Comprehensive Figma shortcuts cheat sheet showing essential keyboard commands for Mac and Windows users

Figma Shortcuts Cheat Sheet: The Ultimate Guide (Mac & Windows)

Why Master Figma Shortcuts?

In today’s fast-paced design world, efficiency isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential. Whether you’re a seasoned UI/UX professional or just getting started with interface design, mastering Figma shortcuts can transform your workflow and dramatically increase your productivity.

This comprehensive Figma shortcuts cheat sheet will be your go-to resource for speeding up your design process. Check out Figma’s official keyboard shortcuts here. We’ve compiled the most powerful keyboard commands for both Mac and Windows users, complete with pro tips that will elevate your Figma skills to new heights.

By the end of this guide, you’ll have a complete understanding of how to:

  • Cut your design time in half with essential keyboard commands
  • Navigate projects with lightning speed using navigation shortcuts
  • Manipulate objects and layers like a pro
  • Create and manage components efficiently
  • And much more!

Let’s dive into the world of Figma shortcuts and unlock your full design potential.

Essential Figma Shortcuts: The Foundation

Before diving into specialized shortcuts, let’s cover the fundamental Figma shortcuts that form the backbone of efficient design work. These are the commands you’ll use dozens of times every day, so committing them to muscle memory should be your first priority.

File Management Shortcuts

Action Mac Shortcut Windows Shortcut
New File ⌘ + N Ctrl + N
Save ⌘ + S Ctrl + S
Save As ⌘ + Shift + S Ctrl + Shift + S
Open File ⌘ + O Ctrl + O
Print ⌘ + P Ctrl + P

Selection & Basic Editing

Action Mac Shortcut Windows Shortcut
Select All ⌘ + A Ctrl + A
Deselect All Shift + ⌘ + A Shift + Ctrl + A
Copy ⌘ + C Ctrl + C
Cut ⌘ + X Ctrl + X
Paste ⌘ + V Ctrl + V
Paste in Place Shift + ⌘ + V Shift + Ctrl + V
Duplicate ⌘ + D Ctrl + D
Delete Delete or Backspace Delete or Backspace

Pro Tip: Use Option + drag (Mac) or Alt + drag (Windows) to quickly duplicate objects without using keyboard shortcuts.

Navigation & View Control Shortcuts

Efficiently navigating your Figma canvas is crucial for maintaining your creative flow. These Figma shortcuts will help you zoom, pan, and adjust your view with minimal effort.

Zoom & Pan Controls

Action Mac Shortcut Windows Shortcut
Zoom In ⌘ + + Ctrl + +
Zoom Out ⌘ + - Ctrl + -
Zoom to 100% ⌘ + 0 Ctrl + 0
Zoom to Fit Shift + 1 Shift + 1
Zoom to Selection Shift + 2 Shift + 2
Pan Canvas Space + Drag Space + Drag
Previous Page Page Up Page Up
Next Page Page Down Page Down

View Mode Shortcuts

Action Mac Shortcut Windows Shortcut
Pixel Preview Ctrl + P Ctrl + P
Pixel Grid Shift + ' Shift + '
Layout Grids Shift + G Shift + G
Show/Hide UI ⌘ + \ Ctrl + \
Presentation Mode ⌘ + Option + P Ctrl + Alt + P
Outline Mode ⌘ + Y Ctrl + Y

Designer’s Hack: When working on detailed designs, toggle between normal and outline mode (⌘ + Y / Ctrl + Y) to check your layout structure and alignment.

Layer & Object Manipulation: Power Figma Shortcuts

These shortcuts will help you work with layers and objects more efficiently—a crucial skill for complex designs with multiple elements.

Layer Management

Action Mac Shortcut Windows Shortcut
Group Selection ⌘ + G Ctrl + G
Ungroup Selection ⌘ + Shift + G Ctrl + Shift + G
Frame Selection ⌘ + Option + G Ctrl + Alt + G
Bring Forward ⌘ + ] Ctrl + ]
Send Backward ⌘ + [ Ctrl + [
Bring to Front ⌘ + Shift + ] Ctrl + Shift + ]
Send to Back ⌘ + Shift + [ Ctrl + Shift + [
Hide/Show Layer ⌘ + Shift + H Ctrl + Shift + H
Lock/Unlock Layer ⌘ + Shift + L Ctrl + Shift + L

Object Alignment

Action Mac Shortcut Windows Shortcut
Left Align Option + A Alt + A
Right Align Option + D Alt + D
Top Align Option + W Alt + W
Bottom Align Option + S Alt + S
Horizontal Center Option + H Alt + H
Vertical Center Option + V Alt + V

Workflow Boost: When aligning multiple objects, select the reference object last. This makes the reference object the anchor point for alignment.

Text Editing & Typography Shortcuts

Typography is at the heart of great UI design. These Figma shortcuts for Mac and Windows will help you format text quickly and maintain typographic consistency.

Text Formatting

Action Mac Shortcut Windows Shortcut
Bold ⌘ + B Ctrl + B
Italic ⌘ + I Ctrl + I
Underline ⌘ + U Ctrl + U
Increase Font Size ⌘ + Shift + > Ctrl + Shift + >
Decrease Font Size ⌘ + Shift + < Ctrl + Shift + <
Adjust Line Height Option + Up/Down Alt + Up/Down
Adjust Letter Spacing Option + Left/Right Alt + Left/Right

Text Alignment

Action Mac Shortcut Windows Shortcut
Align Left ⌘ + Shift + L Ctrl + Shift + L
Align Center ⌘ + Shift + C Ctrl + Shift + C
Align Right ⌘ + Shift + R Ctrl + Shift + R
Justify ⌘ + Shift + J Ctrl + Shift + J

Typography Tip: Double-click a text layer to enter edit mode, then use Tab to navigate between text fields in your design.

Component & Auto Layout Shortcuts

Components and Auto Layout are two of Figma’s most powerful features. Master these shortcuts to create flexible, reusable design systems.

Component Management

Action Mac Shortcut Windows Shortcut
Create Component ⌘ + Option + K Ctrl + Alt + K
Detach Instance ⌘ + Option + B Ctrl + Alt + B
Reset Instance ⌘ + Shift + R Ctrl + Shift + R
Swap Component ⌘ + Option + T Ctrl + Alt + T

Auto Layout Magic

Action Mac Shortcut Windows Shortcut
Add Auto Layout Shift + A Shift + A
Toggle Direction Shift + Option + Down/Right Shift + Alt + Down/Right
Add Spacing Option + Up/Down/Left/Right Alt + Up/Down/Left/Right
Resize to Fit Option + Shift + L Alt + Shift + L

Component Strategy: Create components (⌘ + Option + K / Ctrl + Alt + K) for any element you plan to use more than once. This ensures consistency and makes future updates infinitely easier.

Prototyping & Interaction Shortcuts

Transform static designs into interactive prototypes with these essential Figma shortcuts. These commands will accelerate your prototyping workflow.

Creating & Managing Interactions

Action Mac Shortcut Windows Shortcut
Start Prototyping ⌘ + Shift + P Ctrl + Shift + P
Create Connection Drag from Selection Drag from Selection
Preview Prototype ⌘ + Option + Enter Ctrl + Alt + Enter
Create Overlay Select destination + O Select destination + O
Return to Design Escape Escape

Smart Animation & Scrolling

Action Mac Shortcut Windows Shortcut
Add Smart Animation Select in Prototype Tab Select in Prototype Tab
Create Scroll Animation Select in Prototype Tab Select in Prototype Tab
Test Interaction Click on Connection Arrow Click on Connection Arrow

Prototype Pro Tip: Use R to create a rectangle that serves as a hotspot for prototype interactions, then set its fill to 0% opacity to make it invisible in the prototype.

Expert-Level Figma Shortcuts Cheat Sheet for Power Users

Ready to take your Figma skills to the next level? These advanced shortcuts will push your productivity into overdrive.

Precision Controls

Action Mac Shortcut Windows Shortcut
Nudge Selection 1px Arrow Keys Arrow Keys
Nudge Selection 10px Shift + Arrow Keys Shift + Arrow Keys
Constrain Proportions Shift + Resize Shift + Resize
Resize from Center Option + Resize Alt + Resize
Rotate in 15° Increments Shift + Rotate Shift + Rotate

Style Management

Action Mac Shortcut Windows Shortcut
Copy Properties ⌘ + Option + C Ctrl + Alt + C
Paste Properties ⌘ + Option + V Ctrl + Alt + V
Eyedropper Tool I I
Color Picker ⌘ + Click on Fill Ctrl + Click on Fill
Toggle Fill/Stroke / /

The Secret Weapon: Quick Actions Menu

One of the most powerful yet underutilized tools in Figma is the Quick Actions menu, accessed via:

  • Mac: ⌘ + /
  • Windows: Ctrl + /

This command palette lets you search for any function, tool, or setting without hunting through menus. Simply type what you need, and Figma will find it for you.

Power User Strategy: Use Quick Actions to access rarely used commands that you haven’t memorized shortcuts for yet.

Figma Shortcuts Cheat Sheet for Collaborative Work

Figma truly shines as a collaborative design tool. Here are shortcuts to help you work more effectively with team members.

Comment & Feedback

Action Mac Shortcut Windows Shortcut
Add Comment C C
Resolve Comment ⌘ + Option + M Ctrl + Alt + M
Show/Hide Comments Option + V Alt + V

Version History & Team Features

Action Mac Shortcut Windows Shortcut
Show Version History ⌘ + Option + H Ctrl + Alt + H
Team Library ⌘ + Option + O Ctrl + Alt + O
Publish Styles/Components Interface Button Interface Button

Collaboration Tip: Use comments (C) to leave feedback or questions for team members directly on specific design elements.

Customizing Your Figma Shortcuts

Did you know you can personalize your Figma shortcuts to match your workflow? Here’s how:

  1. Go to Preferences (Mac: ⌘ + , / Windows: Ctrl + ,)
  2. Select the Shortcuts tab
  3. Find the command you want to customize
  4. Click on the current shortcut and press your desired key combination

This allows you to create a personalized Figma shortcuts cheat sheet that perfectly fits your design style and habits.

Customization Strategy: Consider modifying shortcuts for commands you use frequently but find awkward to reach on your keyboard.

Time-Saving Figma Plugins to Complement Your Shortcuts

While mastering Figma shortcuts dramatically improves efficiency, certain plugins can further enhance your workflow:

  1. Design Lint – Automatically check for inconsistencies in your design
  2. Content Reel – Quickly insert placeholder content
  3. Figmotion – Create animations directly in Figma
  4. Autoflow – Generate user flows with minimal effort
  5. Better Font Picker – Simplify font selection and preview

These plugins work seamlessly alongside your keyboard shortcuts, creating a supercharged design environment.

Conclusion: Your Pathway to Figma Mastery

Mastering this comprehensive Figma shortcuts cheat sheet will transform how you approach design work. By committing these keyboard commands to memory:

  • You’ll save hours of design time each week
  • Your workflow will become more fluid and intuitive
  • You’ll reduce repetitive strain from excessive mouse use
  • You’ll impress clients and teammates with your efficiency

Remember, becoming proficient with Figma shortcuts doesn’t happen overnight. Start by learning the basics, then gradually incorporate more advanced commands as they become relevant to your work.

For maximum effectiveness, consider printing this Figma shortcuts cheat sheet and keeping it nearby during your design sessions. With practice, these commands will become second nature, allowing you to focus more on creativity and less on menu navigation. Explore more at the Figma Help Center for advanced tips and updates.

If you’re new to Figma or want to understand its latest features, don’t miss our in-depth Figma Overview 2025: Effortless Collaborative Design for Modern Creators — it’s the perfect companion to this shortcuts guide.

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