Keyboard shortcuts
Every keyboard shortcut in Pixamatch in one place: the album designer (the ? button at the top right of the designer shows the same list), the spread organizer, the client link (? in its one-photo view, the Loupe, shows its list) and reviewing layouts in Template Studio. Shortcuts work on a computer with a keyboard; phones and tablets use taps and swipes instead. On a Mac, press Cmd wherever this page says Ctrl, and Option for Alt.
In the album designer
Click a spread first; most keys act on the selected spread or frame. Keys do nothing while you type in a box.
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
↑ ↓ | Previous / next layout for the selected spread · with a frame selected: Alt+↑ ↓ |
← → | Select the previous / next spread · with a frame selected: Alt+← → |
Shift+↑ ↓ | More / fewer photos on the spread |
Shift+← → | Rotate the photos through the slots |
Shift+F | Flip the layout left ↔ right |
D | Save an edited spread's frames to the library as a layout |
G | Generate layout — the best layouts for the spread's photos |
Ctrl+Shift+S | Split the spread into two |
Ctrl+← → | Merge with the previous / next spread |
Enter | Select the slot nearest the centre · finish reframing |
Space | View the selected photo full screen · O swaps in the original · Space or Esc closes |
Del | Remove the selected frame (its photo goes to Unplaced) · a text / vector |
← ↑ → ↓ | With a frame, text or vector selected: nudge it 1 px · Shift 10 px |
V | Open / close the Vectors panel for the selected spread |
[ ] | Send the selected text / vector (or frame) one step back / forward · Shift: to the back / front — or the frame's Arrange buttons |
Shift + drag | Move a frame along one axis · resize keeping its shape · Alt from the centre · Ctrl ignores snapping |
Shift + click | Swap the photos of the selected frame and this one |
Alt + drag | Lift a photo out of its frame to swap it · on an empty frame: drag a copy of it |
Alt + scroll | Zoom the crop inside a photo — on the page or in the inspector |
Ctrl + scroll | Zoom the canvas at the pointer, as far as you turn the wheel (a trackpad pinch too) · Ctrl+0 fit · Ctrl+= / Ctrl+- |
F | Full screen: one spread at a time · Tab shows / hides the inspector · Esc leaves |
; | Show / hide the print guides (safe zone, trim, inside, spine) |
Ctrl+Shift+; | Snapping on / off — off, frames and vectors go exactly where you drag them |
Ctrl+Z | Undo · add Shift (or press Ctrl+Y) to redo |
Esc | Deselect / close |
In Preview, ← → move between spreads and Esc closes it.
In the full-screen photo view (Space on a selected photo, or View full screen in its right-click menu), ← → step through the photos of that spread, O or the Original button shows the photo developed from its original file (only photos whose original was saved with the album have one), and Space or Esc closes it. Scroll or click to zoom in (to 100% and beyond — a zoomed photo shows its original when it has one), drag to look around, + / - zoom, 0 back to fit; the next photo opens at fit. In the photo strip under the spreads, double-click a photo (or hover it and press Space) to see it full screen.
On a phone, D or the pen opens Design by hand instead of saving. The ? in the inspector's Frame section lists the mouse gestures on a frame (drag to move, handles to resize, double-click to reframe the photo).
In Choose photos
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
Click / Ctrl + click | Select a photo / add or take one out of the selection |
Shift + click | Select the run of photos from the last one you clicked |
Ctrl+A | Select every photo shown |
Delete or Backspace | Take the selected photos out of the album (they stay in the grid, dimmed) |
Enter | Put the selected photos back in the album |
Space | View the last clicked photo full screen · there Enter puts it in or takes it out |
Ctrl+Z | Undo |
Esc | Clear the selection, then close |
In the spread organizer
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
Click / Ctrl + click | Select a photo / add or take one out of the selection |
Shift + click | Select a range of photos across spreads |
Delete or Backspace | Send the selected photos to "Not in the album" |
Ctrl+X / Ctrl+V | Cut the selected photos (they wait in "Not in the album") / put them on the active spread |
Space or double-click | View the photo full screen · ← → step through its spread (or "Not in the album") |
Ctrl+Z | Undo · Ctrl+Shift+Z or Ctrl+Y redo |
Esc | Close a part's menu, then clear the selection, then leave the organizer (it asks first if you moved photos) |
On the client link
These are the keys your client can use on the link you send from a select. They work on a computer only. The link opens in the grid; the One photo at a time button at the top switches to the Loupe.
Grid
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
← → ↑ ↓ | Move between photos |
Enter | Open the photo full screen |
Space | Select or unselect the photo (♥) |
- / + | Smaller / bigger photos |
One photo (the Loupe)
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
→ | Keep |
← | Skip |
↑ | Unsure |
Z | Undo last decision |
, / . | Previous / next photo (no decision) |
Backspace | Previous photo |
[ / ] | Previous / next similar shot |
Shift+← / → | Previous / next similar shot |
Click / Space | Zoom to 100% at the cursor |
| Scroll wheel | Zoom in / out |
0 | Reset zoom |
F | Full screen |
Esc | Reset zoom |
? | Show this list (the keyboard button at the top does the same) |
Enter | Go on from a practice card |
Full screen
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
← → | Previous / next photo (never keeps or skips) |
Space | Select or unselect the photo on screen (♥) |
S | Super like the photo on screen (★), or take the super like back |
[ / ] | Previous / next frame of a burst |
0 | Reset zoom |
F or Esc | Close full screen (Esc first resets the zoom) |
Reviewing layouts in Template Studio
On the Review tab (see Layouts for album designers). Keys do nothing while you type or while a dialog is open.
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
j or ↓ | Next layout |
k or ↑ | Previous layout |
a | Approve the highlighted layout |
r | Reject the highlighted layout |
x | Tick or untick it for Approve / Reject on several |
Guest photos and the album link
On the guest face search results and on the album link, a photo opened full screen takes ← / → for the previous / next photo and Esc to close.
Still stuck? In the studio, ask Pixie, the help chat (Ask Pixie in the sidebar on a computer, the Pixie tab on a phone). Pixamatch answers every message.