Keyboard Shortcuts
These tables list Mac defaults for the PhotoCuller keyboard preset. Other presets and custom bindings can differ. Change them in Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts. Navigation and culling keys apply when you are not typing in an editor.
Press Cmd + / to open Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts.
View and Navigation
| Shortcut | Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ← / A | Previous photo | Grid and Full View |
| → / D | Next photo | Grid and Full View |
| ↑ / W | Navigate up / previous row | Grid-first navigation |
| ↓ / S | Navigate down / next row | Grid-first navigation |
| Space | Toggle Full View | |
| Z | Toggle Loupe / keyboard zoom | In grid: magnifier follows cursor. In Full View: toggles the configured zoom level. |
| Cmd + F | Focus search bar | Press Esc to clear and return to grid |
| Cmd + Shift + N | Toggle image numbers | Useful for proofing and Client Selection |
| Cmd + Option + S | Toggle left sidebar | |
| Cmd + Option + I | Toggle right panel | |
| Cmd + = | Increase thumbnail size | Grid View |
| Cmd + - | Decrease thumbnail size | Grid View |
| Cmd + Shift + D | Clear all filters | Grid View |
| Esc | Exit Full View / Loupe / Search |
In Full View, arrows and navigation letters pan while zoomed unless Keep zoom between images is enabled; then they navigate while retaining zoom. Grouped filmstrip navigation can take priority. Settings > Full View > Keyboard navigation speed controls held-key repeats.
Full View Tools
| Shortcut | Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ` | Toggle filmstrip | Backtick; position varies by keyboard layout |
| Q | Toggle two-photo comparison | |
| Shift + Q | Toggle four-photo comparison | |
| Option + ← / → | Previous / next comparison set | Replaces all panes |
| Tab / Shift + Tab | Next / previous focused pane | Comparison layouts |
| L | Toggle sync zoom/pan | Comparison layouts |
| V | Switch RAW / non-RAW preview | Paired items; resets when Full View closes |
| G | Toggle Subject Panel | Faces, supported pets, and foreground subjects |
| I | Toggle Full View IPTC editor | Single-photo editor |
| Shift + Z | Toggle Zen Mode | Shows the compact culling panel |
| C | Toggle Crop Tool | Editable photos; unavailable in comparison layouts or Zen Mode |
| X | Swap Crop Orientation | Crop mode only; works with aspect ratios that support portrait/landscape orientation |
| Enter / Return | Apply Crop | Crop mode only |
| Cmd + Return | Apply IPTC draft | IPTC editor |
| Cmd + B | Save and move to previous photo | Full View IPTC editor |
| Cmd + N | Save and move to next photo | Full View IPTC editor |
| B | Toggle frame | Adds or removes the fit-to-view margin |
| H | Toggle histogram | |
| J | Toggle exposure warnings | |
| K | Toggle focus peaking |
Rating, Labels, Flags, and Favorites
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 to 5 | Set star rating |
| 0 | Clear rating |
| Shift + 1 | Red |
| Shift + 2 | Orange |
| Shift + 3 | Yellow |
| Shift + 4 | Green |
| Shift + 5 | Blue |
| Shift + 6 | Purple |
| Shift + - | Clear color label |
| F | Toggle flag |
| . | Toggle favorite |
| R | Toggle rejection |
| Cmd + L | Lock / unlock |
In the PhotoCuller preset, repeating a rating or label key keeps that value. Flag, favorite, and reject keys toggle. Settings > General lets you change these behaviors and choose auto-advance triggers.
Stacks and Actions
| Shortcut | Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cmd + G | Create stack | |
| E | Toggle stack expansion | Grid and Full View |
| Cmd + Shift + G | Unstack items | |
| ] | Rotate right | Filesystem photos |
| [ | Rotate left | Filesystem photos |
| Cmd + Y | Quick Transfer / Copy/Move Items | Browser selection; focused photo in Full View |
| Cmd + Shift + M | Quick Rename / Rename Items | Single photo: inline rename. Multiple photos: batch rename sheet. |
| Cmd + Shift + Option + C | Copy IPTC Metadata | One selected photo |
| Cmd + Shift + Option + V | Paste IPTC Metadata | Applies copied IPTC metadata to the selection |
| No default | Copy Crop | Available from the Edit menu and context menu |
| No default | Paste Crop | Available from the Edit menu and context menu |
| Delete / Backspace | Delete selected | |
| Cmd + Option + Delete | Delete RAW files only | |
| Cmd + Ctrl + Delete | Delete processed files only | |
| Cmd + Shift + Delete | Delete all rejected |
Copy Crop uses the focused cropped photo in Full View. Paste Crop targets the focused photo there, or selected eligible photos in the browser; see Full View.
Workflow and Tool Windows
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Cmd + O | Add Folder |
| No default | Reload Tab — from the File menu |
| Cmd + Option + E | Open Workflows window |
| Cmd + Shift + Y | Open Quick Workflow |
| Cmd + Shift + I | Open Ingest |
| Cmd + Shift + T | Open IPTC Templates |
| Cmd + Shift + R | Open Code Replacements |
| Cmd + Option + Shift + R | Reload Code Replacements |
| Cmd + Option + L | Open Activity Log |
| Cmd + Option + P | Open Filter Presets |
| Cmd + Shift + C | Open Client Selection |
| Cmd + Option + O | Show in Finder |
Tabs
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Cmd + T | New tab |
| Cmd + W | Close current tab |
| Cmd + Shift + [ | Previous tab |
| Cmd + Shift + ] | Next tab |
| Cmd + 1 … 9 | Select tab by index |
Selection Helpers
| Shortcut | Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cmd + Click | Add/remove from selection | |
| Shift + Click | Select range | |
| Cmd + A | Select all visible | |
| Cmd + D | Deselect all | |
| Cmd + Option + A | Select inverse | Visible photos only |
| Cmd + Shift + S | Save Selection | Filesystem sources; saves selected items with optional culling metadata |
| Cmd + Shift + O | Load Selection | Filesystem sources; selects matches and restores culling metadata if present |
| Cmd + Shift + F | Select Flagged | |
| Cmd + Shift + H | Select Favorites | |
| Cmd + Shift + X | Select Rejected | |
| Cmd + Shift + P | Select Cropped | |
| No default | Select Rotated | Assign one in Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts if you use it often |
| No default | Select Photos with GPS | Assign one in Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts if you use it often |
| No default | Select RAW Photos | Assign one in Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts if you use it often |
| No default | Select Date Range | Assign one in Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts if you use it often |
| Cmd + Option + 1 to 6 | Select by color label | Red through purple |
| Option + Shift + 0 to 5 | Select by rating | Unrated through 5 stars |
Bin Shortcuts
On Mac, the PhotoCuller preset uses Option + 1 through 9 for the active preset’s Bin slots. Enable Tools > Bins > Enable Bins and configure the destinations first. In Grid View these act on the selection; in Full View they act on the focused photo. Depending on Transfer Timing, they either assign for later review or start Copy/Move immediately. Reordering bins changes the slot targets. See Bin Presets before using Move.
IPTC Field Focus
One button per keyword: combine a field-focus shortcut with text entry on a Stream Deck to tag athletes, cars, or teams while reviewing photos. Follow the Stream Deck keywording recipe, including a separate Save & Next button.
Jump directly to an IPTC field without opening and scrolling the editor manually. These actions have no default shortcuts on Mac.
- Open Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts > IPTC Field Focus.
- Double-click the binding for an action such as Focus Caption or Focus Keywords, then record a shortcut and resolve any conflict.
- Select one photo in the browser, or focus a photo in Full View, and press your shortcut. PhotoCuller opens the IPTC editor, reveals the field, and focuses it for typing, leaving Zen Mode if necessary.
The source must support metadata editing. These actions do not target a multi-photo browser selection and are unavailable while cropping in Full View. To switch fields while already typing, use a shortcut containing Command, Control, or Option; plain letters and Shift-only combinations remain text input. Press Esc to return focus to the photo. Use the editor’s normal save/apply controls for metadata changes; see Metadata Editing.
Customizing Shortcuts
- Open Settings (Cmd + ,)
- Go to Keyboard Shortcuts
- Choose a built-in keyboard preset or save your own custom preset
- Built-in presets include PhotoCuller, QWERTZ, AZERTY, Lightroom, Capture One, and Photo Mechanic
- Double-click a field and press a new key combination
- If a shortcut conflicts with another action, PhotoCuller warns you before applying it
- Use the per-row reset button, Reset to Preset, or Reset All to restore defaults
Some app-level shortcuts (menu commands, system shortcuts) are not listed in the customizable shortcut table and cannot be remapped.
iPad and iPhone
With an external keyboard, iPad and iPhone support common culling shortcuts, two-photo comparison with Q, pane switching with Tab, and sync with L. Shift+Q adds four-photo comparison on iPad only, not iPhone. Mac window/tab commands, Zen Mode, and V image-source switching are not mobile shortcuts. See touch controls for mobile interaction.