In this article we look at some of the fundamental Premiere Pro keyboard shortcuts with a few examples of them in action.
As you begin to master Premiere Pro you may find yourself looking for ways to cut down the time it takes to edit.
Post-production is a major part of the filmmaking process with all the cuts, revisions, tweaks and feedback. Therefore, it can often end up being the lengthiest.
So, what can you do to shave off time and speed this process up?
Fortunately, Adobe incorporated an endless amount of keyboard shortcuts into their software. Below, we’re going to give you some of the best Premiere Pro keyboard shortcuts.
Getting started
Firstly, before you learn anything else, let’s talk about saving.
Previously, we’ve talked about saving your work regularly when editing Premiere Pro. Saving your project and a copy of it should become a reflex – something you do quickly every couple of minutes.
Now, as with any other programme, rather than going to File > Save, you can simply hit Ctrl + S on your keyboard (Cmd + S for Mac users). Furthermore, to save a copy, hit Ctrl + Alt + S, or Opt + Cmd + S for Mac users.
Below, we’ve added a few other basic Premiere Pro keyboard shortcuts that will come in very useful when first starting out.
| Keyboard Shortcuts | Windows | Mac |
| Save | Ctrl + S | Cmd + S |
| Save A Copy | Ctrl + Alt + S | Opt + Cmd + S |
| Import | Ctrl + I | Cmd + I |
| Export | Ctrl + M | Cmd + M |
| Open Project | Ctrl + O | Cmd + O |
| New Project | Ctrl + Alt + N | Opt + Cmd + N |
| New Sequence | Ctrl + N | Cmd + N |
Quick Examples
Create New Project
Create New Sequence
Import
The clipboard
Next, knowing the shortcuts for carrying information over on your clipboard is really useful.
For example, you may like the colour grade you’ve added to one clip and you want to apply it to another. Rather than having to remember all the different edits and tweaks you made, a simple copy and paste will do the trick.
Additionally, there’s a few others here that will prove very useful. Made a mistake, or pasted something where you shouldn’t have?
At some point in every edit, undo and redo will become your favourite Premiere Pro keyboard shortcuts!
| Keyboard Shortcuts | Windows | Mac |
| Cut | Ctrl + X | Cmd + X |
| Copy | Ctrl + C | Cmd + C |
| Paste | Ctrl + V | Cmd + V |
| Undo | Ctrl + Z | Cmd + Z |
| Redo | Ctrl + Shift + Z | Shift + Cmd + Z |
| Clear | Delete | Forward Delete |
| Ripple Delete | Shift + Delete | Shift + Forward Delete |
| Duplicate | Ctrl + Shift + / | Shift + Cmd + / |
| Select All | Ctrl + A | Cmd + A |
| Deselect All | Ctrl + Shift + A | Shift + Cmd + A |
Editing Tools
Now, when it comes to editing the actual footage on your timeline, there are a lot of tools at your disposal. Using these really speeds up the process.
Consequently, utilising the keyboard shortcuts to enable them will make it even quicker.
If you’re unsure about what some of these are, have a look at our previous article on editing footage in Premiere Pro. Here, we explain what some of the most useful tools do in a lot more detail.
For all tools and their Premiere Pro Keyboard shortcuts, have a look through the table below.
| Keyboard Shortcuts | Windows | Mac |
| Selection | V | V |
| Razor | C | C |
| Ripple Trim Previous | Q | Q |
| Ripple Trim Next | W | W |
| Track Select Forward | A | A |
| Track Select backward | Shift + A | Shift + A |
| Ripple Edit | B | B |
| Rolling Edit | N | N |
| Rate Stretch | R | R |
| Slip Tool | Y | Y |
| Slide Tool | U | U |
| Pen Tool | P | P |
| Hand Tool | H | H |
| Zoom Tool | Z | Z |
Quick Examples
Razor + Select + Delete
Track Select Forward
Ripple Trim Previous or Ripple Trim Next
Rolling Edit
Rate Stretch
Slip Tool
Navigation
Lastly, one of the most time-consuming elements of any edit is simply navigating around the software with your cursor. Spending a few seconds dragging your mouse from left to right may not seem like a big deal.
However, when you add up these valuable seconds over the course of many days, it can become annoying.
Fortunately, there are much easier ways to move your footage around on the timeline and jump between the different panels. By using the navigation keyboard shortcuts, you can save yourself a lot of hassle and really get into the flow of editing. Here are some of the best navigation keyboard shortcuts.
| Keyboard Shortcuts | Windows | Mac |
| Toggle Play/Stop | Space | Space |
| Find In Source | F | F |
| Shuttle Left | J | J |
| Shuttle Right | L | L |
| Stop | K | K |
| Turn Snap On/Off | S | S |
| Mark In Point | I | I |
| Mark Out Point | O | O |
| Go To In Point | Shift + I | Shift + I |
| Go To Out Point | Shift + O | Shift + O |
| Clear In & Out | Ctrl + Shift + X | Opt + X |
| Step Back | Left Arrow | Left Arrow |
| Step Forward | Right Arrow | Right Arrow |
| Next Edit Point | Down Arrow | Down Arrow |
| Previous Edit Point | Up Arrow | Up Arrow |
| Move Footage | Alt + Arrow | Cmd + Arrow |
Quick Examples
Find In Source
Mark In Point or Mark Out Point
Wrapping up – Premiere Pro Keyboard Shortcuts
In conclusion, there’s a lot you can do on Premiere Pro just by using the keyboard shortcuts. Indeed, it is possible to edit a whole project without ever using your cursor!
Using the Premiere Pro Keyboard shortcuts will enable you to work quicker, therefore turning your projects around faster, leaving you more time to either get stuck in to the next project or take a well-earned break!
Furthermore, if you’re feeling confident and comfortable with the software, it’s completely possible to change any of these shortcuts and create your own custom keyboard shortcuts.
