Photoshop-Shortcut Filter: How to toggle between layers w/out touching the mouse

July 27, 2009 4:40 AM

Photoshop-Shortcut Filter: How to toggle between layers w/out touching the mouse - basically, I'm looking for and alt-tab option for layers within Photoshop.

How can I toggle between the current layer selected and the previous layer selected? - kinda like alt-tab for layers within Photoshop. Google turned up a lot of results about shortcuts when within the layers palette but I'm looking for an alt-tab-simple shortcut.

I need to keep my mouse cursor in the same location on the image as I switch between layers - having to move from the image, to the layer palette is messing me up a bit.

Any Ideas?

posted by alrightokay to computers & internet (5 comments total)

The only layer-switching shortcut I'm aware of is Alt-[ or Alt-]. I don't have PS in front of me, so I'm not sure if it requires the layout palette to be in focus or not.

Your dream shortcut may not exist. If this turns out to be true, you might want to describe your desired outcome as there may be a way to script whatever you're doing.
posted by fake at 5:02 AM on July 27

With Mac, it's Opt-] and Opt-[ (previous and next) and move between them, and Opt-Shift-] and Opt-Shift-[ to select them. Pretty sure it would be Ctrl on Windows.

Opt-Shift-Cmd-K gives you the full list of keyboard shortcuts.
posted by purephase at 5:04 AM on July 27

ALT + [ or ] (up or down)
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 6:39 AM on July 27

This is great - thanks! FYI you do not have to have the layer palette in focus for this to work!
posted by alrightokay at 8:07 AM on July 27

Are you aware of auto-selecting layers? I know it's not what you asked, but just in case it's useful, you can set Photoshop to select a layer when any part of it is clicked on -- either automatically, or with a modifier key.
posted by AmbroseChapel at 4:20 PM on July 27