Zoom Shortcuts
The day may come when we’re all using InDesign on devices that allow us to use touch gestures to quickly zoom in and out with the flick of our fingers. But until then, it’s worth knowing the keyboard shortcuts for zooming. And when you think about it, a keyboard shortcut is just a slightly more precise flick of the finger anyway.
If you haven’t already committed the following shortcuts to memory, try it. You won’t regret it.
Zoom In:Â Command/Ctrl+=
Zoom Out:Â Command/Ctrl+-
Temporarily select Zoom In tool: Command/Ctrl+spacebar
Temporarily select Zoom Out tool:Â Command+Option/Ctrl+Alt+spacebar
Zoom to 50%, 200%, or 400%: Command/Ctrl+5, Command/Ctrl+2, Command/Ctrl+4
Switch between current and previous zoom levels: Command+Option/Ctrl+Alt+2
Fit page in window:Â Command/Ctrl+0 (zero)
Fit spread in window:Â Command+Option/Ctrl+Alt+0 (zero)
Fit entire spread in window:Â Command+Shift+Option/Ctrl+Shift+Alt+0 (zero)
Actual size: Command/Ctrl+1 OK, we all know that it’s not really “actual size,” but check out David’s article Custom Zoom/Magnification Settings in InDesign for how to fix this problem.
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Great list, Mike! One of my favorites you mentioned is “Switch between current and previous zoom levels” — it’s really helpful for toggling back and forth.
Don’t forget this handy 1 line script
try {app.layoutWindows[0].zoomPercentage = 130 } catch (e) {};
Change the 130 to whatever your preferred zoom is.
Install scripts https://creativepro.com/how-to-install-scripts-in-indesign.php
You can add a shortcut to the script using Edit>Keyboard Shortcuts
:)
Great collection Mike. I’ll point out that if you have a keyboard with a dedicated Zoom toggle, such as the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000, the zoom toggle will zoom out, but will not zoom in. It used to work in older versions of InDesign, but quit working a few versions back. I’ve filed bugs with Adobe about it, but I doubt it’ll ever get fixed. The zoom toggle still works properly (both in and out) in Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat though.
Important to Note: The numbers used in the shortcuts only works from the line of numbers on the keyboard that sits above the QWERTY keys, not from the numeric keypad at the right of the keyboard.
Hi Ari,
(Or anybody else reading this)
Does anybody know *why* this is the way it is, just out of curiosity?
I have never heard/read a reasonable explanation why InDesign is crippled and cannot use the extended keypad to access keyboard commends that work flawlessly in Photoshop or Illustrator.
Any insight would be gratefully received.
With my Apple Magic Mouse I can zoom in or out by rolling the scroll pea while holding Option/Alt. Another nice trick is to hold the Z key and draw a marquee over the area you want to magnify. Once you’re zoomed in, release the Z key and you’ll be back in whatever tool you selected previously.
Another one, when you are zoomed in, hold down the space bar, click and hold on your page. You will temporarily zoom out so you can reposition to another part of your page, when you let go of the mouse and spacebar you zoom in at the same level you started.
Just a quick note–I have been using the top two shortcuts–Zoom In and Zoom Out since before InDesign was InDesign (I learned them in a Photoshop class, back when I still used Pagemaker).
But, when I first looked at your shortcut for Zoom In, I thought, “That’s wrong, you hold the Ctrl/Cmd key and then hit the plus key.” Then I looked at the plus key on my keyboard, and realized it is the same as the equals key, and it would have been confusing for you to type the shortcut “Zoom In: Command/Ctrl++”
But for anyone like me out there in InDesign Secrets land who needs a mnemonic to memorize shortcut keys–hold the Ctrl/Cmd key down and tap the minus key to make the page smaller (just like you make a number smaller when you subtract from it), and hold the Crtl/Cmd key and tap the plus key to make the page bigger (just like you make a number bigger when you ADD to it).
Just call me Mnemonic Melise…
Funny! I thought the same thing!
But then I understood his reasoning of calling it “Ctrl+=”. That’s because the “=” is the primary function of the key and the “+” is only secondary.
With the latest update of Indesign CC 2015, we experience that our panels in our workspaces disappear often. Our links also does not show all the time. Quite frustrating when you click on a link and it does not highlight in the links panel. Is there a fix for this problem.
I didn’t know about this one: Switch between current and previous zoom levels: Command+Option/Ctrl+Alt+2
I’ve often wished I could “zoom previous,” but didn’t know how. My InDesign class instructor in college referred to the zoom in/out and pan with Command, Option and spacebar as the “zoom and pan finger dance.” What a time saver.
Thanks!
Regarding to the problem with microsoft natural keyboard and indesign, where the zoom funtion does not work (makes right-left movement of my screen) I can recommend for win users the logitech master mouse, with the scrollwheel you can move the sreen up and down (there is second, a thumb wheel that moves the screen right/left) and holding the alt-key down down you can zoom in and out, this is superfast and comfortable working for me.
When I installed CC, the zoom command ctrl + = stopped working. I have googled for hours and not found a fix. Can anyone help?
Need more details Linda. What version of InDesign were you using before you installed CC? I’m assuming in that version, the shortcut DID work, correct? Mac or Windows? And just to clarify, the shortcut is Command + = on the Mac, Ctrl + = on Windows, not Command + Ctrl + =. Finally, what kind of keyboard?
Windows PC, was using CS6 and that worked fine.
My keyboard is norwegian, but my setup is US. Same as it has always been.
And by command I am not referring to the key, but to the short cut command (english is not my native language) The shortcut is ctr+=.
Linda-
Your English is great…much better than my Norwegian (I only know the word “stavkirker”, those 1000 year old churches that I absolutely love and hope to one day tour all 30 or so of them…especially Heddal) Anyway…
I’m afraid that because you’re on Windows I’m not going to be much help. I can only suggest to go into InDesign shortcuts and make sure the command didn’t change. Sorry!
Well, thanks anyway! I checked the default keyboard shortcuts and it was there. I made my own set, and try to define ctrl+=, but it only gave me ctr+0 even when ctrl was used. But it did actually work. It must be a bug…
Good luck on your stavkirke-trip :-)
I’m surprised no one has mentioned this (or maybe I missed it), but on a Mac Command+spacebar launches a Spotlight search which is super annoying when you’re working in InDesign (or Illustrator, Photoshop, etc.) and just want to zoom in. On a new Mac, if you type Command+spacebar and then click with your mouse, you launch Siri. Also annoying. My workaround in the past has been to remove the Spotlight keyboard shortcut on my MacBook in favor of using the shortcut with Adobe products. I have yet to try to remove the Siri keyboard shortcut, but assume I’ll be able to. Anyone else run into this issue and apply a different fix?
How to edit “Temporarily selects Zoom In tool” shortcut form “ctrl+spacebar” to any other shortcut key???