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 P Print active image Undo Z Reverse the effect of the 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 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 > Advance to next stack slice Stacks>Previous Slice < Backup up to previous stack slice Stacks>Reslice / Reslice stack Stacks>Animation \ Start/stop stack animation Crop Shift-X Crop active image or selection Duplicate Shift-D Duplicate active image or selection Scale E Scale image or selection Zoom>In + Make active image larger Zoom>Out - Make active image smaller Smooth Shift-S 3x3 unweighted smoothing Find Edges Shift-F Perform Sobel edge detection 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 Macros>Install Shift-M Install a macro set Utilities>Capture Screen Shift-G Grab screenshot ImageJ enter Bring "ImageJ" window to front Put Behind tab Switch to next image window
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
Segmented line selection tool: Alt-click on a node to delete it
Point selection 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
Moving through 16 and 32-bit stacks: Adjust min/max display values
Arrow Keys
Use the arrow keys to 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.