Affinity Photo Keyboard Shortcuts
65+ Affinity Photo shortcuts for photo editing and retouching. Mac and Windows reference.
Tools
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Move tool | |
| Selection Brush tool | |
| Marquee Selection | |
| Freehand Selection | |
| Crop tool | |
| Paint Brush tool | |
| Erase Brush tool | |
| Clone Brush tool | |
| Healing Brush tool | |
| Dodge Brush tool | |
| Gradient tool | |
| Flood Fill tool | |
| Text tool | |
| Zoom tool | |
| Hand tool | |
| Color Picker tool | |
| Pen tool |
Edit
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Undo | |
| Redo | |
| Copy | |
| Paste | |
| Cut | |
| Paste inside | |
| Duplicate | |
| Deselect | |
| Select all | |
| Invert selection |
Layers
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| New layer | |
| Group layers | |
| Ungroup | |
| Merge down | |
| Merge visible | |
| Move layer forward | |
| Move layer backward |
View
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Zoom in | |
| Zoom out | |
| Fit to window | |
| Zoom 100% | |
| Toggle rulers | |
| Toggle grid |
Adjustments
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Levels | |
| Curves | |
| HSL | |
| Black & White | |
| Invert |
File
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Save | |
| Save As | |
| New | |
| Open | |
| Export |
Brush
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Decrease brush size | |
| Increase brush size | |
| Swap foreground/background | |
| Reset colors to black/white |
Pro tips
Non-Destructive Adjustments
Always use adjustment layers instead of applying adjustments directly. They remain editable and can be masked, blended, and reordered. Stack multiple adjustments for complex edits.
Develop Persona for RAW
Open RAW files in the Develop Persona for full RAW processing. Adjust exposure, white balance, lens corrections, and tone mapping before committing to pixel editing.
Live Filters
Apply live filters (blurs, distortions, lighting effects) that remain fully editable. Unlike rasterized filters, you can modify parameters anytime without quality loss.
Frequency Separation
Use Filters → Frequency Separation for professional skin retouching. It separates texture from color/tone, letting you smooth skin while preserving pore detail.
Focus Merge
Combine multiple photos taken at different focal points into one fully-sharp image. File → New Focus Merge. Essential for macro photography and product shots.
Macros for Batch Processing
Record a sequence of actions as a macro, then apply it to multiple images. Great for consistent editing across photo series - color grading, watermarking, resizing.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Affinity Photo cost?
Affinity Photo 2 is $69.99 one-time for desktop (Windows/Mac) and $21.99 for iPad. The Universal License ($169.99) includes all three Affinity apps. No subscription fees.
Can Affinity Photo replace Photoshop?
For most photo editing, retouching, and compositing, yes. Affinity Photo has layers, masks, RAW processing, HDR merge, focus stacking, and extensive adjustments. It lacks Photoshop's Actions marketplace, 3D features, and neural filters.
Does Affinity Photo open PSD files?
Yes, Affinity Photo opens PSD files with good layer, mask, and effect support. Some advanced Photoshop features (smart objects, certain layer styles) may not transfer perfectly.
Is there a free trial?
Yes, Serif offers a free trial of all Affinity products. Check affinity.serif.com for the current trial period. The iPad versions also offer trials through the App Store.
Can I use Photoshop plugins in Affinity Photo?
Affinity Photo supports many Photoshop-compatible plugins (8bf format) on Windows. Not all plugins are compatible. Nik Collection, Topaz, and many others work. macOS plugin support is more limited.
Does Affinity Photo support HDR?
Yes. File → New HDR Merge combines bracketed exposures into 32-bit HDR images. Affinity Photo also supports tone mapping and working with 32-bit images natively.
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