a JPG or PNG?

GIMP's Save always writes its native .xcf project format. To get a JPG, PNG, or other formats, use File > Export As (Ctrl+Shift+E), or Ctrl+E to overwrite the file you originally opened.

Can I change keyboard shortcuts in GIMP?

Yes. Go to Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts to remap anything. You can even enable dynamic shortcuts so hovering a menu item and pressing a key combination assigns it instantly.

Can I make GIMP use Photoshop-style shortcuts?

Largely, yes. Through Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts you can remap tools and commands to match Photoshop, and several community-made keymap presets exist for exactly this.

How do I zoom to fit the whole image in the GIMP window?

Press Shift+Ctrl+J (Shift+Cmd+J on Mac). Press 1 to jump back to 100% pixel view.

What does Tab do in GIMP?

It hides or shows all the docked panels (toolbox, layers, etc.), giving you a clean view of the canvas. Press Tab again to bring them back.