Keyboard shortcuts

The Board gets quicker once your hands learn a few keys. This page is the full list, and in the app every toolbar button that has a key names it in the button's own tooltip.

Before you use a shortcut

Board keys fire only while the Board itself has focus. Full canvas mode hides the toolbar buttons, not these shortcuts.

  • Typing wins: nothing fires while your cursor sits in a panel, in a Note, or in a shape's own text.
  • Full canvas mode: Enable full canvas mode hands focus to the Board, so the keys are live straight away (Layout & panels).
  • Ctrl and Cmd: Ctrl is Control on Windows, Cmd is Command on a Mac.

Board tools

A key picks the tool, exactly like tapping its button on the Board toolbar.

Move

VSelect
HPan

Draw and write

DDraw
BorXDraw, the same tool as D
EEraser
TText
Shift+DHighlight

Arrows and annotation

AArrow
NNote
LLine

Shapes

RRectangle
OCircle
GReturn to the last shape tool, including Diamond or Triangle chosen from the toolbar

Actions with their own key

@Add ReferenceOpens the reference picker at your pointer, and the card you choose lands there. Same picker as Add reference on the Board toolbar; References explains the card it makes.
FAdd Board flagPlants a flag at your pointer instead of the middle of your view. Board flags covers naming, resizing, and the list.
/Board Command menuOpens the Board commands at your pointer: /board and /snip. Commands says what each one sends.
Ctrl/Cmd+KNavigate workspaceOpens the Workspace search from anywhere in the Workspace — on the Board, in a panel, even while you are typing. Navigate this Workspace shows what it finds.
Shift+1Fit contentFrames everything on the current page without moving a shape — the same as Fit content on the Board toolbar.

Edit the selection

Every key here acts on what is selected, so select something first. Ways to work here lists what a selection can do.

History and selection

Ctrl/Cmd+ZUndo
Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+ZRedo
DeleteorBackspaceDelete selected content
Ctrl/Cmd+ASelect all on the page
Ctrl/Cmd+DDuplicate

Clipboard and grouping

Ctrl/Cmd+CCopy
Ctrl/Cmd+XCut
Ctrl/Cmd+VPaste
Ctrl/Cmd+GGroup
Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+GUngroup

Nudge and step

Arrow keysNudge the selection
Shift+ArrowNudge it further
TaborShift+TabStep to the next or previous shape
EnterEdit the selected shape

Layer, align, distribute, and flip

Aligning needs two or more shapes selected; distributing needs three.

Layer

]Bring to front
Alt+]Bring forward one step
Alt+[Send backward one step
[Send to back

Align

Alt+AAlign left
Alt+HAlign horizontal centers
Alt+DAlign right
Alt+WAlign top
Alt+VAlign vertical centers
Alt+SAlign bottom

Distribute and flip

Alt+Shift+HDistribute horizontally
Alt+Shift+VDistribute vertically
Shift+HFlip horizontally
Shift+VFlip vertically

Zoom, pan, and move between pages

Each page keeps its own zoom and position — Board pages.

Zoom and pan

SpaceHold to pan the Board
=orCtrl/Cmd+=Zoom in
-orCtrl/Cmd+-Zoom out
Shift+=orShift+Ctrl/Cmd+=Zoom in at the pointer
Shift+-orShift+Ctrl/Cmd+-Zoom out at the pointer
Shift+0Zoom to 100%
Shift+1Fit page content
Shift+2Zoom to selection

Move between pages

Alt+LeftorAlt+UpPrevious page
Alt+RightorAlt+DownNext page

Accessible shape controls

Resize the selection from the keyboard, or have a screen reader name it again.

Ctrl/Cmd+Alt+Shift+=Enlarge selected shapes
Ctrl/Cmd+Alt+Shift+-Shrink selected shapes
Alt+RRepeat the selected-shape announcement

Hold a key for precision

CtrlHold Ctrl while dragging to invert the current Snap to objects setting.
ShiftHold Shift for even angles when Straight angles is off.

To make either behavior stick instead of holding a key, use the Snap to objects and Straight angles buttons in the Board toolbar.

Back out of anything

EscCloses a Board menu or popover and puts focus back where it was. On the Board itself it clears the selection, and it cancels a Board snip.