NAVIGATION & HOTKEY TIPS

by Trevor Morris

1. Sometimes it is quicker to navigate with the keyboard than to reach for the mouse. Here are some useful navigation keys: HotKey Result Home / End go to top-left / bottom-right corner of the canvas PageUp / PageDown scroll canvas up /down one page Ctrl+PageUp / Ctrl+PageDown scroll canvas left right one page Shift+PageUp / Shift+PageDown scroll canvas up / down 10 pixels Ctrl+Shift+PageUp / Ctrl+Shift+PageDown scroll canvas left / right 10 pixels
2. Use Ctrl+Tab / Ctrl+F6 to switch between documents (or, alternatively, use the Window menu). Very handy!
3. Use the Revert command [F12] (File » Revert) to restore the current document to its previously saved state. Warning! In Photoshop 5 (only), the Revert command will also clear your History! This means that you will lose all changes made since the last save! Photoshop 5.5 corrects this behaviour.
4. By default, channels have hotkeys associated with them. This makes it very quick and easy to add, subtract and intersect selections / masks which have been saved as channels. Here are the hotkeys corresponding to some common color modes: RGB Mode: CYMK Mode: Index Mode:

Ctrl+Tilde ( ~ ) = RGB

Ctrl+1 = Red

Ctrl+2 = Green

Ctrl+3 = Blue

Ctrl+4 = Other Channel

:

Ctrl+9 = Other Channel

Ctrl+Tilde ( ~ ) = CYMK

Ctrl+1 = Cyan

Ctrl+2 = Yellow

Ctrl+3 = Magenta

Ctrl+4 = Black

Ctrl+5 = Other Channel

:

Ctrl+9 = Other Channel

Ctrl+1 = Index

Ctrl+2 = Other Channel

:

Ctrl+9 = Other Channel

Example: To create a selection that represents the intersection of channels 7 and 9, press Ctrl+Alt+7 (to load channel 7 as a selection) followed by Ctrl+Alt+Shift+9 (to intersect withchannel 9).

5. Ctrl-drag inside of the Proxy Preview Area (in the Navigation palette (Window » Show Navigator)) to specify a new view area within the current document. Tip: Shift-drag within the Proxy Preview Area to move the highlight vertically and horizontally. Tip: Change the color of the Proxy View highlight by selecting Palette Options… from the palette menu.
6. To play just one step within an action, choose the step and Ctrl-click on the Play button (at the bottom of the Actions palette (Window » Show Actions)). Note: To change the parameters of a particular command step, double-click on the step to reveal the associated dialog box: any new values entered will automatically be recorded.
7. To begin playback from a specific step of an action, simply choose the desired step and press the Play button (at the bottom of the Actions palette).