All keyboard shortcuts for page layout

100 Keyboard Shortcuts for Page Layout: InDesign, Affinity Publisher, and Scribus

With page layout keyboard shortcuts, you can insert images, edit text, organize frames, and proofread documents faster. This reference guide contains 100 practical keyboard shortcuts for Adobe InDesign, Affinity Publisher 2, and Scribus at Windows, each with an explanation of how it works.

Which keyboard shortcuts are important for page layout?

The most useful keyboard shortcuts for page layout support tasks you repeat constantly: placing text and images, selecting objects, duplicating frames, adjusting typography, and navigating between pages. This saves you a lot of back-and-forth switching between your document and the menus, especially when working on brochures, magazines, books, and reports.

Below are 40 entries for Adobe InDesign, 30 for Affinity Publisher 2, and 30 for Scribus. Some key combinations appear in multiple programs. The list therefore contains 100 entries per application, not 100 distinct key combinations.

Program	Scope	Topics
Adobe InDesign	1–40	Tools, frames, typography, navigation, and styles.
Affinity Publisher 2	41–70	Documents, images, objects, text, and display.
Scribus 1.6	71–100	Frames, text flows, properties, duplication, and PDF export.

How to Use This Reference Guide

All listings are based on the default keys listed on Windows. Customized shortcut keys may differ. For Affinity, this specifically refers to the standalone Publisher 2 application; for Scribus, it refers to the 1.6 series. On a laptop, you may also need to hold down the Fn key for some function keys.

A plus sign means you press the keys simultaneously. So for Ctrl + Shift + S, hold down Ctrl and Shift and press S. Single letters, such as T or V, usually activate a tool. They only work for this purpose when you’re not typing text.

Note the active selection. Selecting a text box is different from editing the text within that box. Before using a keyboard shortcut, check whether you have selected the box, its contents, or an input field.

Adobe InDesign: 40 Keyboard Shortcuts for Professional Page Layout

InDesign distinguishes between pages, object frames, and their content. You’ll notice this distinction immediately when selecting and moving objects. The keyboard shortcuts listed below are based on InDesign’s standard set.

Open documents and post content

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
1	Ctrl + N	Opens a brand new document window. You can set the page size, margins, columns, and bleed, among other things, before you start formatting.
2	Ctrl + O	Opens an existing document. Use this to further edit a previous publication or to open a provided InDesign file.
3	Ctrl + S	Saves the active document. Make this a habit after making major text corrections, changes to pages, or replacing images.
4	Ctrl + Shift + S	Opens "Save As." This allows you, for example, to save a separate revision before making major changes to an existing brochure.
5	Ctrl + D	Opens "Places" to import text or images. A selected frame can hold the content; without a frame, you can then place it.

Using Frames and Tools

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
6	V	Activates the selection tool outside of text editing. This allows you to select and move entire frames, such as a photo with its accompanying image frame.
7	A	Select “Activate Directly.” This allows you to edit individual anchor points or select image content, enabling you to work with greater precision than when using a complete frame.
8	T	Activates the text tool. Drag a brand new text box or click inside an existing text box to insert, select, and edit text.
9	F	Activates the rectangular selection frame. This allows you to outline the area where a photo, illustration, or other graphic file will be placed later.
10	M	Activates the Rectangle Tool. Useful for colour blocks, backgrounds, and frames that help you visually separate elements on a page.
11	Shift + P	Activates the page tools. Use this to select a page for adjustments to, for example, its size or position within a spread.
12	U	Activates the Spacing Tool. You can adjust the spacing between objects, causing adjacent frames to move or resize according to the selected settings.
13	Esc	Selects the surrounding frame when the content is selected. This allows you to switch back from the image to the frame when viewing a photo.
14	Shift + Esc	Selects the contents of a selected frame. For an image frame, you can then move the image itself within the existing crop area.

Practical tip: If you want to move a photo on the page, select the frame. If you want to change the cropping while keeping the frame in place, select the image content.

Moving and scaling objects

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
15	Arrow key	Moves a selected object by the specified keyboard increment. This allows you to correct minor position differences without dragging the frame with the mouse.
16	Shift + arrow key	Moves the selection by ten times the set keyboard step. Useful for shifting frames a bit further and then fine-tuning them with smaller steps.
17	Ctrl + Shift + arrow key	Moves the selected object by one-tenth of the normal increment. Use this for subtle adjustments when the standard arrow keys are too coarse.
18	Alt + arrow key	Duplicates the selected objects and shifts the copies by the specified increment. Useful for repeated elements such as small markings or labels.
19	Ctrl + Shift + drag	Use the selection tool to scale a frame and its contents proportionally when you drag a corner handle. This way, you maintain the relative proportions.

Formatting text and aligning paragraphs

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
20	Ctrl + Shift + B	Applies the bold style to selected text when the font supports that style. Suitable for local emphasis within running text.
21	Ctrl + Shift + I	Use italics when the corresponding typeface variant is available. Use this, for example, for a book title, a quotation, or a specific term.
22	Ctrl + Shift + U	Turns underlining on or off for selected text. The exact style of the underline follows the underline options you’ve set.
23	Ctrl + Shift + L	Align the relevant paragraphs to the left. You don’t need to select each line individually; an insertion point within the paragraph is sufficient.
24	Ctrl + Shift + C	Centers the relevant paragraphs. Useful for short headlines, invitations, and captions that are intentionally positioned around the centre axis of a text box.
25	Ctrl + Shift + R	Aligns paragraphs to the right. This may be appropriate for a narrow block of information, a colophon, or text that needs to align with the right margin.
26	Ctrl + Shift + J	Fill out the paragraphs, with the last line left-aligned. Then check the word spacing, especially when working with narrow text columns.
27	Alt + Left Arrow	Reduces kerning or tracking for horizontal text, depending on the text selection. This brings letters closer together without changing the font size.
28	Alt + Right Arrow	For horizontal text, increase the kerning or tracking. Use small increments to make a headline appear more spacious or to correct letter pairs.
29	Alt + Up Arrow	Reduces line spacing for horizontal text. The lines are closer together; check to make sure uppercase letters and tails retain sufficient space.
30	Alt + Down Arrow	Increase the line spacing for horizontal text. This gives the text more breathing room, but may also cause the text to no longer fit within the frame.

Navigate, check, and open styles

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
31	W	Switches between normal view and preview outside of text input fields. You can review the page without the usual non-printable formatting elements on the screen.
32	Ctrl + J	Opens Go to page. This feature is especially useful in longer publications, allowing you to jump to a specific page without having to scroll through all the intervening spreads.
33	Alt + Page Down	Navigates to the next spread. This allows you to browse a publication by layout spread, which works well for magazines and other documents with facing pages.
34	Alt + Page Up	Navigates to the previous spread. Use this together with the next-spread key to quickly view adjacent layouts.
35	Tab	Hides or shows the panels and toolbars when you’re not entering text. This temporarily gives you more space to review your page.
36	Ctrl + T	Opens the Font pane. Here you can adjust the font, font size, line spacing, and other settings for the selected text.
37	Ctrl + Alt + T	Opens the Paragraph pane. This allows you to access settings for alignment, indentation, and paragraph spacing without having to manually search for the relevant panel.
38	F11	Opens the Line Styles pane. Use styles to consistently format, for example, all subheadings or all body text in a publication.
39	Shift + F11	Opens the Character Styles pane. This allows you to manage reusable text formatting for elements such as emphasis, product names, or references within a paragraph.
40	F7	Opens the Layers panel. There, you can organize elements such as backgrounds, text, and images, and control the visibility or locking of layers.

Affinity Publisher 2: 30 keyboard shortcuts for documents and layouts

In Publisher 2, the placement command, object controls, and text tools are particularly useful during layout. When using individual tool keys, pay attention to groups: multiple tools may share the same letter.

Manage documents and upload files

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
41	Ctrl + N	Create a brand new document using the document window. Select the appropriate page settings here before adding text boxes, images, and recurring elements.
42	Ctrl + O	Opens an existing file. This allows you to resume working on, for example, a brochure, a report, or a previously saved publication.
43	Ctrl + S	Saves changes to the active document. When creating a brand new document, Publisher first asks where and under what name you want to save it.
44	Ctrl + Shift + S	Opens "Save As." Useful for saving a publication as a brand new version before making significant changes to the page order, layout, or content.
45	Ctrl + Shift + M	Opens the placement command for images and supported files. You can then place the selected material in your page layout or a suitable frame.
46	Ctrl + Alt + Shift + S	Opens Export. Here you can select the export format and related settings, for example, if you want to deliver the publication as a PDF.

Duplicating, grouping, and organizing objects

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
47	Ctrl + J	Duplicates the selected objects. After moving or transforming them, repeated duplication can help create a series of evenly spaced elements.
48	Ctrl + G	Groups selected objects. This allows you to move a background area, text label, and icon as a single unit within your page layout.
49	Ctrl + Shift + G	Deselect the selected group. You can then reselect the individual items, modify them, or group them in a different configuration.
50	Ctrl + ]	Moves the selected object one step forward in the stacking order. This is useful when a block of text ends up directly behind another object.
51	Ctrl + [	Moves the selected object one step backward. This allows you to gradually adjust the overlap without immediately moving the object all the way to the back.
52	Ctrl + Shift + ]	Brings the selection to the front within the relevant object hierarchy. Use this when an element needs to appear above the other objects in that stack.
53	Ctrl + Shift + [	Moves the selection to the back within the relevant object hierarchy. This is useful, for example, for placing a solid colour behind text and images.
54	Ctrl + L	Locks the selected object. This prevents you from accidentally moving a carefully placed component while editing nearby elements.
55	Ctrl + Shift + L	Unlocks the selected locked objects. If necessary, first select a hard-to-reach locked object via the Layers panel.

Tools and Word Processing

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
56	V	Activates the Move tool. Use this to select, position, and transform text boxes, image frames, and other layout elements.
57	T	Activates a tool from the group for artistic text, frame text, and tables. The active group tool and your toggle settings determine which variant appears.
58	F	Activates an image frame tool. Use this to draw a frame that gives images a fixed position and crop within your publication.
59	Ctrl + F	Opens Find and Replace. Use this, for example, to locate a product name or correct recurring text errors in a publication.
60	Ctrl + T	Opens the Character panel. Here you’ll find detailed typographic settings for the selected text or for text you enter next.
61	Ctrl + B	Toggles bold on or off while editing text. Use this local formatting for emphasis; recurring headings are easier to manage with text styles.
62	Ctrl + I	Turns italic text formatting on or off. Suitable for short accents, titles, and terms that need to remain recognizable within the running text.
63	Ctrl + U	Turn underlining on or off for selected text. For small text, check whether the underlining leaves the text sufficiently legible.
64	Ctrl + Alt + L	Align the relevant paragraphs to the left. This combination differs from InDesign, where you use Ctrl + Shift for the same paragraph alignment.
65	Ctrl + Alt + C	Centers the relevant paragraphs within their available text width. Useful for short titles, captions, or a centrally placed block of information.
66	Ctrl + Alt + R	Align the relevant paragraphs to the right. The alignment follows the width and any indentations of the relevant paragraphs in the text block.

If you want to switch between tools within a tool group, check the “Use modifier to cycle tools” setting. This determines whether you use an additional modifier to cycle through shared tool keys.

View and rate this page

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
67	Ctrl + 0	Fits the active page or spread within the document window. This allows you to quickly regain an overview of the entire layout after working on details.
68	Ctrl + 1	Set the view to 100%. Use this to assess details at that zoom level; it is not a guarantee of the physical print size.
69	Ctrl + R	Shows or hides the rulers. They help you assess positions and distances and serve as a starting point for drawing guide lines.
70	Ctrl + Shift + W	Turns preview mode on or off. You view the publication with fewer formatting tools, making the layout and text hierarchy stand out more clearly.

Scribus: 30 keyboard shortcuts for frames, text flows, and publications

Scribus relies heavily on frames. You first create a text or image frame and then add content. The instructions below follow the default settings of Scribus 1.6; older manuals may mention different assignments.

Save documents and import content

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
71	Ctrl + N	Opens a window for a brand new document. Here you set the basic parameters, such as page size, margins, and the layout (single or facing pages).
72	Ctrl + O	Opens an existing document. This allows you, for example, to continue working on a previously saved Scribus publication for a brochure, magazine, or report.
73	Ctrl + S	Saves the active document. Use this regularly while formatting, especially after making changes to text strings, frames, and page layout.
74	Ctrl + Shift + S	Opens "Save As." This allows you to create a separate version of a document, for example, before adapting a publication for a different audience or edition.
75	Ctrl + I	Imports text or an image, depending on the selected frame. So be sure to select the correct frame before choosing the source file.
76	Ctrl + Shift + P	Open the PDF export in Scribus 1.6. There, check the desired output settings, such as page range, fonts, and any requirements from your printer.

Create frames and wrap text around them

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
77	C	Activates the selection tool. Use this to select frames and other objects to change their position, size, or properties in the page layout.
78	T	Activate the text box tool. Then drag on the page to define the area where you want to place your text.
79	I	Activates the image frame tool. Draw a frame and then import the desired photo or illustration using the place command.
80	E	Enables editing of frame content. With text, you edit the text; with an image, you can adjust the content within the frame.
81	N	Enables text frame linking in Scribus 1.6. This allows you to have a text flow continuously from one frame to the next.
82	U	Enables the unlinking of text frames. Afterward, check the text distribution, as breaking a chain may affect continuous content.
83	Ctrl + T	Opens the Story Editor for the selected text frame. There, you can edit the text content in a separate window, independent of the page view.

Repeating and Organizing Objects

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
84	Ctrl + D	Duplicates the selected object. This is useful for recurring frames, labels, or decorative elements that need to maintain the same basic layout.
85	Ctrl + Shift + D	Opens "Multiple Duplication." You can create multiple copies with specified spacing, for example, for a series of evenly spaced boxes or information blocks.
86	Ctrl + G	Groups selected objects. This makes it easier to keep a combination of text, lines, and background areas together when moving them.
87	Ctrl + Shift + G	Dissolve the selected group. Use this when you want to edit or delete an item within a previously created group individually.
88	Ctrl + L	Toggles the object lock. This protects a placed component from unintended changes and makes it available for editing again later.
89	Ctrl + Shift + L	Toggles the lock on the object’s dimensions. Useful when a frame needs to retain its dimensions during further work on the layout.
90	Home	Moves a selected object to the front of the stack. Use this key in object mode; during text editing, the Home key has a different function.
91	End	Move a selected object to the back of the stacking order. Suitable for a background area that needs to be behind other elements within the same layer.
92	Ctrl + Home	Moves the selected object one level forward. This allows you to correct the overlap with another object without rearranging the entire stack.
93	Ctrl + End	Moves the selected object one level back. This offers more control than immediately placing the object at the very back of the stack.

Features, styles, and display

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
94	F2	Shows or hides the Properties panel. Here you can access settings for the selected object, including position and dimensions.
95	F3	Shows or hides the content properties panel in Scribus 1.6. The available settings depend on the selected text or image frame.
96	F4	Opens the Style Manager in Scribus 1.6. This allows you to manage reusable formatting so that, for example, headings and body text remain consistent.
97	F6	Shows or hides the Layers panel. Use it to organize different parts of the publication and control which layer your objects are placed on.
98	F11	Toggle the visibility of the layout guides. This allows you to temporarily view the composition more clearly without removing those guides.
99	F12	Hides or shows the palettes. This provides more workspace when you want to review a page or temporarily work without side panels.
100	Ctrl + Alt + P	Turns preview mode on or off. Use this to visually review the document before proceeding with proofreading and export.

Which keyboard shortcuts should you learn first?

Start with the tasks that come up repeatedly in your work. If you mainly product type magazines, text frames, text styles, and spread navigation will be particularly useful. For brochures with lots of images, placing images, duplicating objects, and adjusting the stacking order are likely to be more beneficial.

First, choose five commands from your own program. Practice using them in a real document until you no longer have to think about the keys. Only then should you add the next group. This way, the overview remains a reference guide, and learning doesn’t become a mere memory exercise.

Frequently Asked Questions About Shortcut Keys for Page Layout

Are the keyboard shortcuts in InDesign, Publisher, and Scribus the same?

Partially. Saving works in all three with Ctrl + S, but other commands differ. Ctrl + D places files in InDesign and duplicates objects in Scribus. Therefore, always check the shortcut table for the program you’re using.

Why does a function key just type a letter?

In that case, the text cursor is likely located in a text box or input field. Exit text editing mode and activate the page or object selection before using the single-tool key.

Why does a keyboard shortcut differ from one listed in an older manual?

A different program version, a customized keyboard profile, or a different operating system may be the cause. In Scribus 1.6, for example, F3 opens the content properties and F4 opens the style manager. Older documentation may still associate F3 with styles.

Key Insights

• Check the application: the same key combination may perform a different command in different word processing programs.
• Note your selection: editing a frame and editing its contents are separate offers.
• Use text styles for consistent formatting and individual typographic shortcuts for targeted corrections.
• Switch to preview mode regularly to view the page without distracting formatting elements.
• Learn in small groups: start with the tasks you need most often in your own layout work.