List of Keyboard Shortcuts
This page contains a list of the key shortcuts available in Xara LX. If you want any more information on what a shortcut does, click on the underlined text next to it.
The Tools
Selector Tool F2 or ALT+S (or the Space Bar if you are not using the Text tool).
Pen Tool Shift+F5
Rectangle Tool Shift+F3
Ellipse Tool Shift+F4
QuickShape Tool Shift+F2
Text Tool F8
Fill Tool F5
Shadow Tool CTRL+F2
Bevel Tool CTRL+F3
Contour Tool CTRL+F7
Blend Tool F7
Mold Tool Shift+F6
Live Effects Tool CTRL+F5
Push Tool Shift+F8 or ALT+X
Zoom Tool Shift+F7 or ALT+Z
The Galleries
Font Gallery Shift+F9
Clipart Gallery Shift+F10
Fill Gallery Shift+F11
Frame Gallery Shift+F12
Layer Gallery F10
Bitmap Gallery F11
Line Gallery F12
Name Gallery CTRL+Shift+F9
Zooming
Previous Zoom CTRL+R
Zoom To Selection CTRL+Shift+Z
Zoom To Drawing CTRL+Shift+J
Zoom To Page CTRL+Shift+P
Zoom in (enlarge) CTRL + '+' on the numeric keypad
Zoom out (reduce) CTRL + '-' on the numeric keypad
You can also zoom and slide the document using a mouse-wheel.
Manipulating Documents
When in the Text Tool, these shortcuts marked with a star (*) have a different action - see below.
New document CTRL+N
New Animated document CTRL+Shift+N
Open document CTRL+O
Switch document Ctrl+Tab
Print document CTRL+P
Save document CTRL+S
Import CTRL+Shift+I
Import graphics from Web CTRL+W *
Export CTRL+Shift+E
Time a document redraw CTRL+Shift+T
Show guides 1 on numeric keypad
Snap to grid '.' on the numeric keypad
Snap to guides 2 on the numeric keypad
Snap to objects ' * ' on the numeric keypad
Select full screen 8 on the numeric keypad
Show Rulers CTRL+L *
Undo CTRL+Z or '<' or ','
Redo CTRL+Y or '>' or '.'
Manipulating Objects
¶ When in the Text Tool, these shortcuts have a different action - see below.
Color editor Ctrl+E
Select all CTRL+A *
Select next object TAB
Delete the selection DELETE *
Clear selection ESC
Bring object to front CTRL+F
Put object to back CTRL+B *
Move object forwards CTRL+Shift+F
Move object backwards CTRL+Shift+B
Move object to layer in front (drawing documents) CTRL+Shift+U
Move object to layer behind (drawing documents) CTRL+Shift+D
Move to next frame (animation documents) CTRL+Shift+U
Move to previous frame (animation documents) CTRL+Shift+D
Group objects CTRL+G
Ungroup objects CTRL+U
Clone object CTRL+K
Duplicate object with offset CTRL+D
Copy object to clipboard CTRL+C
Cut selection to clipboard CTRL+X
Paste object from clipboard CTRL+V
Paste object in original position CTRL+Shift+V
Paste Attributes CTRL+Shift+A
Create Bitmap Copy CTRL+Shift+C
Export sliced image CTRL+I *
Add shapes CTRL+1
Subtract shapes CTRL+2
Intersect shapes CTRL+3
Slice shapes CTRL+4
Convert to Editable Shapes CTRL+Shift+S
Open the Alignment dialog box CTRL+Shift+L
Web Address CTRL+Shift+W
(in the Text Tool, this key deletes the selected characters or the character to the left of the text cursor)
Move the selected objects Cursor (arrow) keys with the Selector Tool
Move the selected handles Cursors (arrow) keys in tools other than the Selector.
Nudging objects - see Nudging objects and handles
Cursor keys Move the text cursor one character at a time up, down, left or right.
Home Move the text cursor to the start of the line.
End Move the text cursor to the end of the line.
CTRL+right-cursor Move the text cursor right one word.
CTRL+left-cursor Move the text cursor left one word.
CTRL+HOME Move the text cursor to the start of the first line in a text object.
CTRL+END Move the text cursor to the end of the last line in a text object.
CTRL+A Selects all characters in a text object.
CTRL+B Apply the Bold attribute (see Bold).
CTRL+I Apply the Italic attribute (see Italic).
CTRL+C Copy the selected region of text to the clipboard.
CTRL+L Selects all characters in the line containing the text cursor.
CTRL+V Paste text at the text cursor position (If the clipboard contains text)
CTRL+W Swap the case of the character to the right of the text cursor.
CTRL+equals/plus key Increase kerning/tracking.
CTRL+underline/minus key Decrease kerning/tracking.
RETURN Start a new line of text.
DELETE Delete the character to the right of the text cursor. If the cursor is on the end of a text line, join this line to the line below.
BACKSPACE Delete the character to the left of the text cursor. If the cursor is at the start of a text line, join this line to the line above.
Shift+cursor keys Select all text between the cursor position and the beginning of the line.
Shift+END Select all text between the cursor position and the end of the line.
Feather tool
You can control the feather slider with your mouse and keyboard. When the feather text box or slider are selected:
Mousewheel up/down—increases or decrease feathering
Mousewheel up/down while holding the CTRL key—increases or decrease in larger increments
Arrow up/down keys—increases or decrease feathering
Page up/page down keys—increases or decrease in larger increments
Hom/end keys—select minimum or maximum feather values
Other
Color Editor CTRL+E (opens and closes)
Options dialog box CTRL+Shift+O
Xara LX Help F1