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Published Oct 26, 2024 ⦁ 11 min read
Set Up Photoshop Shortcuts in GIMP 2.10

Set Up Photoshop Shortcuts in GIMP 2.10

Want to use Photoshop keyboard shortcuts in GIMP? Here's everything you need to know in 30 seconds:

  1. Download the ps-menurc file
  2. Rename it to menurc
  3. Close GIMP
  4. Place the file in your GIMP settings folder:
    • Windows: C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\GIMP\2.10
    • Linux: ~/.config/GIMP/2.10
    • Mac: /Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/GIMP/2.10
Common PS Shortcuts in GIMP Windows/Linux Mac
Move Tool V V
Brush Tool B B
Rectangle Select M M
Transform Ctrl+T Cmd+T
New Layer Shift+Ctrl+N Shift+Cmd+N
Merge Layers Ctrl+E Cmd+E

Why switch to PS shortcuts?

The rest of this guide covers detailed setup instructions, troubleshooting tips, and the complete shortcut reference list for GIMP 2.10.

Getting Ready

Here's how to set up GIMP with Photoshop shortcuts:

Back Up First

Before making changes, copy your current GIMP settings:

OS Where to Find Your Files
Windows C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\GIMP\2.10
Linux ~/.config/GIMP/2.10
macOS /Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/GIMP/2.10

Just create a "GIMP_Backup" folder and copy everything there. That way, you can switch back if needed.

Your GIMP Settings Location

GIMP

Here's where GIMP keeps its settings:

How You Installed GIMP Where to Look
Windows C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\GIMP\2.10
Linux (Standard) ~/.config/GIMP/2.10
Linux (Flatpak) ~/.var/app/org.gimp.GIMP/config/GIMP/2.10
Linux (Snap) ~/snap/gimp/current/.config/GIMP/2.10
macOS /Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/GIMP/2.10

Get the Files You Need

You'll need two main files:

File What It Does
menurc Controls shortcuts
ps-menurc Has Photoshop shortcuts

Here's what to do:

  1. Get ps-menurc from GimpPS on GitHub
  2. Change its name to menurc
  3. Close GIMP
  4. Drop the file in your settings folder

Quick tip: GIMP will create default files if it can't find these when starting up.

Setting Up Shortcuts

Here's how to add Photoshop-style shortcuts to GIMP:

Step Action Details
1 Download file Get ps-menurc from GimpPS GitHub
2 Rename file Change to menurc (no extension)
3 Close GIMP Exit the program completely
4 Place file Move to GIMP settings folder
5 Start GIMP Open to apply shortcuts

Windows users can use this PowerShell command:

cd $Env:UserProfile\AppData\Roaming\GIMP\2.10; mv menurc menurc_bck; iwr -outf menurc https://www.webcreative.me/wp-content/uploads/menurc

Want to set up shortcuts yourself? Here are the basics:

Tool Shortcut
Brush Size [ smaller, ] bigger
Select M for rectangle select
Move V to move layers
Transform Ctrl+T for transform

To add shortcuts manually:

  1. Open Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts
  2. Pick the action to change
  3. Press your keys
  4. Hit OK

GIMP will let you know if there's a shortcut conflict. Just pick different keys or clear the existing shortcut first.

Need to check your shortcuts? Go to Windows > Keyboard Shortcuts to see them all.

Main Shortcuts List

Here are the GIMP 2.10 shortcuts that match Photoshop's layout:

Selection Tools

Tool Windows/Linux Mac What It Does
Rectangle Select R R Box selections
Ellipse Select E E Circle/oval selections
Free Select F F Draw selections by hand
Fuzzy Select U U Click to select similar colors
Select by Color Shift+O Shift+O Pick matching color areas
Scissors I I Click points to select edges
Paths B B Create selection paths
Color Picker O O Pick colors from image

Layer Controls

What You Want Windows/Linux Mac
See Layers Panel Ctrl+L Cmd+L
Add Layer Shift+Ctrl+N Shift+Cmd+N
Copy Layer Shift+Ctrl+D Shift+Cmd+D
Go Up a Layer PgUp PgUp
Go Down a Layer PgDn PgDn
Combine Visible Layers Ctrl+M Cmd+M

Transform & Edit Tools

Tool Windows/Linux Mac
Move M M
Crop/Resize Shift+C Shift+C
Rotate Shift+R Shift+R
Scale Shift+T Shift+T
Shear Shift+S Shift+S
Perspective Shift+P Shift+P
Text T T
Fill Bucket Shift+B Shift+B
Clone C C

View & Navigation

What You Want Windows/Linux Mac
Full Screen F11 F11
Zoom In + +
Zoom Out - -
Fit to Window Shift+Ctrl+E Shift+Cmd+E
Undo Ctrl+Z Cmd+Z
Redo Ctrl+Y Cmd+Y
Copy Ctrl+C Cmd+C
Paste Ctrl+V Cmd+V

Quick tip: Press X to swap colors, D to set black/white as colors.

Fix Common Problems

Here's how to get your GIMP shortcuts working again:

Basic Fixes

First, try these quick solutions:

  1. Update GIMP
  1. Check Your Settings

When Shortcuts Clash

Issue How to Fix
Double-assigned shortcut Pick the action, type new keys, click "Reassign"
Mac Spotlight gets in the way Open System Preferences > Spotlight > Turn off "Show Spotlight search"
Changes don't stick Turn on "Save keyboard shortcuts on exit" or hit Save
Want to remove a shortcut Pick the action and press Backspace

Start Fresh

If nothing else works, here's how to reset:

1. Quick Fix

2. Play it Safe

"When I want to perform a search I can then simply use the search text field on any Finder window, or click the magnifying glass icon at the far right of the menu bar to bring up the Spotlight search window." - Tim Grey, Author and Photographer

Quick Tip: Always save a copy of your working menurc file. If things go wrong, you can put everything back how it was.

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Setup Tips

Here's how to make GIMP work faster for you with custom shortcuts and settings:

Add More Shortcuts

Want to speed up your workflow? GIMP has tons of actions waiting for keyboard shortcuts. Here's what to do:

  1. Go to Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts
  2. Search for actions without shortcuts
  3. Click the action you want
  4. Press your key combo
  5. Hit Save
Action Type Key Pattern to Use
Menu items Ctrl + Alt + Letter
Tools Ctrl + Number
Filters Alt + Letter
Custom actions Ctrl + Shift + Letter

Make Shortcut Groups

Split your shortcuts into different sets based on what you do:

1. Photo Editing Group

Put your color correction, filters, and layer shortcuts in a file called "photo_editing".

2. Digital Art Group

Group your brush, pencil, and drawing shortcuts in "digital_art".

3. Basic Group

Keep your everyday shortcuts (open, save, undo) in "basic_shortcuts".

Save Your Settings

Don't lose your shortcuts - follow these steps:

Step What to Do
1 Check "Save keyboard shortcuts on exit"
2 Copy your menurc file
3 Put backups in their own folder
4 Add dates to backup names

Here's a time-saver: Press Ctrl + N to open new projects with your previous settings.

"Add your most-used folder to your save window - it'll save you from digging through folders every time." - Meemaw

Other Options

Here's how to set up Photoshop-style shortcuts in GIMP using pre-made tools and scripts:

Helper Tools

These tools make switching to GIMP's shortcuts easier:

Tool Name What It Does Setup Time
PhotoGIMP PS shortcuts + new splash screen + Python filters 5-10 mins
GimpPs PS keyboard shortcuts + icon theme (2.8 only) 2-5 mins
Freeshell Script Basic PS shortcuts for all OS types 1-2 mins

Using Scripts

Scripts can speed up your workflow:

Script Type Features Location
FX Foundry 100+ image processing scripts GIMP plugins folder
GAP Video menu + animation tools GIMP plugins folder
Custom Python Your own shortcut automation ~/.config/GIMP/2.10/scripts

Want to add scripts? Here's how:

  1. Get the .scm or .py file
  2. Drop it in your GIMP plugins folder
  3. Restart GIMP
  4. Look under Filters for new options

Help and Support

Keep these locations handy:

Resource What You'll Find Where to Look
GIMP Config Files Default settings backup AppData/Roaming/GIMP/2.10 (Windows)
OS-Specific Paths Shortcut file locations ~/.config/GIMP/2.10 (Linux)
PhotoShop Alt Directory PS alternatives list photoshopalt.com

If shortcuts stop working, check these folders:

Pro tip: Save your config files before testing new tools or scripts. This way, you can always go back to what worked before.

Technical Details

GIMP Version Support

Here's what you need to know about GIMP versions and PS shortcuts:

GIMP Version Shortcut Support Key Features
2.10.38 Full support Improved tablet support, GTK3 features
2.10.36 Partial support 16 bug fixes, 81 commits
2.10.22 Basic support macOS Big Sur compatibility
2.10.14 Limited support 45 bug fixes, basic shortcut features

GIMP 2.10.38 is your best bet for PS-style shortcuts. The older versions? They'll work, but you won't get all the features.

Computer Requirements

Want to run GIMP smoothly? Here's what your PC needs:

Component Minimum Recommended
RAM 4GB 8GB or more
CPU Intel Core i3/AMD Ryzen 3 Intel Core i5/AMD Ryzen 5
Storage 200MB free space 1GB+ free space
Graphics Integrated graphics NVIDIA/AMD dedicated card
OS Windows 7 SP1, macOS 10.9, Linux Windows 10/11, macOS 12+, Linux

Speed and Performance

Let's talk about how GIMP handles resources compared to PS:

Feature Impact on Speed How to Fix
Multi-threading Uses multiple CPU cores Set in Preferences > System Resources
GPU Processing Optional OpenCL support Enable if you have stable drivers
Memory Usage 20MB base, grows with image size Close unused images
File Handling Supports up to 32-bit channels Use RAM disk for temp files

Speed Boosters:

Here's the kicker: GIMP is WAY lighter than Photoshop:

That's NOT a typo - GIMP really does use that much less space and memory.

Quick Reference

Here's what you need to know about GIMP's most-used keyboard shortcuts and settings:

Must-Know Shortcuts

What You Need Windows/Linux Mac What It Does
Pick Your Selection R R Draw rectangles
E E Draw circles
F F Draw freehand
U U Select by color
Move & Change M M Move stuff
Shift+C Shift+C Crop images
Shift+R Shift+R Spin things around
Shift+T Shift+T Make bigger/smaller
Basic File Stuff Ctrl+N Cmd+N Start fresh
Ctrl+O Cmd+O Get an image
Ctrl+S Cmd+S Keep your work
Layer Controls Ctrl+L Cmd+L See all layers
Shift+Ctrl+N Shift+Cmd+N Add a layer
Ctrl+M Cmd+M Smoosh layers together

Where GIMP Keeps Your Stuff

If You Use Look Here
Windows %APPDATA%/GIMP/2.10
Linux $HOME/.config/GIMP/2.10
Mac ~/Library/Application Support/GIMP/2.10

Quick Help

Need This? Do This
See ALL shortcuts Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts
Learn something new Help > Tip of the Day
Make your own shortcuts File > Preferences > Interface > Hotkeys

Speed Things Up:

If GIMP acts weird, just rename your settings folder. GIMP will make a new one when you start it up again.

FAQs

How do I change shortcuts in gimp?

Want to customize GIMP shortcuts? Here's how:

Open Edit → Keyboard Shortcuts. That's it.

(Or if you prefer the long way: File → Preferences → Interface → Configure Keyboard Shortcuts)

Here's what both methods look like:

Method Steps When to Use
Main Menu 1. Click Edit
2. Select Keyboard Shortcuts		 Most cases
Preferences 1. Open File → Preferences
2. Click Interface
3. Select Configure Keyboard Shortcuts		 Deep customization

"See Edit > Keyboard shortcuts" - Ofnuts, GIMP User

Quick tip: Back up your settings folder before making changes. This saves you if something goes wrong.

You can customize:

Coming from Photoshop? GIMP 2.10 includes a Photoshop-style preset. Just swap out the shortcuts file, and you'll feel right at home.

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