Part VI. Keyboard Shortcuts

The following table summarizes the keyboard shortcuts built into ImageJ. You can create additional shortcuts, or override built-in ones, by creating simple macros and adding them to the StartupMacros.txt . You can also assign a function key to a menu command using Plugins ▷ Shortcuts ▷ Create Shortcuts…↑ .

Several of these shortcuts accept key modifiers as described in Key Modifiers↓. Also note that, except when using the Text Tool↑, you do not need to hold down the control key to use a keyboard shortcut, unless Require control key for shortcuts in Edit ▷ Options ▷ Misc…↑ is checked.

List of ImageJ 1.46 built-in shortcuts. This table can be obtained within ImageJ using the Plugins ▷ Shortcuts ▷ List Shortcuts…↑ command.

Command / Operation Shortcut Description
File ▷
New ▷ Image… [n]↑ N Create new image or stack
New ▷ Text Window [N]↑ Shift N Create new text window
New ▷ System Clipboard [V]↑ Shift V Create image from system clipboard
Open… [o]↑ O Open file (any format recognized by ImageJ)
Open Next [O]↑ Shift O Open next image in folder
Open Samples ▷ ↑Blobs (25K) Shift B Opens the Blobs.gif example image
Close [w]↑ W Close the active window
Save [s]↑ S Save active image in Tiff format
Revert [r]↑ R Revert to saved version of image
Print… [p]↑ P Print active image
Edit ▷
Undo [z]↑ Z Undo last operation
Cut [x]↑ X Copy selection to internal clipboard and clear
Copy [c]↑ C Copy selection to internal clipboard
Paste [v]↑ V Paste contents of internal clipboard
Clear↑ Backspace Erase selection to background color
Fill [f]↑ F Fill selection in foreground color
Draw [d]↑ D Draw selection
Invert [I]↑ Shift I Invert image or selection
Selection ▷ Select All [a]↑ A Select entire image
Selection ▷ Select None [A]↑ Shift A Remove selection
Selection ▷ Restore Selection [E]↑ Shift E Restore previous selection
Selection ▷ Properties… [y] ↑ Y Defines selection properties
Selection ▷ Add to Manager [t] ↑ T Add selection to ROI Manager
Image ▷
Adjust ▷ Brightness/Contrast… [C]↑ Shift C Adjust brightness and contrast
Adjust ▷ Threshold… [T] ↑ Shift T Adjust threshold levels
Show Info… [i] ↑ I Display information about active image
Properties… [P]↑ Shift P Display image properties
Color ▷ Color Picker… [K]↑ Shift K Open Color Picker
Stacks ▷ Next Slice [>]↑ > or → Go to next stack slice
Stacks ▷ Previous Slice [ < or ← Go to previous stack slice
Stacks ▷ Reslice… [/] ↑ / Reslice stack
Stacks ▷ Orthogonal Views [H]↑ Shift H Toggle orthogonal view display
Stacks ▷ Tools ▷ Start Animation [\]↑ \ Start/stop stack animation
Hyperstacks ▷ Channels Tool… [Z]↑ Shift Z Open the ‘Channels’ tool
Hyperstacks↑ > or → Next hyperstack channel
Hyperstacks↑ < or ← Previous hyperstack channel
Hyperstacks↑ Ctrl > Next hyperstack slice
Hyperstacks↑ Ctrl Previous hyperstack slice
Hyperstacks↑ Alt > Next hyperstack frame
Hyperstacks↑ Alt Previous hyperstack frame
Crop [X] ↑ Shift X Crop active image or selection
Duplicate… [D] ↑ Shift D Duplicate active image or selection
Scale… [E] ↑ E Scale image or selection
Zoom ▷ In [+] ↑ + or ↑ Make image larger
Zoom ▷ Out [-]↑ − or ↓ Make image smaller
Zoom ▷ Original Scale [4]↑ 4 Revert to original zoom level
Zoom ▷ View 100% [5]↑ 5 Zoom to 1:1
Overlay ▷ Add Selection… [b] ↑ B Adds active selection to image overlay
Process ▷
Smooth [S] ↑ Shift S 3 × 3 unweighted smoothing
Repeat Command [R]↑ Shift R Repeat previous command
Analyze ▷
Measure… [m] ↑ M Display statistics of active image / selection
Histogram [h] ↑ H Display histogram of active image / selection
Plot Profile [k] ↑ K Display density profile plot of active selection
Gels ▷ ↑Select First Lane 1 Select first gel lane
Gels ▷ ↑Select Next Lane 2 Select next gel lane
Plugins ▷
Utilities ▷ Control Panel… [U]↑ Shift U Open Control Panel
Utilities ▷ Capture Screen [g]↑ Shift G Grab screenshot (with Ctrl if a dialog box is active)
Utilities ▷ Find Commands… [l]↑ L List, find and launch commands
Window ▷
Show All [ ] ]↑ ] Make all windows visible
Put Behind [tab]↑ Tab Switch to next image window
Main ImageJ window↑ Enter Bring ImageJ window to front