Graphic Design: 16 Illustrator Shortcuts to Speed Up Your Workflow

Mac & PC Keyboard Shortcuts For Beginners

I know, I know — keyboard shortcuts sound so nerdy, and you’re a graphic designer, not an IT Director, why should you learn keyboard shortcuts?

There are two really good reasons a graphic designer should learn keyboard shortcuts to speed up their workflow:

1. Shortcuts keep you in “The Zone”.

When you’re in your creative zone, your computer is both your tool and obstacle to making what’s in your head a reality. Dragging your mouse around the screen, searching for menu items, clicking here and then there — they may not seem like a big deal, but they’re points of friction in your creative process.

2. When you work faster, you make more.

Many freelance graphic design projects are deliverable-based. Meaning whether you work 1 hour or 10 hours the price doesn’t change; they’ve paid for the final product, not the time it takes you. In those cases, the faster you complete the project, the more you’ve made when you break it down hourly. 1 hour of work for $100 is always better than 10 hours of work for $100.