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Keyboard shortcuts for Illustrator on the iPad

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  1. Illustrator User Guide
  2. Get to know Illustrator
    1. Introduction to Illustrator
      1. What's new in Illustrator
      2. Common questions
      3. Illustrator system requirements
      4. Illustrator for Apple silicon
    2. Workspace
      1. Workspace basics
      2. Learn faster with the Illustrator Discover panel
      3. Create documents
      4. Toolbar
      5. Default keyboard shortcuts
      6. Customize keyboard shortcuts
      7. Introduction to artboards
      8. Manage artboards
      9. Customize the workspace
      10. Properties panel
      11. Set preferences
      12. Touch Workspace
      13. Microsoft Surface Dial support in Illustrator
      14. Undo edits and manage design history
      15. Rotate view
      16. Rulers, grids, and guides
      17. Accessibility in Illustrator
      18. Safe Mode
      19. View artwork
      20. Use the Touch Bar with Illustrator
      21. Files and templates
    3. Tools in Illustrator
      1. Tools at a glance
      2. Select tools
        1. Selection
        2. Direct Selection
        3. Group Selection
        4. Magic Wand
        5. Lasso
        6. Artboard
      3. Navigate tools
        1. Hand
        2. Rotate View
        3. Zoom
      4. Paint tools
        1. Gradient
        2. Mesh
        3. Shape Builder
      5. Text tools
        1. Type
        2. Type on a Path
        3. Vertical Type
      6. Draw tools
        1. Pen
        2. Add Anchor Point
        3. Delete Anchor Point
        4. Anchor Point
        5. Curvature
        6. Line Segment
        7. Rectangle
        8. Rounded Rectangle
        9. Ellipse
        10. Polygon
        11. Star
        12. Paintbrush
        13. Blob Brush
        14. Pencil
        15. Shaper
        16. Slice
      7. Modify tools
        1. Rotate
        2. Reflect
        3. Scale
        4. Shear
        5. Width
        6. Free Transform
        7. Eyedropper
        8. Blend
        9. Eraser
        10. Scissors
    4. Quick actions
      1. Retro text
      2. Neon glow text
      3. Old school text
      4. Recolor
      5. Convert sketch to vector
  3. Illustrator on the iPad
    1. Introduction to Illustrator on the iPad
      1. Illustrator on the iPad overview
      2. Illustrator on the iPad FAQs
      3. System requirements | Illustrator on the iPad
      4. What you can or cannot do on Illustrator on the iPad
    2. Workspace
      1. Illustrator on the iPad workspace
      2. Touch shortcuts and gestures
      3. Keyboard shortcuts for Illustrator on the iPad
      4. Manage your app settings
    3. Documents
      1. Work with documents in Illustrator on the iPad
      2. Import Photoshop and Fresco documents
    4. Select and arrange objects
      1. Create repeat objects
      2. Blend objects
    5. Drawing
      1. Draw and edit paths
      2. Draw and edit shapes
    6. Type
      1. Work with type and fonts
      2. Create text designs along a path
      3. Add your own fonts
    7. Work with images
      1. Vectorize raster images
    8. Color
      1. Apply colors and gradients
  4. Cloud documents
    1. Basics
      1. Work with Illustrator cloud documents
      2. Share and collaborate on Illustrator cloud documents
      3. Share documents for review
      4. Upgrade cloud storage for Adobe Illustrator
      5. Illustrator cloud documents | Common questions
    2. Troubleshooting
      1. Troubleshoot create or save issues for Illustrator cloud documents
      2. Troubleshoot Illustrator cloud documents issues
  5. Add and edit content
    1. Drawing
      1. Drawing basics
      2. Edit paths
      3. Draw pixel-perfect art
      4. Draw with the Pen, Curvature, or Pencil tool
      5. Draw simple lines and shapes
      6. Image Trace
      7. Simplify a path
      8. Define perspective grids
      9. Symbolism tools and symbol sets
      10. Adjust path segments
      11. Design a flower in 5 easy steps
      12. Perspective drawing
      13. Symbols
      14. Draw pixel-aligned paths for web workflows
    2. 3D objects and materials
      1. About 3D effects in Illustrator
      2. Create 3D graphics
      3. Map artwork over 3D objects
      4. Create 3D Text
    3. Color
      1. About color
      2. Select colors
      3. Use and create swatches
      4. Adjust colors
      5. Use the Adobe Color Themes panel
      6. Color groups (harmonies)
      7. Color Themes panel
      8. Recolor your artwork
    4. Painting
      1. About painting
      2. Paint with fills and strokes
      3. Live Paint groups
      4. Gradients
      5. Brushes
      6. Transparency and blending modes
      7. Apply stroke on an object
      8. Create and edit patterns
      9. Meshes
      10. Patterns
    5. Select and arrange objects
      1. Select objects
      2. Layers
      3. Group and expand objects
      4. Move, align, and distribute objects
      5. Stack objects    
      6. Lock, hide, and delete objects
      7. Copy and duplicate objects
      8. Rotate and reflect objects
      9. Intertwine objects
    6. Reshape objects
      1. Crop images
      2. Transform objects
      3. Combine objects
      4. Cut, divide, and trim objects
      5. Puppet Warp
      6. Scale, shear, and distort objects
      7. Blend objects
      8. Reshape using envelopes
      9. Reshape objects with effects
      10. Build new shapes with Shaper and Shape Builder tools
      11. Work with Live Corners
      12. Enhanced reshape workflows with touch support
      13. Edit clipping masks
      14. Live shapes
      15. Create shapes using the Shape Builder tool
      16. Global editing
    7. Type
      1. Add text and work with type objects
      2. Create bulleted and numbered lists
      3. Manage text area
      4. Fonts and typography
      5. Format type
      6. Import and export text
      7. Format paragraphs
      8. Special characters
      9. Create type on a path
      10. Character and paragraph styles
      11. Tabs
      12. Text and type
      13. Find missing fonts (Typekit workflow)
      14. Update text from Illustrator 10
      15. Arabic and Hebrew type
      16. Fonts | FAQ and troubleshooting tips
      17. Create 3D text effect
      18. Creative typography designs
      19. Scale and rotate type
      20. Line and character spacing
      21. Hyphenation and line breaks
      22. Text enhancements
      23. Spelling and language dictionaries
      24. Format Asian characters
      25. Composers for Asian scripts
      26. Create text designs with blend objects
      27. Create a text poster using Image Trace
    8. Create special effects
      1. Work with effects
      2. Graphic styles
      3. Create a drop shadow
      4. Appearance attributes
      5. Create sketches and mosaics
      6. Drop shadows, glows, and feathering
      7. Summary of effects
    9. Web graphics
      1. Best practices for creating web graphics
      2. Graphs
      3. SVG
      4. Create animations
      5. Slices and image maps
  6. Import, export, and save
    1. Import
      1. Place multiple files
      2. Manage linked and embedded files
      3. Links information
      4. Unembed images
      5. Import artwork from Photoshop
      6. Import bitmap images
      7. Import Adobe PDF files
      8. Import EPS, DCS, and AutoCAD files
    2. Creative Cloud Libraries in Illustrator 
      1. Creative Cloud Libraries in Illustrator
    3. Save
      1. Save artwork
    4. Export
      1. Use Illustrator artwork in Photoshop
      2. Export artwork
      3. Collect assets and export in batches
      4. Package files
      5. Create Adobe PDF files
      6. Extract CSS | Illustrator CC
      7. Adobe PDF options
      8. File information and metadata
  7. Printing
    1. Prepare for printing
      1. Set up documents for printing
      2. Change the page size and orientation
      3. Specify crop marks for trimming or aligning
      4. Get started with large canvas
    2. Printing
      1. Overprint
      2. Print with color management
      3. PostScript printing
      4. Print presets
      5. Printer's marks and bleeds
      6. Print and save transparent artwork
      7. Trapping
      8. Print color separations
      9. Print gradients, meshes, and color blends
      10. White Overprint
  8. Automate tasks
    1. Data merge using the Variables panel
    2. Automation with scripts
    3. Automation with actions
  9. Troubleshooting 
    1. Crash issues
    2. Recover files after crash
    3. File issues
    4. Supported file formats
    5. GPU device driver issues
    6. Wacom device issues
    7. DLL file issues
    8. Memory issues
    9. Preferences file issues
    10. Font issues
    11. Printer issues
    12. Share crash report with Adobe
    13. Improve Illustrator performance

Learn various keyboard shortcuts to improve your productivity while working on Illustrator on iPad.

Connecting a keyboard with the iPad can improve your productivity as you can use keyboard shortcuts to get your work done quickly without the need to navigate through the UI. These shortcuts also come handy if you frequently need to switch between Illustrator on desktop and iPad.

Keyboard shortcuts

Do one of the following to view the keyboard shortcuts map for Illustrator on your iPad:

  • From the Home screen, go to App settings > Help > Keyboard shortcuts.
  • From the workspace, go to Help () > View keyboard shortcuts.

List of keyboard shortcuts

Action Shortcut
Cut Command + X
Copy Command + C 
Paste Command + V
Paste in front
 Command + F
Paste in back
 Command + B
Delete Delete
Undo  Command + Z
Redo Command + Shift + Z
Pen P
Pencil N
Rectangle M
Ellipse L
Text (horizontal) T
Selection V
Direct selection A
Default style D
Artboard Shift + O
Blob brush Shift + B
Shape builder Shift + M
Eraser Shift + E
Select all objects or text (inside text runs) Command + A
Deselect Command + Shift + A
Select on active artboard  Command + Opt + A
Group Command  + G
Ungroup Command + Shift + G
Lock Command + 2
Unlock all Command  + Opt + 2
Hide Command + 3
Show all Command  + Opt + 3
Duplicate  Opt + click + drag 
Bring to front Shift + Command + }
Bring forward Command + } 
Send to back Shift + Command + { 
Send backward Command + { 
Outline text (with text selected) Command + Shift + O
Nudge object or change value in input field Arrow up/down
Nudge object Arrow left/right
Nudge object by 10x or change input field value by 10x Shift + arrow up/down
Nudge object by 10x Shift + arrow left/right
Swap fill and stroke colors Shift + X
Move in 45-degree constraints Shift + drag
End current path and start new Esc
Break handle pairing Opt + draw smooth point
Snap handles to 45-degree increments Shift + draw smooth point
Move current anchor point Space + draw smooth point
Control handle lengths independently Command + draw smooth point
Control handles independently Opt + close path with handle drag
Reposition anchor point Space + close path 
Draw at 45-degree increments Shift + draw with blob brush
Switch to smooth tool Opt + draw with blob brush
Draw unconstrained from center Opt + shape tool/area text tool
Draw constrained from center Opt + Shift + shape tool/area text tool
Resize unconstrained from center  Opt + resize area text
Lock proportions Shift + scale artboard
Text size up Shift + Command + .
Text size down Shift + Command + ,
Increase or decrease kerning Opt + left/right arrow + edit text
Increase or decrease kerning Command + Shift + [/]
Increase or decrease tracking Opt + left/right arrow + text object
Increase or decrease leading Opt + up/down arrow
Hide or show Smart Guides Command + U
Hide or show grids Command + ’
Hide or show guides Command + ;
Lock or unlock guides Command + Opt + ;
Create blend object from selection Command + Opt + B
Release blend objects Command + Opt + Shift + B
Hide or show Smart Guides Command + U
Hide or show grids Command + ’
Hide or show guides Command + ;
Lock or unlock guides Command + Opt + ;
Make clipping mask Command + 7
Release clipping mask Command + Opt + 7
Make compound path Command + 8
Release compound path Command + Opt + 8
Join end points; repeat closes all points on selected paths Command + J
App settings Command + K
Units in app settings Command + ,
Open file settings Command + Opt + P
Hide app Command + H
Fit artboard to screen Command + 0
Actual size Command + 1
Outline view Command + Y
Zoom in Command + +
Zoom out Command + -
Switch between current and selection tool
 Command
Create new layer
 Command + L
Create new
 Command  + N
Remove fill or stroke color
 /

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