What is the shortcut for a new layer in Photoshop?
Ctrl + Shift + N — New Layer
Ctrl + Shift + N opens the New Layer dialog so you can name it; Ctrl + Alt + Shift + N creates the layer immediately with the default name. On a Mac substitute Cmd for Ctrl and Option for Alt.
Related Photoshop shortcuts: Layer Management
| Shortcut | Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ctrl + J | Duplicate Layer | Duplicate selected layer. Essential for non-destructive editing. |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | New Layer | Create new layer with dialog for naming. |
| Ctrl + Alt + Shift + N | New Layer (Quick) | Create new layer instantly without dialog. |
| Ctrl + G | Group Layers | Group selected layers. Essential for organization. |
| Ctrl + Shift + G | Ungroup | Ungroup layers. |
| Ctrl + E | Merge Down | Merge layer with layer below. |
| Ctrl + Shift + E | Merge Visible | Merge all visible layers. Duplicate first to preserve originals. |
| Ctrl + Alt + E | Stamp Visible | Create new layer with all visible layers merged. Non-destructive. |
| Ctrl + [ | Send Backward | Move layer back one step. |
| Ctrl + ] | Bring Forward | Move layer forward one step. |
| Ctrl + Shift + [ | Send to Back | Move layer to bottom. |
| Ctrl + Shift + ] | Bring to Front | Move layer to top. |
| Alt + [ ] | Navigate Layers | Alt+[ for previous, Alt+] for next layer. |
| Ctrl + Alt + A | Select All Layers | Select all layers in document. |
From the Photoshop reference (69 entries) · all how-to answers