This guide shows you how to work faster in the Design Studio. You will learn how to undo and redo changes, open the full list of keyboard shortcuts, and turn on layout helpers like the grid, snapping, rulers, and print guides. It is written for anyone building a design template, from your first product to your hundredth.
Undo and redo
Made a change you want to take back? You have two ways to do it.
The first is the top bar. Look at the buttons near the top of the editor. Click Undo to step back, and click Redo to step forward again.
The second is the keyboard. Press Ctrl+Z to undo and Ctrl+Shift+Z to redo. On a Mac, use Cmd+Z and Cmd+Shift+Z.
Undo steps through the editor’s recent design history. A continuous gesture can be grouped into one step, and history is limited; it is not an unlimited recovery log for every product setting or published change. Check the canvas after each Undo and save a reusable template before major experiments.
See all keyboard shortcuts
The Design Studio has shortcuts for almost everything. You do not need to memorize them. There is a built-in overlay that lists them all.
Open the shortcuts overlay
Press Ctrl+/ to open the Keyboard Shortcuts overlay. On a Mac, press Cmd+/. You can also click the ? at the right of the status bar and choose Keyboard shortcuts. The overlay appears on top of your canvas.
Find what you need by group
The shortcuts are sorted into four groups so you can scan quickly:
- Tools: pick a tool. V selects, T adds text, R draws a rectangle, C a circle, L a line, and I adds an image. G toggles the grid, P hides the editor’s panels and bars so you see only the design (P or Esc brings them back), and Esc deselects.
- Edit: Ctrl+Z to undo, Ctrl+Shift+Z to redo, Ctrl+C / Ctrl+X / Ctrl+V to copy, cut, and paste, Ctrl+D to duplicate, and Del to delete.
- Layers: Ctrl+G to group, Ctrl+Shift+G to ungroup, Ctrl+] and Ctrl+[ to move a layer forward or backward, and the arrow keys to nudge a selection.
- View: Ctrl+K to search actions and layers, Ctrl++ and Ctrl+- to zoom, Ctrl+0 to reset zoom, Ctrl+1 to fit the design to the screen, Space and drag to pan the canvas, and Ctrl+S to save.
Learn a few that save the most time
You do not have to learn them all at once. Start with these five, and the rest will follow:
- V switches back to the select tool after you add something.
- T drops in a new text layer.
- Ctrl+D duplicates the selected layer.
- Ctrl+G groups several layers into one.
- Arrow keys nudge a selection one step at a time for fine positioning.
Grid, snapping, rulers, and print guides
Layout helpers make it easier to line things up and stay inside the printable area. You turn them on and off under File › View. None of them appear in the final product, so use as many as you like while you work.
Open File › View
Click File in the top bar, then View. The canvas options unfold as a list; a check mark shows which ones are on. Click an option to turn it on or off.
Turn on layout helpers
These four help you place and align layers:
- Show grid lays a repeating square grid over the canvas so you can judge spacing by eye.
- Snap to guides turns on snapping. As you drag a layer, it clicks into line with the edges and centers of its neighbours.
- Show rulers adds rulers along the top and left edges so you can read exact positions.
- Keep elements inside canvas blocks a move or a resize that would take a layer past the canvas edge.
Tip each one on or off as you need it. For lining up several layers at once, see align and distribute.
Show the printable region
These four help you keep artwork where the print provider can print it:
- Show print area outlines the region that gets printed.
- Show bleed marks the outer margin that is trimmed off after printing.
- Show safe zone marks the inner line to keep text and logos inside.
- Dim outside the print area fades everything that will not be printed, so the printable region stands out.
If your product has more than one side, like a front and a back, each side has its own print area. See manage a product’s sides for how to switch between them.
Common questions
Why is the Undo button greyed out?
There is nothing to undo yet. Undo only lights up after you make a change to the design.
Do the grid, rulers, and print guides show up on the printed product?
No. They are editing helpers only. They never appear in the customer preview or on the printed item.
What is the difference between Snap to guides and Show grid?
Show grid draws a fixed grid over the whole canvas and changes nothing about how layers move. Snap to guides makes a layer click into line with the edges and centers of its neighbours as you drag it.
How do I nudge a layer by a small amount?
Select the layer, then press an arrow key. Each press moves it one step in that direction.
Next
Ready to line up several layers at once? Read align and distribute to space and center layers with one click.