What is the shortcut for the Selection and Direct Selection tools?

Press V for the Selection tool and A for the Direct Selection tool. The Selection tool moves whole objects, while Direct Selection edits individual anchor points and path segments.

How do I switch between Outline and Preview mode?

Press Command Y on macOS or Ctrl Y on Windows to toggle Outline mode. Outline mode hides fills and strokes so you can see and select underlying paths quickly.

How do I make a clipping mask in Illustrator?

Select the objects with the mask shape on top, then press Command 7 on macOS or Ctrl 7 on Windows. Release it again with Command/Ctrl Alt 7.

What does Transform Again do?

Command D on macOS or Ctrl D on Windows repeats your last transform — move, rotate, scale or duplicate — which is handy for creating evenly spaced patterns.

Are these the default Illustrator shortcuts?

Yes, they match Illustrator's default keyboard set. If you edited shortcuts under Edit then Keyboard Shortcuts, your assignments may differ from this list.

Adobe Illustrator Shortcuts

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Adobe Illustrator keyboard shortcuts

This searchable reference collects the Illustrator shortcuts that vector designers use constantly, with the correct keys for both macOS and Windows. It spans the single-letter tool keys, object arrangement, path and pathfinder operations, view controls and type formatting.

How it works

Illustrator gives each tool a single-letter shortcut — P for Pen, V for Selection, T for Type — while command shortcuts use Command (macOS) or Ctrl (Windows) together with Option/Alt and Shift. Arrange commands like bring-to-front use bracket keys, and clipping masks, compound paths and blends each have their own combination. Pick your operating system, search for an action, and every row shows the exact keys for that platform.

Example

A few of the most-used Illustrator shortcuts across both systems:

Action	macOS	Windows
Pen tool	P	P
Group	⌘ G	Ctrl G
Make clipping mask	⌘ 7	Ctrl 7
Outline / Preview mode	⌘ Y	Ctrl Y
Transform again	⌘ D	Ctrl D

Notes

Several arrange and path commands only apply with one or more objects selected, so make a selection first if a shortcut seems to do nothing. The whole reference and its search run in your browser; nothing you type is uploaded.