Gimp has a ton of accelerator keys which can help you to quicker and easier image manipulation. Gimp also has a fantastic feature in the possibility to reassign short cuts keys on the fly.
Dynamic Key bindings
Gimp has a very nice way of dealing with short cuts or hotkeys. If you don't like a default short cut or if your favorite command hasn't been assigned to a default hotkey, then just bring up the menu holding the command, for example <Image>/File/Preference and press an alternative key, like Ctrl-U. The preference dialog will now pop up when you press Ctrl-U. (remember not to have caps lock on). If Ctrl-U was occupied by e.g <Image>/ File /Print before you did the reassignment, then this short cut has been erased. All of this happened on the fly. You will actually see the reassignment take place and there is no need to restart Gimp. (in some other operating systems you'll get messages like ""$$" has discovered that the mouse cursor has changed position, please restart "$$" so it can be updated")
This can also be done by editing your personal menu rc file in your personal gimp directory. This makes it possible to share your short cuts with your friends. If you are a former Photoshop user, you can for example re-bind your keys so Gimp will use the same hotkeys as Photoshop.
As authors of this book we suggest that you stick to the default short cuts. Otherwise it may be difficult to follow our instructions (you may run in to some problems when we write Ctrl-N to get a new image, and you quit Gimp because you have reassigned the short cut).
If you want to remove your personal short cuts just type rm .gimp/menurc in an xterm shell.
The next pages display a Quick Reference to the default keybindings in Gimp. It's a good idea to print this page, and keep it beside your computer.
Conventions
The left column lists options available for a certain tool (clicking different mouse buttons and/or pressing hotkeys). The right column describes the result.
The different tools are listed in the left column, and the hotkeys for calling up each tool are listed in the right column.
{1} represents left mouse button
{2} represents the middle mouse button
{3} represents the right mouse button
Shift + {1} - Shift + Shift + Ctrl means the following:
First press Shift, then press the left mouse button. Release Shift then press Shift again. Press Ctrl and drag the mouse while holding Shift and Ctrl. When you are finished, first release the mouse button, then release Shift and Ctrl.
Default
short cuts in Gimp.
Selection tools
Ctrl + {1} - Ctrl + Shift +Ctrl
Subtract circle/square from selection starting from centre
{1}
Draw selection
{1} + {3} - {1}
Cancel selection
Shift + Ctrl + {1} - Shift - Ctrl + Shift
Circle/square union of selection
On existing selections
Shift + {1} - Shift
Add to selection
Shift + Ctrl + {1} - Shift - Ctrl + Ctrl
Ellipse/rectangle union of selection starting from centre
Ctrl + {1} - Ctrl
Subtract from selection
Shift + Ctrl + {1} - Shift - Ctrl
Union of selection
Shift + Ctrl + {1} - Shift - Ctrl + Shift + Ctrl
Circle/square union of selection starting from centre
Alt + {1}
Move selection
Rectangular and ellipse
Short cut:R/E
Bezier
B
{1} (inside bezier)
Convert to selection
{1} + Shift
Circle/square only
{1}
Move both control handles
{1} + Ctrl
Start from centre
{1} + Shift + Ctrl
Start circle/square from centre
Shift + {1}
Move one control handle
Shift + {1} - Shift + Shift
Add circle/square to selection
Ctrl + {1}
Move control point
Shift + {1} - Shift + Ctrl
Add rect/ellipse to selection starting from centre
Remaining selection tools
Fuzzy select
Z
Free
F
Shift + {1} - Shift + Shift + Ctrl
Add circle/square to selection starting from centre
Intelligent scissors
I
Ctrl + {1} - Ctrl + Shift
Subtract circle/square from selection
Ctrl + {1} - Ctrl + Ctrl
Subtract ellipse/square from selection starting from centre
.
Move tool
M
Transform tool
Shift + T
{1}
Move current layer
Rotation mode
{1} + Shift
Move current even if 100% transparent
{1}
Rotate with 1\xb0 increments
Ctrl + [arrow key]
Move layer 1 pixel
Ctrl + {1}
Rotate with 15\xfb increments
Shift + [arrow key]
Move layer 25 pixels
Alt + [arrow key]
Move selection 1 pixel
Scaling mode
{1}
Free scaling
Alt + Shift + [arrow key]
Move selection 25 pixels
Shift + {1}
Scale in X direction only
Ctrl + {1}
Scale in Y direction only
Magnify Tool
Shift + M
{1} or =
Zoom in
Shift + Ctrl + {1}
Scale with fixed ratio
Shift + {1} or -
Zoom out
{2}
Pan image
Crop tool
Shift + C
Shearing mode
{1}
Make crop selection
{1}
Free shearing
{1} + {3} -{1}
Cancel crop
{1} inside crop
Perform crop
Perspective mode
{1}
Move point
Text tool
T
{1}
Set top left of text
All
{1} + {3} - {3}
Preview
Color picker tool
O
{1}
Get color
.
Bucket fill tool
Shift + M
Paint tools
With no selection
Blend tool
L
{1}
Fill with FG color
Pencil tool
Shift + P
Shift + {1}
Fill with BG color
Airbrush tool
A
{1}
Paint
With selection
Alt + {1}
Quick draw
{1}
Fill selection with FG color
Shift +/- {1} + distance +/- {1}
Line draw
Shift + {1}
Fill selection with BG color
Eraser tool
Shift + E
{1}
Set to BG and Clear
Colorpicker tool
O
Alt + {1}
Quick erase
{1}
Set active color with cursor
Shift +/- {1} + distance +/- {1}
Line erase
X
Swap BG FG color
Clone tool
C
D
Set default colors
{1}
Clone
Ctrl + {1}
Set clone source point
Blend tool
L
{1} + drag - {1}
Set start => end of gradient
Alt + {1}
Quick clone
Shift +/- {1} + distance +/-! {1}
Line clone
{1} + {2} - {1}
Cancel gradient
Convolver Tool
V
{1}
Blur/Sharpen with brush
..
Tools
Layers & Channels dialog
Rect Select
R
Layers ops menu
Ellipse Select
E
New layer
Ctrl + N
Fuzzy Select
Z
Raise layer
Ctrl + F
Bezier Select
B
Lower layer
Ctrl + B
Intelligent Scissors
I
Duplicate layer
Ctrl + C
Move
M
Delete layer
Ctrl + X
Magnify
Shift + M
Scale layer
Ctrl + S
Crop
Shift + C
Resize layer
Ctrl + R
Transform
Shift + T
Merge visible layers
Ctrl + M
Flip
Shift + F
Text
T
{1}
Select layer (visible and anchor)
Color Picker
O
Bucket Fill
Shift + B
Shift + {1}
View current layer only
Blend
L
Paintbrush
P
Alt + {1}
Green layer mask
View layer mask (or remove green mask)
Pencil
Shift + P
Eraser
Shift + E
Alt + {1}
Green layer mask
View layer mask (or remove green mask)
Airbrush
A
Clone
C
Alt + {1}
Green layer mask
View layer mask (or remove green mask)
Convolve
V
Channels ops menu
New channel
Ctrl + N
Raise channel
Ctrl + F
Lower channel
Ctrl + B
Duplicate channel
Ctrl + C
Delete channel
Ctrl + X
Channel to selection
Ctrl + S
.
Gradient Editor dialog: Ops menu
Selection operands
Left endpoint color
L
Flip segments
F
Load from Left neighbor's right endpoint
Ctrl + L
Replicate segment
M
Blend endpoints' colors
B
Load from Right endpoint
Alt + L
Blend endpoints' opacity
Ctrl + B
Load from FG color
Ctrl +
Right endpoint color
R
Load from Right neighbor's right endpoint
Ctrl + R
Load from Left endpoint
Alt + R
Load from FG color
Alt + F
Segments
Split segment at midpoint
S
Split segment uniformly
U
Delete segment
D
Re-centre segment's midpoint
C
Re-distribute handles in segment
Ctrl + C
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