Essential Adobe Lightroom Shortcut Keys

Are you tired of navigating through menus and tabs while editing photos in Lightroom? Shortcut keys can make your workflow faster and smoother. Adobe Lightroom offers a wide range of keyboard shortcuts designed to save time and improve efficiency. This guide will walk you through all the essential Lightroom shortcut keys for desktop with details on how to use them.

Why Learn Lightroom Shortcut Keys?

Using Lightroom shortcut keys can transform your editing experience. Here’s why you should make them part of your routine:

1. Speed Up Workflow: Shortcut keys eliminate the need to click around, allowing you to edit faster.
2. Enhanced Productivity: You’ll get more done in less time.
3. Reduced Repetitive Actions: No need to perform the same actions manually over and over.
4. Improved Focus: Keep your hands on the keyboard and your mind on the edit.

Let’s dive into the most important Lightroom shortcut keys you need to know.

General Lightroom Shortcut Keys

These shortcuts are handy for general navigation and operations within Lightroom:

Result	Windows	macOS
Create a new catalog.	Ctrl + N	Cmd + N
Create a new collection.	Ctrl + Shift + N	Cmd + Shift + N
Open an existing catalog.	Ctrl + O	Cmd + O
Quit Lightroom.	Ctrl + Q	Cmd + Q
Undo the last action.	Ctrl + Z	Cmd + Z
Redo the last undone action.	Ctrl + Shift + Z	Cmd + Shift + Z
Open Community Help	F1	F1

Library Module Shortcut Keys

The Library module is where you organize and manage your photos. Here are some shortcuts to streamline your tasks:

Result	Windows	macOS
Grid View	G	G
Loupe View	E	E
Compare View – Lets you compare two photos side by side.	C	C
Survey View – view multiple photos at once.	N	N
Switch from Grid to Loupe view.	Spacebar or E	Spacebar or E
Export photos.	Ctrl + Shift + E	Cmd + Shift + E
Import photos.	Ctrl + Shift + I	Cmd + Shift + I
Toggle Zoom View.	Z	Z
Zoom in / zoom out in Loupe view.	Ctrl + –	Cmd + –
Rotate photo right (clockwise).	Ctrl + ]	Cmd + ]
Rotate photo left (anticlockwise).	Ctrl + [	Cmd + [
Toggle cell extras.	Ctrl + Shift + H	Cmd + Shift + H
Select all photos.	Ctrl + A	Cmd + A
Deselect all photos.	Ctrl + D	Cmd + D
Select only active photo	Ctrl + Shift + D	Cmd + Shift + D
Flag a photo as a pick.	P	P
Select flagged photos.	Ctrl + Alt + A	Cmd + Option + A
Deselect unflagged photos.	Ctrl + Alt + Shift + D	Cmd + Option + Shift + D
Group into stack.	Ctrl + G	Cmd + G
Unstack.	Ctrl + Shift + G	Cmd + Shift + G
Toggle stack.	S	S
Move to top of stack.	Shift + S	Shift + S
Move up in stack.	Shift + [	Shift + [
Move down in stack.	Shift + ]	Shift + ]
Cycle Grid views.	J	J
Open Library view options.	Ctrl + J	Cmd + J
Show/hide badges.	Ctrl + Alt + Shift + H	Cmd + Option + Shift + H

Using these shortcuts in the Library module helps you quickly sort, flag, and manage your images.

Develop Module Shortcut Keys

The Develop module is where the magic happens. These shortcuts will help you adjust your photos more efficiently:

Result	Windows	macOS
Switch to the Develop module.	D	D
Reset adjustments.	Ctrl + Alt + R	Cmd + Option + R
Crop tool.	R	R
Show or hide all panels.	Shift + Tab	Shift + Tab
Convert the photo to black and white.	V	V
Enable the Adjustment Brush.	K	K
Graduated Filter tool.	M	M
Radial Filter tool.	Shift + M	Shift + M
Select Targeted Adjustment tool for Saturation.	Ctrl + Alt + Shift + S	Cmd + Option + Shift + S
Select Targeted Adjustment tool for Luminance.	Ctrl + Alt + Shift + L	Cmd + Option + Shift + L
Select Targeted Adjustment tool for Grayscale Mix.	Ctrl + Alt + Shift + G	Cmd + Option + Shift + G
Deselect Targeted Adjustment tool.	Ctrl + Alt + Shift + N	Cmd + Option + Shift + N
Show clipping.	J	J
Rotate photo right (clockwise).	Ctrl + ]	Cmd + ]
Rotate photo left (counterclockwise).	Ctrl + [	Cmd + [
Toggle between Loupe and 1:1 Zoom preview.	Spacebar or Z	Spacebar or Z
Zoom in/Zoom out.	Ctrl + = / Ctrl + –	Cmd + = / Cmd + –
Play impromptu slide show.	Ctrl + Enter	Cmd + Enter
View Before and After left/right.	Y	Y
View Before and After top/bottom.	Alt + Y	Option + Y
Create a new snapshot.	Ctrl + N	Cmd + N
Create a new preset.	Ctrl + Shift + N	Cmd + Shift + N
Create a new preset folder.	Ctrl + Alt + N	Cmd + Option + N
Open Develop view options.	Ctrl + J	Cmd + J
Create a Luminance filter.	Shift + Q	Shift + Q
Crop to original.	Ctrl + Alt + Shift + R	Cmd + Option + Shift + R
Create a color range.	Shift + J	Shift + J
Open/close Masking.	Shift + W	Shift + W
Cycle through transform options.	Ctrl + Tab	Cmd + Tab
Copy a Mask.	Ctrl + C	Cmd + C
Print the current photo.	Ctrl + P	Cmd + P
Expand/collapse Soft Proofing.	S	S

Keys for Working with Collections

Result	Windows	macOS
Create a new collection	Ctrl + N	Cmd + N
Add to Quick Collection	B	B
Add to Quick Collection and go to next photo	Shift + B	Shift + B
Show Quick Collection	Ctrl + B	Cmd + B
Save Quick Collection	Ctrl + Alt + B	Cmd + Option + B
Clear Quick Collection	Ctrl + Shift + B	Cmd + Shift + B
Set as target collection	Ctrl + Alt + Shift + B	Command + Option + Shift + B

Keys for Working with Metadata and Keywords

Result	Windows	macOS
Add keywords	Ctrl + K	Cmd + K
Edit keywords	Ctrl + Shift + K	Cmd + Shift + K
Set a keyword shortcut	Ctrl + Alt + Shift + K	Cmd + Option + Shift + K
Add/remove keyword shortcut from selected photo	Shift + K	Shift + K
Enable painting	Ctrl + Alt + K	Cmd + Option + K
Add a keyword from a keyword set to selected photo	Alt + 1-9	Option + 1-9
Copy/paste metadata	Ctrl + Alt + Shift + C / Ctrl + Alt + Shift + V	Cmd + Option + Shift + C / Cmd + Option + Shift + V
Save metadata to file	Ctrl + S	Cmd + S

Keys for Slideshow, Print, Map, and Web Modules

Slideshow Module

Result	Windows	macOS
Play slide show.	Enter	Return
Play impromptu slide show.	Ctrl + Enter	Cmd + Return
Pause slide show.	Spacebar	Spacebar
Preview slide show.	Alt + Enter	Option + Return
End slide show.	Esc	Esc
Go to next slide.	Right Arrow	Right Arrow
Go to previous slide.	Left Arrow	Left Arrow
Export PDF slide show.	Ctrl + J	Cmd + J
Export JPEG slide show.	Ctrl + Shift + J	Cmd + Shift + J
Export video slide show.	Ctrl + Alt + J	Cmd + Option + J
Create a new slide show template.	Ctrl + N	Cmd + N
Save slide show settings	Ctrl + S	Cmd + S

Print Module

Result	Windows	macOS
Print	Ctrl + P	Cmd + P
Go to first page	Ctrl + Shift + Left Arrow	Cmd + Shift + Left Arrow
Go to last page	Ctrl + Shift + Right Arrow	Cmd + Shift + Right Arrow
Go to previous page	Ctrl + Left Arrow	Cmd + Left Arrow
Go to next page	Ctrl + Right Arrow	Cmd + Right Arrow
Show/hide rulers	Ctrl + R	Cmd + R
Show/hide margins and gutters	Ctrl + Shift + M	Cmd + Shift + M
Create a new print template	Ctrl + N	Cmd + N
Save print settings	Ctrl + S	Cmd + S
Show Guides	Ctrl + Shift + G	Cmd + Shift + G

Map Module

Result	Windows	macOS
Search	Ctrl + F	Cmd + F
Show / Hide map info	I	I
Delete All Location data	Ctrl + Backspace	Command + Delete
Show / Hide Location preset overlay	O	O
Change to Dark Map style	Ctrl + 6	Cmd + 6
Change to Hybrid Map style	Ctrl + 1	Cmd + 1
Change to Light Map style	Ctrl + 5	Cmd + 5
Change to Road Map style	Ctrl + 2	Cmd + 2
Change to Satellite Map style	Ctrl + 3	Cmd + 3
Change to Terrain Map style	Ctrl + 4	Cmd + 4

Web Module

Result	Windows	macOS
Reload web gallery	Ctrl + R	Cmd + R
Preview in browser	Ctrl + Alt + P	Command + Option + P
Export web gallery	Ctrl + J	Cmd + J
Create a new web gallery template	Ctrl + N	Cmd + N
Save web gallery settings	Ctrl + S	Cmd + S

Final Words

Lightroom’s extensive collection of shortcuts makes photo editing more user-friendly and efficient, whether you’re a beginner or a professional. By mastering these shortcuts, you can navigate modules, refine your photos, and streamline your workflow in no time. Bookmark this guide as you explore Lightroom’s full potential. Remember, practice makes perfect—so start using these shortcuts today to enhance your productivity!

FAQ’s