Shortcut keys commands and tools function in Photoshop for beginners

Getting familiar with the Photoshop CS6 application window is a great way to get your bearings before diving into Photoshop tools and commands. Here are a few basic pointers:

Watch here for more video tutorial

Selecting

1. Draw Marquee from Center        -----------------         Alt-Marquee 
2. Add to a Selection                       ------------------       Shift 
3. Subtract from a Selection            ---------------           Alt
4. Intersection with a Selection       -------------------      Shift-Alt 
5. Make Copy of Selection w/Move tool ------------       Alt-Drag Selection 
6. Make Copy of Selection when not in Move tool ---   Ctrl-Alt-Drag Selection 
7. Move Selection (in 1-pixel Increments) --------          Arrow Keys
8. Move Selection (in 10-pixel Increments) -----------    Shift-Arrow Keys
9. Select all Opaque Pixels on Layer  --- ---              Ctrl-click on Layer Thumbnail (in Layers panel)
10. Restore Last Selection --------------------------------     Ctrl-Shift-D
11. Feather Selection  -------------------------------------     Shift-F6
12. Move Marquee while drawing selection-----------      Hold Space while drawing marquee 

Viewing

1. Fit on Screen ---------------------                       Double-click on Hand tool or Ctrl-0
2. 100% View Level (Actual Pixels) ------------  Double-Click on Zoom Tool or Ctrl-Alt-0
3. Zoom in              -----------------                       Ctrl-Space-Click or Ctrl-Plus(+)
4. Zoom out            -----------------                       Alt-Space-Click or Ctrl-Minus(–)
5. Hide all tools and panels -----------                  Tab
6. Hide all panels except Toolbox and Options bar  ----------   Shift-Tab
7. Rotate through full screen modes         --------- F
8. Scroll image left or right in window--------       Ctrl-Shift-Page Up/Down
9. Jump/Zoom to part of Image------------------      Ctrl-drag in Navigator panel

Layer Shortcuts

1. Create new layer                -------                Ctrl-Shift-N
2. Select non-contiguous layers    -------         Ctrl-Click layers
3. Select contiguous layers    -------                 Click one layer, then Shift-Click another layer
4. Delete Layer  -------                                    Delete key (while in the Move tool)
5. View contents of layer mask -------            Alt-Click layer mask icon
6. Temporarily turn off layer mask -------      Shift-Click layer mask icon
7.  Clone layer as you move it  -------             Alt-Drag 
8. Find/Select layer containing object  ------- Right-Click on the object w/Move tool
9. Change layer opacity   -------                     Number pad keys (w/Move tool selected)   
10. Cycle down or up through blend modes---- Shift-Plus(+) or Minus(–) 
11. Change to a specific blend mode     -------   (w/Move tool) Shift-Alt-letter (ie: N=Normal, M=Multiply. etc.) 
12. Switch to layer below/above current layer --    Alt-[ or Alt-]
13.  Move layer below/above current layer ------    Ctrl-[ or Ctrl-] 

Type Shortcuts

1. Select all text on layer---------------Double-Click on T thumbnail in Layers panel
2.  Increase/Decrease size of selected text by 2 pts  --      Ctrl-Shift->/< 
3. Increase/Decrease size of selected text by 10 pts----    Ctrl-Shift-Alt->/< 
4. Increase/Decrease kerning/tracking  --------------          Alt-Right/Left Arrow
5.  Align text left/center/right -----------------                     Ctrl-Shift-L/C/R 

Painting

1. Fill selection with background color -------------- Ctrl-Backspace
2. Fill selection with foreground color  -------------- Alt-Backspace
3. Fill selection with foreground color using Lock Transparent Pixels   -------Shift-Alt-Backspace
4. Fill selection with source state in History panel    ------Ctrl-Alt-Backspace 
5. Display Fill dialog box    ------ Shift-Backspace
6. Sample as background color --------- Alt-Click w/Eyedropper tool
7. To get Move tool --------- While in any painting/editing tool-hold

Panel Shortcuts

1. Show/Hide Brushes panel ---------------   F5
2. Show/Hide Color panel---------------        F6
3. Show/Hide Layers panel ------------         F7
4. Show/Hide Info panel  ------------            F8
5. Show/Hide Actions panel------------        Alt-F9

Other Shortcuts

1. Switch between open documents       Ctrl-Tab
2. Undo or Redo operations beyond last one      Ctrl-Alt-Z/Ctrl-Shift-Z
3. Apply Last Filter        Ctrl-F
4. Opens Last Filter Dialog Box           Ctrl-Alt-F
5. Hand Tool         Spacebar
6. Reset Dialog Box  Hold Alt, Cancel turns into Reset Button, Click it
7. Increase/Decrease value (in any option field) by 1 unit                Up/Down Arrow
8. Increase/Decrease value (in any option field) by 10 units             Shift-Up/Down Arrow
9. Replay last Transformation           Ctrl-Shift-T
10. Measure Angle between Lines (Protractor Function)      After ruler is drawn, Alt-Drag end of line with Ruler Tool
11. Move Crop Marquee while creating     Hold Space while drawing
12. Snap Guide to Ruler ticks        Hold Shift while dragging

Tools

V
Move

M
Marquee tools


L
Lasso tools

W
Quick Selection, Magic Wand

C
Crop and Slice Tools

I
Eyedropper, Color Sampler, Ruler, Note, Count

J
Spot Healing Brush, Healing Brush, Patch, Red Eye

B
Brush, Pencil, Color Replacement, Mixer Brush

S
Clone Stamp, Pattern Stamp

Y
History Brush, Art History Brush

E
Eraser tools

G
Gradient, Paint Bucket

O
Dodge, Burn, Sponge

P
Pen tools

T
Type tools

A
Path Selection, Direct Selection

U
Rectangle, Rounded Rectangle, Ellipse, Polygon, Line, Custom Shape

K
3D Tools

N
3D Camera Tools

H
Hand

R
Rotate View

Z
Zoom

D
Default colors

X
Switch Foreground and Background colors

Q
Quick Mask Mode

To switch between all tools within groups, add the Shift key to the letters above
For example, to switch between rectangular and elliptical marquee hit Shift-M