Selection, layer, and transform shortcuts, non-destructive editing with masks and Smart Objects, and a workflow that keeps every edit reversible.
| Category | Action | macOS | Windows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tools | Move tool | V | V |
| Tools | Marquee (rectangular select) | M | M |
| Tools | Lasso tool | L | L |
| Tools | Quick Selection tool | W | W |
| Tools | Crop tool | C | C |
| Tools | Eyedropper | I | I |
| Painting | Brush tool | B | B |
| Painting | Clone Stamp tool | S | S |
| Painting | Eraser tool | E | E |
| Painting | Gradient tool | G | G |
| Content | Type tool | T | T |
| Content | Pen tool | P | P |
| Layers | New layer | ⇧⌘N | Ctrl+Shift+N |
| Layers | Duplicate layer | ⌘J | Ctrl+J |
| Layers | Merge down | ⌘E | Ctrl+E |
| Layers | Group layers | ⌘G | Ctrl+G |
| Transform | Free Transform | ⌘T | Ctrl+T |
| Canvas | Image Size | ⌥⌘I | Ctrl+Alt+I |
| Canvas | Canvas Size | ⌥⌘C | Ctrl+Alt+C |
| Adjustments | Levels | ⌘L | Ctrl+L |
| Adjustments | Curves | ⌘M | Ctrl+M |
| Selection | Select All / Deselect | ⌘A / ⌘D | Ctrl+A / Ctrl+D |
| Selection | Inverse selection | ⇧⌘I | Ctrl+Shift+I |
| History | Undo / Step backward | ⌘Z / ⌥⌘Z | Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Alt+Z |
| File | Save / Save As | ⌘S / ⇧⌘S | Ctrl+S / Ctrl+Shift+S |
Core Layer Concepts
Adjustment Layers
Apply Levels/Curves/Hue-Saturation non-destructively above the pixels they affect — delete the layer to fully undo, no history-panel digging required.
Layer Masks
Black hides, white reveals, on a grayscale mask attached to a layer — paint with a soft brush for a blended edit instead of erasing pixels outright.
Smart Objects
Wraps a layer (or an embedded file) so filters/transforms apply non-destructively — double-click to re-edit the original at any time.
Blending Modes
Multiply darkens, Screen lightens, Overlay adds contrast — set per layer in the Layers panel dropdown, the fastest way to combine two exposures or textures.
Clipping Masks
⌥⌘G / Ctrl+Alt+G clips a layer to the alpha shape of the layer below it — common for confining a texture or adjustment to one object.
Actions Panel
Records a sequence of steps as a replayable macro, then batch-applies it to a whole folder of images via File → Automate → Batch.
Essential Panels
Layers
History
Adjustments
Channels
Convert the base image to a Smart Object first
Right-click the layer → Convert to Smart Object, before any filter or transform — every effect applied afterward stays editable.
Use adjustment layers, never "flatten and adjust"
Stack Levels/Curves/Hue-Saturation as their own layers above the image instead of applying Image → Adjustments directly to pixels.
Mask instead of erase
Add a layer mask and paint with black/white rather than the Eraser tool — the original pixels stay intact if you need to bring them back.
Group related layers early
⌘G / Ctrl+G a set of retouching layers into a folder once the concept works — keeps the panel navigable as a file grows past a dozen layers.
Quick Tips
] and [ increase/decrease brush size on the fly — faster than reaching for the Options bar mid-stroke.⌘1 / Ctrl+1) before deciding a sharpen/blur amount is correct.