Premiere Pro to DaVinci Resolve: The Shortcut Mapping Guide
Published: July 8, 2026 · 8 min read
The good news for switchers: the playback and marking keys you use most survive the move untouched. J / K / L shuttle, Space, I / O for in and out points, and M for markers are identical in Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve. The relearning is concentrated in three areas: tool selection (Resolve's Selection mode is A, not V), cutting (Blade replaces the Razor), and Resolve's page-based layout (Shift+1–6). And if you need to be productive today, Resolve ships a built-in Premiere Pro keyboard preset.
Table of Contents
Which editing shortcuts are identical in both apps?
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Space | Play / pause |
| J / K / L | Shuttle reverse / stop / forward (tap J or L again to speed up) |
| I / O | Mark In / Mark Out |
| M | Add marker |
| Left / Right | Step one frame |
| Up / Down | Jump between clips / edit points |
| Ctrl + Z / Ctrl + Shift + Z | Undo / redo |
| Ctrl + S | Save project |
Because trimming in both apps is built around J/K/L plus In/Out marking, an editor who cuts primarily “on the keys” keeps most of their speed from day one.
Can DaVinci Resolve use the Premiere Pro keyboard layout?
Yes. Open DaVinci Resolve → Keyboard Customization (Ctrl+Alt+K, or Cmd+Option+K on Mac) and pick Adobe Premiere Pro from the preset dropdown. Resolve remaps its commands to Premiere-style keys wherever an equivalent exists.
Two caveats before you rely on it long-term. First, page navigation and Color/Fairlight-specific commands have no Premiere equivalent, so those stay Resolve-native regardless of preset. Second, presets teach you nothing — if Resolve is your future primary editor, most working editors recommend using the preset only as a transition bridge for deadline work while you learn the native map on new projects.
What are the key differences you must relearn?
| Task | Premiere Pro | DaVinci Resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Selection tool | V | A (Selection mode) |
| Cut / razor | C, then click the clip | Ctrl + B cuts at the playhead; B enters Blade mode |
| Cut all tracks at playhead | — | Ctrl + \\ (Blade all tracks) |
| Trim tool / mode | Various trim tools | T (Trim mode), Y (Dynamic trim) |
| Insert edit | , (comma) | F9 |
| Overwrite edit | . (period) | F10 |
| Replace edit | — | F11 |
| Fit to fill | — | F12 |
| Zoom timeline | + / - | Ctrl + + / - |
| Fit timeline to window | \\ (backslash) | Shift + Z |
| Ripple delete | Shift + Delete | Ripple-delete the selection from the Edit menu, or cut with Blade and use Shift + Delete on the gap |
V is not the selection tool — A is. Expect to press V for a week out of habit; putting a sticky note on your monitor genuinely helps.How do Resolve's page shortcuts work?
Premiere organizes everything in one window with workspaces; Resolve splits the pipeline into dedicated pages, each one keystroke away:
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Shift + 1 | Media page (import and organize) |
| Shift + 2 | Edit page (the timeline you know) |
| Shift + 3 | Fusion page (compositing, replaces After Effects round-trips) |
| Shift + 4 | Color page (grading) |
| Shift + 5 | Fairlight page (audio mixing) |
| Shift + 6 | Deliver page (export) |
This is the workflow difference that has no Premiere equivalent — and once page-hopping becomes reflex, it is the feature switchers most often say they can't give up.
What is the fastest way to rebuild muscle memory?
A schedule that works for most editors: days 1–3, finish existing deadline work using the Premiere preset so nothing ships late. From day 4, start every new project on Resolve's native layout, and drill the five highest-frequency changes deliberately — A for selection, Ctrl+B to cut, T to trim, F9/F10 for insert and overwrite, Shift+Z to fit the timeline. Print both cheat sheets side by side (each linked below has a printable PDF) and keep them at your desk for the first two weeks. Most editors report the new bindings feel automatic in 10–14 days of daily cutting.
Two smaller differences worth knowing before they surprise you. First, audio scrubbing while shuttling with J/K/L is off by default in Resolve — enable it under the Timeline menu if you cut to dialogue by ear. Second, Resolve's Y Dynamic Trim mode turns J/K/L into a live trimming tool, playing the edit while you adjust it; Premiere has no direct equivalent, and editors who adopt it rarely go back to click-dragging edit points.
Frequently asked questions
Do Premiere Pro shortcuts work in DaVinci Resolve?
The universal playback and marking keys do: J/K/L shuttle, Space, I/O for in and out points, M for markers, and frame stepping are identical. Tool selection, cutting, insert/overwrite edits, and page navigation use different keys and must be relearned or remapped.
How do I switch DaVinci Resolve to Premiere Pro shortcuts?
Open DaVinci Resolve → Keyboard Customization (Ctrl+Alt+K on Windows, Cmd+Option+K on Mac) and choose the Adobe Premiere Pro preset from the dropdown. Commands without a Premiere equivalent, such as page navigation, keep their Resolve defaults.
What replaces the Premiere razor tool in Resolve?
Ctrl+B (Cmd+B on Mac) cuts the clip under the playhead without changing tools, Ctrl+\ cuts across all tracks, and pressing B enters a persistent Blade mode similar to Premiere's razor.
Why does V not select clips in DaVinci Resolve?
Resolve assigns A to Selection mode and reserves other single letters for editing modes: T for Trim, B for Blade, Y for Dynamic trim. Pressing V out of Premiere habit is the most common switching mistake.