• Command + A (Mac) | Control + A (Win) will select all images.
• Command + D (Mac) | Control + D (Win) will deselect all images.
• Command + Option + A (Mac) | Control + Alt + A (Win) will select all Flagged photos.
• Command + Option + D (Mac) | Control + Alt + D (Win) will deselect all Flagged photos.
When multiple files are selected in the Library module, making changes (adding metadata, applying Quick edits etc.) to files in the Grid view will change ALL of the images that are selected, if viewing Loupe view, then ONLY the “most selected” image will be changed.
Lightroom’s Grid view shares many of the same keyboard shortcuts as other programs do for making selections including:
• Command (Mac) / Control (Win) -click (on the image’s thumbnail) to select multiple, discontiguous images in grid view.
• Shift -click to select a range of contiguous images.
• Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + A to Select All
• Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + D to Deselect All
In addition, when multiple images are selected in Lightroom, one of the images will be “more” selected than the others (and the grey frame around the “more” selected image will appear brighter/lighter than the others.) Lightroom has some additional shortcuts which make it easier to select/deselect multiple images:
• “/” (forward slash) deselects the active photo. If multiple photos are selected, the “most selected” image will be deselected.
• If multiple images are selected, clicking in the gray frame/border area around one of the selected images will deselect all images except the one clicked upon.
• Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + Shift + D selects all photos except the “most selected.
Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) + left/right bracket will select the next layer up/down in the Layers panel. Adding the Shift key adds to the selection.
With the On-image tool selected on the Curves Adjustments panel (that’s the one that looks like the hand with the up/down arrow – otherwise known as the “scrubby slider”, as oppose to any of the eyedropper tools), Shift + (plus) will select the next point on the curve and Shift + (minus) will select the previous point. Shift -click multiple points on the curve to select more than one and move them all at once. Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + D will deselect all selected points.
To automatically select Layer Groups (as oppose to selecting individual layers), with the Move tool selected, check the Auto-Select box in the Options bar and choose Group from the pull-down menu.
• Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) + “[“ or “]” targets the layer above or below the currently targeted layer.
• Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) +Shift + “] “or + “[“ adds the next layer up or down to the targeted layer(s) (note when you get to the top or bottom of the layer stack, Photoshop will “wrap around” to continue adding/subtracting layers).
• Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) + “,“ or “.” targets the bottom/top -most layer.
• Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) + Shift + “,“ or “.” targets all layers that fall between the currently targeted layer to the top or bottom of the layer stack.
Note: these shortcuts are essential when recording actions as they help to select layers, but do not record the specific “name” of the layer in the action.
