Learning keyboard shortcuts is one of the easiest ways to speed up your workflow in Figma. Today, I want to introduce you to 10 keyboard shortcuts that I use regularly to streamline my design process.
1. T for Text Tool
The first shortcut is one of the simplest but most frequently used: T for Text. Press T on your keyboard to activate the text tool, then click, drag, and start typing. Since you’re constantly laying out content, this shortcut will save you a lot of time.
2. R for Rectangle or Square
To draw a square or rectangle, press R on your keyboard. Click and drag to create your shape. Hold the Shift key while dragging to maintain a square proportion. Without Shift, you can freeform your rectangle.
3. O for Circle or Oval
For circles or ovals, use the O shortcut. Click and drag to create your shape. Like with the rectangle tool, holding Shift will create a perfect circle, while letting go allows for freeform shapes.
4. K for Scaling Objects
If you’re familiar with Adobe programs, you might be used to scaling objects with transformation tools. In Figma, you can scale objects by selecting them and pressing K. This enables the scale tool, allowing you to resize your objects proportionally by clicking and dragging the corners.
5. Shift + A for Auto Layout
Auto Layout is a Figma-specific tool that helps you group items and maintain proportional spacing. To enable Auto Layout, select your objects and press Shift + A. This creates a layout frame that maintains consistent spacing, even when you add or edit elements.
For example, if you have two buttons that you want to group together with consistent spacing, select them, press Shift + A, and now they’re part of an auto layout. You can do this for entire sections of your design as well.
6. Command + Click for Nested Auto Layouts
When working with nested Auto Layouts, editing text boxes can require multiple clicks. Instead of clicking several times, hold Command and click once to edit the text box directly. This saves you from the hassle of finding the nested element.
7. Shift + Click for Selecting Multiple Objects
To select multiple objects without selecting the background, hold Shift and click each object. This allows you to select only the elements you need, without grabbing unwanted layers.
8. Numbers for Adjusting Opacity
Adjusting opacity on the fly is easy with number keys. Select your object, then press a number on your keyboard to set the opacity. For example, press 7 for 70% opacity, 2 for 20%, and so on. 0 sets it to 100%, and 00 sets it to 0%.
9. Command + Left/Right Bracket for Layer Order
To move objects backward or forward in the layer stack, hold Command and press the Left Bracket to move backward or the Right Bracket to move forward one layer at a time. To send an object all the way to the back or front, simply press Left or Right Bracket without Command.
10. Command + Drag for Resizing Frames Without Moving Objects
When resizing a frame, you might notice that some objects get dragged along with it. To avoid this, hold Command while resizing the frame. This keeps all objects in place while allowing you to adjust the frame size.
And there you have it! These 10 (plus a few extra) keyboard shortcuts will help you speed up your design process in Figma. Start incorporating them into your workflow, and you’ll notice a big difference in efficiency.
