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).

Freehand & Brush Tool F3

Shape Editor Tool F4

Pen Tool  Shift+F5

Rectangle Tool Shift+F3

Ellipse Tool  Shift+F4

QuickShape Tool Shift+F2

Text Tool  F8

Fill Tool  F5 

Transparency Tool F6

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

Color Gallery  F9

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 Grid  #

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

Text Tool

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