Keyboard Shortcuts by Function

The keyboard shortcuts below are the default Scribus shortcuts valid for both Windows and Linux (unless otherwise stated). OS X users should use the CMD key instead of CTRL.

You can modify these shortcuts, or create your own, by going to File → Preferences… and locating the Keyboard Shortcuts section. (On OS X you need to go to Scribus → Preferences… .)

Interface Actions

Command	Action	Menu Equivalent
F1	Display the Help Manual	Windows → Help
F2	Toggle display of the Properties Palette	Windows → Properties
F3	Toggle display of the Style Manager	Edit → Styles…
F6	Toggle display of the Layers Manager	Windows → Layers
Menu	Display the Context Menu

File Actions

Command	Action	Menu Equivalent
CTRL + N	Create a new document	File → New
CTRL + ALT + N	Create a new document from a Template	File → New from Template…
CTRL + O	Open an existing document	File → Open…
CTRL + F4	Close the current document	File → Close
CTRL + S	Save the current document	File → Save
CTRL + SHIFT + S	Save the current document with a different name	File → Save As…
CTRL + ALT + S	Save the current document as a Template	File → Save As Template…
CTRL + ALT + P	Print Preview	File → Print Preview
CTRL + P	Print the current document	File → Print…
CTRL + SHIFT + E	Export the document (or page) as an image	File → Export → Save as Image…
CTRL + Q	Quit Scribus	File → Quit

Edit Actions

Command	Action	Menu Equivalent
CTRL + C	Copy	Edit → Copy
CTRL + X	Cut	Edit → Cut
CTRL + V	Paste	Edit → Paste
CTRL + Z	Undo last action	Edit → Undo
CTRL + Y	Redo last undone action	Edit → Redo
CTRL + A	Select All	Edit → Select All
CTRL + ALT + A	Advanced Select All	Edit → Advanced Select All…
CTRL + SHIFT + A	Deselect All	Edit → Deselect All
R	Rotate the currently selected item (drag to rotate)

Some interesting things about the Copy, Cut, and Paste functions is that they do not just apply to text. If you copy an object, like a text frame, image frame, or shape for example, you can then paste these on another page, and it will be placed with the same X-Pos, Y-pos it had in the original location. You can also use graphics inside a body of text, something called inline graphics, if you paste while in Edit Contents mode in the text frame. Weirder still is that you can copy/cut and paste a text frame that might include inline graphics as inline graphics itself!

Related Mouse Actions

Command	Action
CTRL	Constrain angle to 15 degree steps while rotating

Item Actions

Command	Action	Menu Equivalent
DEL or ← or CTRL + K	Delete selected object(s)
CTRL + D	Duplicate selected object(s)	Item → Duplicate
CTRL + SHIFT + D	Duplicate selected object(s) multiple times	Item → Multiple Duplicate
CTRL + G	Group multiple objects together	Item → Group
CTRL + SHIFT + G	Ungroup objects	Item → Ungroup
HOME	Raise object to the highest level	Item → Level → Raise to Top
CTRL + HOME	Raise object to the next level up	Item → Level → Raise
CTRL + END	Lower object to the next level down	Item → Level → Lower
END	Lower object to the lowest level	Item → Level → Lower to Bottom
CTRL + L	Toggle the locking of the currently selected object	Item → Is Locked
CTRL + SHIFT + L	Toggle the locking of the size of the currently selected object	Item → Size Is Locked

Related Mouse Actions

Command	Action
CTRL	Constrain object to vertical/horizontal axis after dragging has started
CTRL	Resize proportionally after dragging by a handle has started
SHIFT + Left Mouse	Add object to selection set
CTRL + Left Mouse	Select object on next level down under currently selected object
CTRL + SHIFT + Drag	Move object under the currently selected object

Text Actions

Command	Action	Menu Equivalent
T	Insert new text frame	Insert → Insert Text Frame
E	Edit text frame contents (inline editing)
CTRL + T	Edit text frame contents with the Story Editor	Edit → Edit Text…
CTRL + I	Import text from external file	File → Import → Get Text…
N	Link text frame to another text frame	Item → Link Text Frame
U	Unlink text frame from other text frames	Item → Unlink Text Frame
CTRL + F	Search (and Replace) text	Edit → Search/Replace…
SHIFT + F7	Spellcheck	Item → Check Spelling…

Related Mouse Actions

Command	Action
CTRL + Mouse Wheel	Scroll list of fonts in font drop-down list a page at a time

Inline Text Editing Mode

Command	Action	Menu Equivalent
SHIFT + RETURN	Insert Line Break (start new line without starting a new paragraph)	Insert → Spaces & Breaks → New Line
CTRL + RETURN	Insert Frame Break (force text to jump to the next linked frame)	Insert → Spaces & Breaks → Frame Break
CTRL + SHIFT + RETURN	Insert Column Break (force text to jump to the next column)	Insert → Spaces & Breaks → Column Break
CTRL + ↑	Move to the start of the current paragraph
CTRL + ↓	Move to the end of the current paragraph
CTRL + PgUp	Move to the start of the current text frame
CTRL + PgDn	Move to the end of the current text frame

Related Mouse Actions

Command	Action
Double-click Left Mouse	Select the whole word where double-clicked
CTRL + Double-click Left Mouse	Select the whole paragraph where double-clicked

Special Characters

Command	Action	Menu Equivalent
CTRL + ALT + -	Insert non-breaking hyphen	Insert → Character → Non Breaking Dash
CTRL + SPACE	Insert non-breaking space	Insert → Spaces & Breaks → Non Breaking Space
CTRL + ALT + SHIFT + P	Insert page number	Insert → Character → Page Number
CTRL + SHIFT + -	Insert soft (smart) hyphen	Insert → Character → Soft Hyphen
CTRL + SHIFT + U	Start special unicode sequence

Image Actions

Command	Action	Menu Equivalent
I	Insert new image frame	Insert → Insert Image Frame
CTRL + I	Import image into frame	File → Import → GetImage…
CTRL + E	Change image effects	Item → Image Effects
CTRL + SHIFT + C	Copy image contents	Edit → Contents → Copy
CTRL + SHIFT + V	Paste image contents	Edit → Contents → Paste
CTRL + ALT + SHIFT + V	Paste image contents (absolute location)	Edit → Contents → Paste (Absolute)
Y	Eyedropper (get colour from image)
ALT + ↑	Resize image smaller (in image edit mode on free scaling image only)
ALT + ↓	Resize image larger (in image edit mode on free scaling image only)

Related Mouse Actions

Command	Action
Double-click Left Mouse	On an image frame, enters image editing mode (frame must be set to free scaling first).

Graphics Actions

Command	Action	Menu Equivalent
B	Insert new bezier line/curve	Insert → Insert Bezier Curve
F	Insert new freehand line	Insert → Insert Freehand Line
L	Insert new line	Insert → Insert Line
S	Insert new shape (shape defaults to the last shape drawn, or a rectangle if the first shape drawn)	Insert → Insert Shape
P	Insert new polygon	Insert → Insert Polygon
A	Insert new table frame	Insert → Insert Table
D	Insert new render frame (a rendering engine - e.g. LaTeX - must be installed first)	Insert → Insert Render Frame

Related Mouse Actions

Command	Action
CTRL	Constrain angle to 15 degree steps while drawing a line

View Actions

Command	Action	Menu Equivalent
Z	Zoom to drawn area
CTRL + +	Zoom in
CTRL + -	Zoom out
CTRL + 1	Zoom to 100%	View → 100%
CTRL + 0	Zoom to fit height of page	View → Fit to height
F11	Toggle display of all guides (including rulers)
F12	Toggle display of all palettes (except "Align and Distribute")
CTRL + SHIFT + R	Toggle display of rulers

Related Mouse Actions

Command	Action
CTRL + Mouse Wheel	Zoom IN or OUT (may not work on OS X).

Adjustment Actions

Command	Action
ARROW KEY	Move selected item(s) by 1 unit in arrow key direction
SHIFT + ARROW KEY	Move selected item(s) by 0.1 units in arrow key direction
CTRL + ARROW KEY	Move selected item(s) by 10 units in arrow key direction
CTRL + SHIFT + ARROW KEY	Move selected item(s) by 0.01 units in arrow key direction
ALT + ARROW KEY	Resize selected item(s) outwards by 1 unit in arrow key direction
ALT + SHIFT + ARROW KEY	Resize selected item(s) inwards by 1 unit in arrow key direction