Tips from Tay

So it has come to my attention that photoshop doesn't readily publish enough info about their super-handy shortcut keystrokes. No wonder you guys freak out at how "fast" I can scrap. You're slowing yourselves down by clicking on everything! LOL!

Alright, here are some of my favorite short cuts that should help drop your per-layout time:

Typing this one letter lets you switch tools in an instant - no clicking needed! I'm listing the ones most useful to scrappers:

Z: Zoom Tool (magnifying glass)
Tip: Press and hold Alt while left-clicking to zoom OUT
V: Move Tool (arrow)
T: Text Tool
I: Eye Dropper Tool (for grabbing colors you need)
P: Paint Brush Tool
E: Eraser
W: Magic Wand (stick with star-burst looking thing at the end)

Layers Short Cut Key Strokes:

Bring Forward: Ctrl ] (yes, hold Ctrl and then hit the bracket key as many times as needed)
Send Back: Ctrl [
New Layer Via Copy (or Copy Layer): Ctrl J (this is handy for quickly copying staples!)
Group With Previous: Ctrl G (Ctrl ALT G for CS2 users) - use this for papering templates
New Blank Layer: Ctrl Shift N

Other Handy Short-cuts:

Undo Last Move: Ctrl Alt Z
Select All: Ctrl A
Free Transform: Ctrl T
Show Rulers/Hide Rulers: Ctrl R
Open Document (or scrap item): Ctrl O


I will admit, however, I am still training myself to not go to the menu when I need something. I don't always use the Open Document short cut and I refuse to use the save short cut (Ctrl ALT S) because I have missed one keystroke and accidentally saved over my originals (Ctrl S without the Alt) and had to re-unzip the template set to get the original back.

Hopefully these help! Happy scrapping!