Complete GIMP keyboard shortcuts and commands reference — 14 shortcuts across 2 categories. Quick reference cheat sheet for Windows & Mac.
GIMP is a popular design tool used by professionals worldwide. Learning keyboard shortcuts can dramatically speed up your workflow — studies show shortcut users save an average of 8 days per year compared to mouse-only users.
This page covers all 14 GIMP shortcuts across 2 categories: Tools, Layers & Image. Each shortcut includes a description to help you understand when and how to use it effectively.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| R | Rectangle Select |
| E | Ellipse Select |
| P | Pencil |
| N | Paintbrush |
| Shift + E | Eraser |
| G | Gradient |
| Shift + B | Bucket Fill |
| T | Text |
| M | Move |
| +/- | Zoom |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + Shift + N | New Layer |
| Ctrl + Shift + E | Export |
| Ctrl + Shift + A | Deselect |
| Ctrl + I | Invert Colors |
The most essential GIMP shortcuts are: R (Rectangle Select), E (Ellipse Select), P (Pencil). These cover the most frequent actions and can significantly speed up your workflow.
GIMP has 14 keyboard shortcuts across 2 categories on shortcut-tools.com.
Simply press the key combination while GIMP is focused. Most shortcuts work immediately. On Mac, replace Ctrl with Cmd and Alt with Option for most shortcuts.
The GIMP shortcut for rectangle select is R.
Start with the essentials: Learn R (Rectangle Select) and E (Ellipse Select) first — these are the most commonly used.
Practice daily: Pick 2–3 new shortcuts each day and consciously use them instead of the mouse. Within a week, they become muscle memory.
Print this cheat sheet: Keep a reference nearby until shortcuts become automatic. Focus on the Tools category first.
Design tip: Tool-switching shortcuts (like V for Move, P for Pen) are the highest-impact shortcuts to learn first in any design tool.