Adobe Lightroom Classic keyboard shortcuts

Adobe Lightroom Classic is the desktop standard for organizing, culling, and developing large photo libraries. Its whole workflow is built for the keyboard: single-key module switching, flagging and rating during culls, and develop-mode toggles. Photographers who learn these shortcuts can cull a shoot several times faster than with the mouse. This cheat sheet covers 61 default shortcuts for Windows and Mac.

Views & Modules

Grid view (Library)	`GG`
Loupe view	`EE`
Develop module	`DD`
Compare view	`CC`
Survey view	`NN`
Go to Library module	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`1Cmd`+`Option`+`1`
Go to Develop module	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`2Cmd`+`Option`+`2`
Cycle full screen modes	`FF`
Lights out mode	`LL`
Hide/show side panels	`TabTab`
Hide/show all panels	`Shift`+`TabShift`+`Tab`
Toggle zoom (loupe)	`SpaceSpace`
Zoom in/out on photo	`ZZ`
Show/hide toolbar	`TT`
Show/hide filter bar (Library)	`\\`
Show info overlay	`II`
Show grid extras / view options	`JJ`

Culling & Rating

Flag as pick	`PP`
Flag as reject	`XX`
Remove flag	`UU`
Set star rating 1-5	`1-51-5`
Remove star rating	`00`
Set color label (red to blue)	`6-96-9`
Auto-advance while rating	`Caps LockCaps Lock`
Add to Quick Collection	`BB`
Group into stack	`Ctrl`+`GCmd`+`G`
Unstack	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`GCmd`+`Shift`+`G`
Delete rejected photos	`Ctrl`+`BackspaceCmd`+`Delete`

Develop Tools

Crop overlay tool	`RR`
White balance selector	`WW`
Convert to black & white	`VV`
Cycle crop overlay guides	`OO`
Constrain crop aspect ratio lock	`AA`
Rotate crop between portrait/landscape	`XX`
Before/after preview	`\\`
Before/after side by side	`YY`
Auto tone	`Ctrl`+`UCmd`+`U`
Auto white balance	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`UCmd`+`Shift`+`U`

Develop Settings

Copy develop settings	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`CCmd`+`Shift`+`C`
Paste develop settings	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`VCmd`+`Shift`+`V`
Paste settings from previous photo	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`VCmd`+`Option`+`V`
Sync settings to selection	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`SCmd`+`Shift`+`S`
Reset all develop settings	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`RCmd`+`Shift`+`R`
Create virtual copy	`Ctrl`+`'Cmd`+`'`
New snapshot (Develop)	`Ctrl`+`NCmd`+`N`
Rotate photo left	`Ctrl`+`[Cmd`+`[`
Rotate photo right	`Ctrl`+`]Cmd`+`]`

Library & Metadata

New collection	`Ctrl`+`NCmd`+`N`
New folder	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`NCmd`+`Shift`+`N`
Select all	`Ctrl`+`ACmd`+`A`
Deselect all	`Ctrl`+`DCmd`+`D`
Select flagged photos	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`ACmd`+`Option`+`A`
Open keywording (add keywords)	`Ctrl`+`KCmd`+`K`
Show in Explorer/Finder	`Ctrl`+`RCmd`+`R`
Undo	`Ctrl`+`ZCmd`+`Z`
Redo	`Ctrl`+`YCmd`+`Shift`+`Z`

Import, Export & External Editing

Import photos	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`ICmd`+`Shift`+`I`
Export photos	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`ECmd`+`Shift`+`E`
Export with previous settings	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`Shift`+`ECmd`+`Option`+`Shift`+`E`
Edit in Photoshop	`Ctrl`+`ECmd`+`E`
Open Preferences	`Ctrl`+`,Cmd`+`,`

Put your top Adobe Lightroom Classic shortcuts on real keys

The five Adobe Lightroom Classic actions most worth binding to a physical macropad key:

PP Flag as pick The heartbeat of every culling session, pressed thousands of times.

XX Flag as reject Pick's twin; together they make a two-key cull rig.

Ctrl+Shift+SCmd+Shift+S Sync settings to selection One press batch-edits an entire shoot after dialing in one frame.

Ctrl+Shift+ECmd+Shift+E Export photos Every delivery ends with export; deserves a physical button.

\\ Before/after preview The constant sanity check while developing an image.

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

See the macropads

Adobe Lightroom Classic shortcut FAQs

How do I cull photos quickly in Lightroom Classic?

Turn on Caps Lock for auto-advance, then press P to pick or X to reject each photo. Lightroom jumps to the next image automatically, so you can cull a shoot without touching the mouse.

What is the fastest way to apply the same edits to many photos in Lightroom?

Edit one photo, select the rest, and press Ctrl+Shift+S (Cmd+Shift+S on Mac) to sync settings, or use Ctrl+Shift+C / Ctrl+Shift+V to copy and paste develop settings.

How do I see the before and after of my edits in Lightroom?

In the Develop module, press the backslash key to toggle between before and after, or Y to see them side by side.

What does pressing L do in Lightroom Classic?

It cycles Lights Out mode, which dims and then blacks out the interface around your photo so you can judge the image without distraction.

How do I create a virtual copy in Lightroom Classic?

Press Ctrl+' (Cmd+' on Mac). A virtual copy lets you try an alternate edit of the same raw file without duplicating it on disk.