Editor Tools
Pointer & hand
Select layers, multi-select with marquee, and pan the canvas. The two non-creative tools you live in 80% of the time.
The pointer (V) and hand (H) tools don't create anything — they navigate.
#Pointer tool — V
Selecting and arranging layers.
| Action | Binding | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Select layer | Click | Auto-switches to that layer's tool so you can edit immediately. |
| Add to selection | Ctrl+Click | Or remove if already selected. |
| Marquee select | Ctrl+Drag (empty canvas) | Layers fully inside the marquee join the selection. |
| Move selection | Drag | All selected layers move together as one history step. |
| Nudge | ←↑↓→ | 1 px per tap. |
| Big nudge | Shift + ←↑↓→ | 10 px per tap. |
| Resize | Drag handles | Hold Shift for proportional, Alt for from-center. |
| Rotate | Drag rotation handle | Hold Shift to snap to 15°. |
| Free transform | Right-click → Free Transform | Skew + per-corner drag. |
| Context menu | Right-click | Duplicate, align, order, flip, etc. |
Auto-select with creation tools: when you have a creation tool active (shape, text, icon, asset), a static click on an existing layer selects it; a drag creates a new layer. Hold
Alt+drag to bypass auto-select and force creation.
#Hand tool — H
Pan the canvas without selecting anything.
| Action | Binding |
|---|---|
| Switch to hand | H |
| Temporary hand-pan | Space + drag (any tool) |
| Middle-mouse pan | Middle-mouse drag (any tool) |
| Toggle pointer / hand | Right-click empty canvas |
| Return to pointer | Esc |
#Tips
- If you find yourself constantly switching tools, lean on
Space+drag to pan and right-click empty canvas to flip pointer ↔ hand. It's faster than the keyboard. - The rubber-band marquee is
Ctrl+drag (not plain drag). Plain drag in pointer mode moves the layer under the cursor — staying out of "I lost my work" territory.