Keyboard Shortcuts

The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts built into ImageJ. You can create additional shortcuts, or override built in shortcuts, by creating simple macros and adding them to the StartupMacros file. You can also assign a function key to a menu command using Plugins/Shortcuts/Create Shortcut. Except when using the text tool, you do not need to hold down the control key to use a keyboard shortcut.

Command
Shortcut
Description
New>Image n Create new image or stack
New>Text Window shift+n Create new text window
New>System Clipboard shift+v Create image from system clipboard
Open o Open TIFF, GIF, JPEG, BMP, DICOM, FITS, etc.
Open Next shift+o Open next image in folder
Open Samples shift+b Opens "Blobs" example image
Close w Close the active window
Save s Save active image in Tiff format
Revert r Revert to saved version of image
Print p Print active image

Undo z Undo last operation
Cut x Copy selection to internal clipboard and clear
Copy c Copy selection to internal clipboard
Paste v Paste contents of internal clipboard
Clear backspace Erase selection to background color
Fill f Fill selection in foreground color
Draw d Draw selection
Invert shift+i Invert image or selection
Selection>Select All a Select entire image
Selection>Select None shift+a Delete selection
Selection>Restore shift+e Restore previous selection
Selection>Add to Managert Add selection to ROI Manager

Adjust>Contrast shift+c Adjust brightness and contrast
Adjust>Threshold shift+t Adjust threshold levels
Show Info i Display information about active image
Properties shift+p Display image properties
Color>Color Picker shift+k Open Color Picker
Stacks>Next Slice > or[new] Go to next stack slice
Stacks>Previous Slice < or[new] Go to previous stack slice
Stacks>Reslice / Reslice stack
Stacks>Animation    \ Start/stop stack animation
Hyperstacks>Channels shift+z Open "Channels" tool
Hyperstacks > or[new] Next hyperstack channel
Hyperstacks < or[new]Previous hyperstack channel
Hyperstacks ctrl+>[new] Next hyperstack slice
Hyperstacks ctrl+<[new]Previous hyperstack slice
Hyperstacks alt+>[new] Next hyperstack frame
Hyperstacks alt+<[new]Previous hyperstack frame
Crop shift+x Crop active image or selection
Duplicate shift+d Duplicate active image or selection
Scale e Scale image or selection
Zoom>In + or[new] Make image larger
Zoom>Out - or[new] Make image smaller
Zoom>Original Scale4 Revert to original zoom level
Zoom>View 100%5 Zoom to 1:1

Smooth shift+s 3x3 unweighted smoothing
Repeat Command shift+r Repeat previous command

Measure m Display statistics about active image or selection
Histogram h Display histogram of active image or selection
Plot Profile k Display density profile plot of current selection
Gels>Select First1 Select first gel lane
Gels>Select Next2 Select next gel lane
Gels>Plot Lanes 3 Plot gel lanes

Macros>Install shift+m Install a macro set
Utilities>Capture Screenshift+g Grab screenshot
Utilities>Find Commandsl List, find and launch commands

Show All shift+f Make all windows visible
Put Behind tab Switch to next image window
ImageJ enter Bring "ImageJ" window to front

 

Alt Key Modifications

Hold down the alt key to alter the behavior of the
following commands and tools as indicated.

   File/Open Next: Open Previous
   File/Revert: Don't show dialog
   Edit/Copy: Copy to system clipboard
   Edit/Draw: Draw and label
   Image/Adjust/Threshold: Adjusting Min also adjusts Max
   Image/Color/RGB Split: Keep original image
   Image/Stacks/Add Slice: Insert before current slice
   Image/Stacks/Next Slice: Skip nine slices
   Image/Stacks/Previous Slice: Skip nine slices
   Image/Stacks/Start Animation: Show options dialog
   Image/Duplicate: Don't show dialog
   Process/Equalize: Do classic histogram equalization
   Process/Subtract Background: Show background image
   Analyze/Histogram: Show dialog
   Analyze/Plot Profile: For rect. selections, generate row average plot
   Analyze/Plot Profile: For wide straight lines, display rotated contents
   Analyze/Gels/Select First Lane: Assume lanes are horizontal
   Analyze/Tools/Analyze Line Graph: Show intermediate image
   Analyze/Tools/Roi Manager ("Add"): Name and add selection
   Plugins/Utilities/ImageJ Properties: List all Java properties
   Plugins/Utilities/Monitor Memory: Simulate 640x480 frame grabber
   Plugins/Compile and Run: Display dialog
   Any User Plugin: Load using new class loader

   Area selection tool: Subtract this selection from the previous one
   Polygon selection tool: Alt-click on a node to delete it
   Straight line tool: Rotate/resize the line about its center [new]
   Segmented line tool: Alt-click on a node to delete it
   Point tool: Alt-click on a point to delete it
   Color picker tool: Alt-click to "pick up" background color
   All tools: Show location and size in pixels

Shift Key Modifications

Hold down the shift key to alter the behavior of the
following commands and tools as indicated.

   Image/Adjust/Threshold: Adjusting Min also adjusts Max
   Image/Zoom/In: Do not enlarge window
   Analyze/Histogram: Display log histogram
   Analyze/Tools/Roi Manager ("Add"): Draw and add selection
   Macros in Plugin menu: Open instead of run

   Rectangle and Oval selection tools: Force selection to be square
   Area selection tool: Add this selection to previous one
   Polygon selection tool: Shift-click on a node to duplicate it
   Segmented line selection tool: Shift-click on a node to duplicate it
   Point selection tool: Shift-click to add a point

Space Bar Modifications

   Any Tool: Temporarily switch to the "hand" (scrolling) tool

Arrow Keys

The four arrow keys move selection outlines one pixel at a time. Resize rectangular and oval selections by holding down the the alt (option) and while using the arrow keys.

The up and down arrow keys zoom the image in and out. If there is a selection, you must also hold down either the shift or the control key. (Requires v1.42 or later.)

The right and left arrow keys subsitute for "<" and ">" for moving through a stack. If there is a selection, you must also hold down the shift key. With hyperstacks, the right and left arrow keys change the channel. Hold down the control key to move through the slices and the alt key to move through the frames. (Requires v1.42 or later.)