Use your mouse (in some cases in combination with the keyboard) for shape selection, text selection, tool selection, drawing, flow linking, path enabling and to change the current view.
Most of the keyboard keys used for shortcuts are located at the bottom left of the keyboard. Here are some symbols and names for the main keys involved:
⌘ Command - also known as the Apple key
⌥ Option - also known as Alt key
⌃ Control - also known as Ctrl or Ctl key
fn Function
⇧ Shift
⇪ Caps Lock
Many of the mouse actions are shown on the Info Bar, which is located at the bottom of the document window (just above the status bar) and provides comprehensive context-sensitive help.
To complete the actions listed below, use the corresponding mouse (and keyboard) actions.
NOTE: This list does NOT include basic tool selections made by simply clicking on a tool icon.
Action |
Mouse (and keyboard) actions |
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Selection |
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Shortcut to select the Pointer Tool (Text Tool currently selected) |
Click anywhere on a blank page or canvas (i.e. off any shape) |
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Select/deselect a shape (Pointer Tool currently selected) |
Shift-click on a shape |
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Select/deselect an image (Image Tool currently selected) |
Shift-click on an image |
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Select one or more shapes (Pointer Tool currently selected) |
Drag a selection zone to select all shapes that are fully within the zone (Shift key modifier to also include partially enclosed shapes in the selection) |
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Select one or more images (Image Tool currently selected) |
Drag a selection zone to select all images that are fully within the zone (Shift key modifier to also include partially enclosed images in the selection) |
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Shortcut to select the Text Tool and insert the text cursor ready to begin text editing (Pointer, Reshaping or Rotation Tool currently selected) |
Double click inside a shape or on a shape's outline path NOTE: You must enable a path before you can add text to it - see below for path enabling actions |
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Insert the text cursor to begin text editing (Text Tool currently selected) |
(Existing text) Click anywhere on the existing text (No existing text) Click anywhere inside a shape or on a shape's outline path NOTE: You must enable a path before you can add text to it - see below for path enabling actions |
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Text Selection (Text Tool currently selected) |
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Select a string of adjacent characters |
Drag across the characters (Selected characters are highlighted blue - character selection mode) |
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Select a single word |
Double click on the word (Selected word is highlighted blue - character selection mode) |
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Select several adjacent words |
Double click-drag across the words - only whole words are selected (Selected words are highlighted blue - character selection mode) |
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Select a single paragraph |
Triple click on the paragraph (Selected paragraph is highlighted purple - paragraph selection mode) |
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Select several adjacent paragraphs |
Triple click-drag across the paragraphs - only whole paragraphs are selected (Selected paragraphs are highlighted purple - paragraph selection mode) |
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Select all in a flow |
Quadruple click on the flow (Selected flow is highlighted purple - paragraph selection mode) |
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Drawing |
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Draw a shape from the Shape Library |
Click on a shape in the Shape Library to select it, then drag to draw |
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Draw a shape from the Shape Library that is preset for text input (text shape), select the Text Tool and insert the text cursor |
Click on a shape in the Shape Library to select it, then Command-drag |
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Draw a rectangular text box, select the Text Tool and insert the text cursor (Pointer, Text, Reshaping or Rotation Tool currently selected) |
Command-drag |
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Draw a straight line using the Straight Line Tool |
Click to start drawing, move to draw, click again to finish |
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Draw a shape using either the Multi-Line Tool or Bezier Curve Tool |
Click to create a vertex (corner), move to draw a line segment, click to create another vertex, move to draw another line segment,... etc. Complete the shape by double clicking, on the first vertex for a closed shape, or elsewhere for an open shape. To correct a mistake, press the Backspace key to delete the last line segment drawn. Press the Backspace key repeatedly to delete more than one line segment. |
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Draw a shape using the Freeform Scribble Tool |
Drag to draw a line that follows a mouse movement |
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Reshape an existing shape using the Reshaping Tool |
Click on a shape to select it, then drag the nodes (orange) or Bezier handles (purple) |
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Image Tool |
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Change an image's settings in the Image Inspector to Fit: Manual and Align: Manual (to enable manual resizing and repositioning) |
Double click an image at the mouse No Entry icon |
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Select/deselect an image's proportional scaling lock that fixes the width to height aspect ratio |
Double click a red corner resizing handle |
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Reset an image to its original size (the current DPI setting is not changed) |
Triple click an image |
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Flow Linking |
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Display text flow icons for a shape's column and path text containers |
With the Pointer Tool selected, click on a graphic shape to select it |
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Flow link any path or column text container to any other path or column text container |
With the Text Flow Tool selected, click on the upstream container and then click on the downstream container |
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Delete an existing flow link |
With the Text Flow Tool selected, click on the upstream container, move away from the shape to display the cloud icon, and then click again |
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Path Enabling |
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Enable a shape's outline path NOTE: A path must be enabled before text can be added to it |
With the Text Along Path Tool selected, move the mouse over a shape’s outline until it becomes highlighted blue, then click to enable the path NOTE: The Text tool is then selected automatically, ready for text editing on the path |
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Zooming and Panning |
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Smooth zoom in/out, centered on the mouse location |
Option-mouse scroll |
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Smooth panning (i.e. moving your field of view in any direction) |
Option-Command-drag |
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Zoom to current shape selection (in or out) |
Option-double click |