Paint.NET keyboard shortcuts

If you were using Paint.net without keyboard shortcuts, take look at this list. They'll not only make you faster on drawing lines, shapes or filling areas with color, but you'll also learn more about Paint.net features.

Paint.NET Top 20 All

Zeynel - - Shortcuts

3 comments

Suggestion: This program has lots of (226) shortcuts. Try our shortened list of 20 basic Paint.NET shortcuts if you just want to get started.

0	Space + +	Pan image
2	Page Up	Scroll up
1	or
1	Page Down	Scroll down
0	or
1	↑ Shift +	Scroll left
0	or Shift + Page Up
1	or Home
0	↑ Shift +	Scroll right
1	or Shift + Page Down
1	or End
0	Home	(twice) Scroll image to top left of editing window
0	Ctrl + Home	Scroll top left image to center screen
-1	End	(twice) Scroll image to bottom right of editing window
1	Ctrl + End	Scroll bottom right image to center screen
1	Ctrl +	Zoom in / out
1	or Ctrl + -
0	or Ctrl + +
0	Ctrl + 0	Set actual size
Alternatively, in the Status Bar drag the slider or type a value in the percentage text box.

0	Ctrl + B	(twice) First combination zooms to Window, the second restores the previous zoom level
-1	Space +	Pan canvas
0	or Space + ← ↑ → ← ↓ →
0	Space + Ctrl + ← ↑ → ← ↓ →	Pan canvas x10
0	Ctrl + D	Deselect active selection
0	or ⤶ Enter
0	← ↑ → ← ↓ →	Shift current tool per pixel (may not work with all tools)
0	Ctrl + ← ↑ → ← ↓ →	Shift current tool 10 pixels (may not work with all tools)
0	Alt	Show menu. Press underlined letter in menu to use menu hotkey
0	F5	Show / hide Tools window
0	F6	Show / hide History window
0	F7	Show / hide layers window
-1	F8	Show / hide colors window
0	Esc	Commit text or tool drawing to layer
0	or ⤶ Enter
0	or Ctrl + D
... or Click Finish on the toolbar.

Note: x2 means pressing shortcut twice, x3 is pressing three times etc.
1	S	Rectangle select
-1	S	(x2) Lasso select
0	S	(x3) Ellipse select
-2	S	(x4) Magic Wand tool
0	F	Paint Bucket
0	B	Paintbrush
0	P	Pencil
0	L	Clone Stamp
-2	T	Text
0	O	(x2) Shapes
1	M	Move selected pixels
0	M	(x2) Move selection
0	Z	Zoom
0	H	Pan
To temporarily activate panning, hold Space and drag with left mouse button.
0	G	Gradient
1	E	Eraser
0	K	Color Picker
0	R	Recolor
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1	O	Line / Curve

1	Ctrl + Tab	Next image
0	Ctrl + ↑ Shift + Tab	Previous image
0	Ctrl + 1	... to 9: Switch to image number pressed
0	or Alt + 1

1	[	Open File menu
-1	]	New image
0	Ctrl + O	Open image
0	Ctrl + W	Close image
0	or Ctrl + F4
0	Ctrl + S	Save image
0	Ctrl + ↑ Shift + S	Save image as
0	Ctrl + P	Print
2	Alt + F4	Exit Paint.net
0	Alt + F	then X: Exit Paint.net

1	Alt + E	Open Edit menu
0	Ctrl + Z	Undo
0	Ctrl + Y	Redo
0	Ctrl + X	Cut
0	or ↑ Shift + Del
0	Ctrl + C	Kopyala
0	or Ctrl + Insert
0	Ctrl + ↑ Shift + C	Copy merged
0	Ctrl + V	Paste
1	or ↑ Shift + Insert
0	Ctrl + ↑ Shift + V	Paste into new layer
2	or Ctrl + Alt + V
1	Del	Erase selection
0	Backspace	Fill selection
0	Ctrl + I	Invert selection
0	Ctrl + A	Select all
0	Ctrl + D	Deselect active selection
0	or ⤶ Enter

0	Alt + V	Open view menu
-1	Ctrl + +	Zoom in
0	Ctrl + -	Zoom out
0	Ctrl + B	Zoom to window
0	Ctrl + ↑ Shift + B	Zoom to selection
0	Ctrl + 0	Actual size

0	Alt + I	Open image menu
2	Ctrl + ↑ Shift + X	Crop to selection
0	Ctrl + R	Resize
0	Ctrl + ↑ Shift + R	Canvas size
0	Ctrl + H	Rotate 90° (clockwise)
0	Ctrl + G	Rotate 90° (counter-clockwise)
0	Ctrl + J	Rotate 180°
0	Ctrl + ↑ Shift + F	Flatten

0	Alt + L	Open Layers menu
0	Ctrl + ↑ Shift + N	Add new layer
0	Ctrl + ↑ Shift + Del	Delete layer
1	Ctrl + ↑ Shift + D	Duplicate layer
0	Ctrl + M	Merge layer down
0	Ctrl + ↑ Shift + Z	Rotate / zoom
0	F4	Layer properties
0	Ctrl +	(on blue up or down arrow) Move active layer top or bottom of list

0	Alt + A	Open Adjustments menu
0	Ctrl + ↑ Shift + L	Auto-level
0	Ctrl + ↑ Shift + G	Black & White
0	Ctrl + ↑ Shift + T	Brightness / contrast
0	Ctrl + ↑ Shift + M	Curves
0	Ctrl + ↑ Shift + U	Hue / saturation
0	Ctrl + ↑ Shift + I	Invert colors
0	Ctrl + L	Levels
0	Ctrl + ↑ Shift + P	Posterize
0	Ctrl + ↑ Shift + E	Sepia

0	Alt + C	Open Effects menu
0	Ctrl + F	Repeat last effect

Alt + X

Open Settings dialog

0	Alt + H	Open Help menu
0	F1	Online documentation
0	Ctrl + E	Paint.net search page

-1	F8	Toggle visibility of the window
0	X	Swap primary and secondary colors
1	C	Switch active color

0	S	Rectangle select
0	S	(x2) Lasso select

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What is your favorite Paint.NET hotkey? Do you have any useful tips for it? Let other users know below.

? Uncle OP says:

I've been using the wrong image editing program. Gonna try it with paintdotnet from now on. The instructions are much more clear this way

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? Buchi OP says:

I have a problem with plugins, pait.net 5.0.9, how can I solve it?

? beyakarylle OP says:

Thanks for the Info.
I use Paint .Net a lot for most editing and resizing tasks, but it does lack such things as HDR photo editing and other high end features. But it opens so fast, and you can specify what tool you want it to default to when it opens, so that’s very handy.
I am using a XP-Pen Star 03 ( https://www.xp-pen.com/product/44.html ) digital drawing tablet. They are like perfectly tuned to paint .net . All the button functions will work and it was affordable as well.

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