Figma Shortcuts That Will Double Your Design Speed
Time is money in the design world. Every click counts. Every second matters. If you're still using your mouse for everything in Figma, you're working too hard.
This guide will show you the keyboard shortcuts that top designers use daily. These simple key combinations can cut your design time in half. No more endless clicking through menus.
Why Shortcuts Matter for Designers
Think about your typical design day. You create shapes, move objects, change colors, and copy elements hundreds of times. Each action takes several clicks without shortcuts.
With shortcuts, these actions become instant. One key press replaces five mouse clicks. The time savings add up fast.
Professional designers know this secret. They rarely touch their mouse. Their hands stay on the keyboard. This keeps them in the creative flow.
Essential Movement and Selection Shortcuts
Let's start with the basics. These shortcuts control how you move around your canvas and select objects.
Canvas Navigation
Space + Drag: Pan around your canvas quickly. Hold the spacebar and drag to move your view. This beats scrolling any day.
Ctrl/Cmd + 0: Zoom to fit all content. Perfect when you lose track of your design elements.
Ctrl/Cmd + 1: Zoom to 100% view. Great for checking pixel-perfect details.
Ctrl/Cmd + Plus/Minus: Zoom in and out smoothly. Much faster than using the zoom controls.
Object Selection
V: Switch to the selection tool. This is your most-used tool, so make it muscle memory.
A: Direct select tool. Use this to edit individual points in vector shapes.
Ctrl/Cmd + A: Select everything on your current frame or page.
Ctrl/Cmd + Click: Select objects behind other objects. No more moving things just to select what's underneath.
Shape Creation Shortcuts
Creating shapes is a core design task. These shortcuts make it lightning fast.
R: Rectangle tool. Draw perfect rectangles and squares.
O: Ellipse tool. Create circles and ovals in seconds.
L: Line tool. Draw straight lines and arrows quickly.
T: Text tool. Add text anywhere on your canvas.
P: Pen tool. Create custom vector shapes and paths.
Pro tip: Hold Shift while drawing to create perfect squares, circles, or straight lines.
Editing and Transformation Shortcuts
Once you have objects, you need to edit them. These shortcuts speed up common editing tasks.
Copy and Paste
Ctrl/Cmd + C: Copy selected objects.
Ctrl/Cmd + V: Paste copied objects.
Ctrl/Cmd + D: Duplicate objects in place. This creates a copy right on top of the original.
Alt + Drag: Duplicate while moving. Hold Alt and drag to create a copy that moves with your cursor.
Grouping and Organizing
Ctrl/Cmd + G: Group selected objects together.
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + G: Ungroup objects.
Ctrl/Cmd + ]: Bring object forward one layer.
Ctrl/Cmd + [: Send object back one layer.
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + ]: Bring to front (top layer).
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + [: Send to back (bottom layer).
Color and Style Shortcuts
Changing colors and styles is a constant design task. These shortcuts make it effortless.
I: Eyedropper tool. Pick colors from anywhere on your canvas.
F: Toggle between fill and stroke. Quick way to switch what you're editing.
Shift + X: Swap fill and stroke colors.
Ctrl/Cmd + /: Hide or show the UI. Get a clean view of your design without panels.
Text Editing Power Shortcuts
Text is everywhere in design. These shortcuts make text editing much faster.
Ctrl/Cmd + B: Bold selected text.
Ctrl/Cmd + I: Italicize selected text.
Ctrl/Cmd + U: Underline selected text.
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + >: Increase font size.
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + <: Decrease font size.
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + L: Left align text.
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + R: Right align text.
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + T: Center align text.
Component and Frame Shortcuts
Components and frames are Figma's special features. Master these shortcuts to use them effectively.
Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + K: Create component from selection.
Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + B: Detach instance from main component.
F: Create new frame.
Shift + A: Add auto-layout to selected frame.
Ctrl/Cmd + Enter: Edit master component.
Advanced Workflow Shortcuts
These shortcuts handle complex tasks that would normally take many steps.
Measurement and Alignment
Alt + Hover: Show distances between objects. Essential for precise layouts.
Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + T: Add to auto-layout. Quickly organize objects with spacing.
Shift + Click: Select multiple objects for bulk operations.
File Management
Ctrl/Cmd + S: Save your work. Do this often!
Ctrl/Cmd + Z: Undo last action.
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Z: Redo undone action.
Ctrl/Cmd + K: Open quick actions menu. Search for any command quickly.
Creating Your Shortcut Habits
Knowing shortcuts is only half the battle. You need to build habits that stick.
Start with five shortcuts. Pick the ones you use most often. Practice them for a week until they become natural.
Then add five more. Repeat the process. Don't try to learn everything at once.
Put a shortcut cheat sheet next to your monitor. Reference it when you catch yourself reaching for the mouse.
The first week feels slow. Your muscle memory fights the change. Push through this phase. By week two, the shortcuts feel normal.
Shortcuts for Different Design Tasks
Different projects need different shortcut combinations. Here's how to adapt your workflow.
UI Design Focus
UI designers work with lots of rectangles, text, and components. Focus on:
- R (Rectangle)
- T (Text)
- Ctrl/Cmd + D (Duplicate)
- Ctrl/Cmd + G (Group)
- F (Frame)
Icon Design Focus
Icon work needs precision and vector editing. Master:
- P (Pen tool)
- A (Direct select)
- Ctrl/Cmd + ] and [ (Layer order)
- Alt + Drag (Precise duplication)
- Ctrl/Cmd + 1 (100% zoom)
Illustration Focus
Illustrations need creative freedom and color work. Use:
- P (Pen tool)
- I (Eyedropper)
- Shift + X (Swap colors)
- Space + Drag (Canvas navigation)
- Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + T (Transform)
Common Shortcut Mistakes to Avoid
Even experienced designers make these errors. Avoid them to work efficiently.
Forgetting to select first: Many shortcuts need objects selected. Always select before using editing shortcuts.
Wrong tool active: Shortcuts behave differently with different tools. Check which tool is active if shortcuts don't work as expected.
Muscle memory conflicts: If you use other design software, shortcuts might clash. Stick with one program's shortcuts to avoid confusion.
Overcomplicating simple tasks: Sometimes clicking is actually faster. Use shortcuts for repetitive tasks, not one-off actions.
Measuring Your Improvement
Track your progress to stay motivated. Here's how to measure your speed gains.
Time yourself doing common tasks before learning shortcuts. Create a simple design with rectangles, text, and colors. Note how long it takes.
After two weeks of shortcut practice, repeat the same task. You should see significant improvement.
Most designers cut their task time by 40-60% after mastering basic shortcuts. Advanced users can work twice as fast as mouse-only designers.
Keep a log of which shortcuts save you the most time. Focus your practice on these high-impact combinations.
Building a Complete Shortcut Workflow
The real magic happens when you combine shortcuts into smooth workflows. Each task becomes a dance of key presses.
For example, creating a button involves:
- R (Rectangle tool)
- Draw the button shape
- T (Text tool)
- Add button text
- V (Select tool)
- Shift + Click (Select both objects)
- Ctrl/Cmd + G (Group them)
This entire sequence takes less than 10 seconds with shortcuts. The same task with mouse clicks takes 30+ seconds.
Practice common workflows until they become automatic. Your design speed will improve dramatically.
Customizing Shortcuts for Your Needs
Figma allows custom keyboard shortcuts. This feature helps you optimize for your specific workflow.
Go to Figma menu > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts. Here you can change any shortcut to fit your preferences.
Consider customizing if:
- You use certain tools constantly
- Default shortcuts conflict with other software
- You have physical limitations that make certain key combinations difficult
Don't change too many defaults at once. Modify one or two shortcuts, get comfortable, then make more changes.
Next Steps for Shortcut Mastery
You now have the knowledge to double your design speed. The next step is practice.
Start tomorrow with five basic shortcuts. Use them in every project for one week.
Add new shortcuts gradually. Focus on the ones that match your design style.
Be patient with yourself. Building new habits takes time. But the payoff is huge.
Within a month, you'll wonder how you ever designed without shortcuts. Your mouse will collect dust while your productivity soars.
Remember: every expert designer uses shortcuts. It's not optional for professional work. Start building these habits now, and your future self will thank you.
Your clients will notice the difference too. Faster work means more iterations, better designs, and happier customers. That's the real value of mastering these simple key combinations.