Reference · Keyboard shortcuts

LibreSprite keyboard shortcuts

Q: What is the brush size shortcut in LibreSprite?

+ (or = ) makes the brush bigger and - makes it smaller, one pixel at a time. The number-pad + and - work too. Alt+1 to Alt+9 switch to saved custom brushes.

Q: What is the fill shortcut?

G selects the Paint Bucket; click to fill. LibreSprite 1.3 has no “fill selection” key like Aseprite’s F . Fill a selection by clicking inside it with the bucket.

Q: How do I zoom with the keyboard?

1 to 6 jump to 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 and 3200 %, ~ to 50 %. Ctrl++ / Ctrl+- zoom in and out step by step.

Q: How do I deselect?

Ctrl+D (Select → Deselect). Ctrl+Shift+D brings the last selection back. Esc is Cancel in 1.3, not Deselect as in Aseprite.

Q: Why does Ctrl+E merge my layers?

In LibreSprite Ctrl+E is Layer → Merge Down. Undo with Ctrl+Z . Export Sprite Sheet is Ctrl+Alt+E .

Q: Where is the list of shortcuts inside LibreSprite?

Edit → Keyboard Shortcuts ( Ctrl+Alt+Shift+K ) lists and edits them all. Menu items also show their key next to the name.

Q: My panels disappeared. What did I press?

Probably F11 , Advanced mode. It cycles from normal, to hiding the tool and colour panels, to showing only the canvas. Press F11 until everything is back. Tab shows or hides just the timeline.

Every default shortcut in LibreSprite 1.3, taken straight from the app’s own data/gui.xml, so nothing here is guessed or copied from Aseprite. Explore them on a live keyboard, search them by what you want to do, or print a one-page sheet.

Checked with LibreSprite 1.3Updated November 1, 20265 min read

On this page 12 sections

Live keyboard map
Shortcut Finder
The 30 to learn first
Tool keys and how they cycle
Hold-down keys and mouse tricks
Arrow keys depend on what you are doing
Change or reset shortcuts
On a Mac
On a laptop or non-US keyboard
Differences from Aseprite
Printable cheat sheet
FAQ

Short answer

What are the most useful LibreSprite shortcuts?

B Pencil, E Eraser, G Paint Bucket, I Eyedropper (or hold Alt), M selection, V Move. + / - change the brush size, 1–6 zoom from 100 % to 3200 %, X swaps colours. Tab shows the timeline, Alt+N adds a frame, Enter plays, F3 toggles onion skin. On a Mac, use Cmd where Windows and Linux use Ctrl. Change any of them in Edit → Keyboard Shortcuts.

Live keyboard map

Orange keys do something on their own. Hold Shift, Ctrl or Alt on your own keyboard (or click them below) to see the next layer. Your Mac or PC is detected; switch the labels if needed.

Hover or press a key. Hold Shift, Ctrl or Alt (or click them) to see that layer.

—Pick a key to see what it does in LibreSprite 1.3.

Shortcut Finder

Search in plain words: “onion”, “brush size”, “fill”, “select all”. You can also type a key, like “Ctrl+E”. It holds all 206 key bindings in 1.3, grouped by action (several actions have two keys). Commands with no default key are included too; you can give them one yourself.

Search shortcuts

Action	Windows / Linux	macOS
File
NewFile → New...	`Ctrl`+`N`	`Cmd`+`N`
OpenFile → Open...	`Ctrl`+`O`	`Cmd`+`O`
SaveFile → Save	`Ctrl`+`S`	`Cmd`+`S`
Save AsFile → Save As...	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`S`	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`S`
ExportFile → Export...	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`Shift`+`S`	`Cmd`+`Alt`+`Shift`+`S`
CloseFile → Close	`Ctrl`+`W`	`Cmd`+`W`
Close AllFile → Close All	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`W`	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`W`
Import Sprite SheetFile → Import Sprite Sheet	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`I`	`Cmd`+`Alt`+`I`
Export Sprite SheetFile → Export Sprite Sheet	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`E`	`Cmd`+`Alt`+`E`
Repeat Last ExportFile → Repeat Last Export	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`X`	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`X`
ExitFile → Exit	`Ctrl`+`Q`or`Alt`+`F4`	`Cmd`+`Q`or`Alt`+`F4`
Edit
UndoEdit → Undo	`Ctrl`+`Z`or`Ctrl`+`U`	`Cmd`+`Z`or`Cmd`+`U`
RedoEdit → Redo	`Ctrl`+`Y`or`Ctrl`+`R`or`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`Z`	`Cmd`+`Y`or`Cmd`+`R`or`Cmd`+`Shift`+`Z`
CutEdit → Cut	`Ctrl`+`X`or`Shift`+`Del`	`Cmd`+`X`or`Shift`+`Del`
CopyEdit → Copy	`Ctrl`+`C`or`Ctrl`+`Ins`	`Cmd`+`C`or`Cmd`+`Ins`
Copy MergedEdit → Copy Merged	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`C`	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`C`
PasteEdit → Paste	`Ctrl`+`V`or`Shift`+`Ins`	`Cmd`+`V`or`Shift`+`Ins`
Edit: ClearEdit → Clear	`Del`or`Backspace`	`Del`or`Backspace`
Flip HorizontalEdit → Flip Horizontal	`Shift`+`H`	`Shift`+`H`
Flip VerticalEdit → Flip Vertical	`Shift`+`V`	`Shift`+`V`
Replace ColorEdit → Replace Color...	`Shift`+`R`	`Shift`+`R`
Convolution MatrixEdit → FX → Convolution Matrix	`F9`	`F9`
Color CurveEdit → FX → Color Curve	`Ctrl`+`M`or`F10`	`Cmd`+`M`or`F10`
Insert TextEdit → Insert Text	`T`	`T`
PreferencesEdit → Preferences...	`Ctrl`+`K`or`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`O`	`Cmd`+`,`or`Cmd`+`Shift`+`O`
Keyboard ShortcutsEdit → Keyboard Shortcuts...	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`Shift`+`K`	`Cmd`+`Alt`+`Shift`+`K`
Transform selectionEdit → Transform	`Ctrl`+`T`	`Cmd`+`T`
New Sprite from SelectionEdit → New Sprite from Selection	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`N`	`Cmd`+`Alt`+`N`
Sprite
Sprite: PropertiesSprite → Properties...	`Ctrl`+`P`	`Cmd`+`P`
Canvas SizeSprite → Canvas Size...	`C`	`C`
Layer
Layer: PropertiesLayer → Properties...	`Shift`+`P`	`Shift`+`P`
Layer: VisibleLayer → Visible	`Shift`+`X`	`Shift`+`X`
New LayerLayer → New Layer	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`N`	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`N`
Layer: DuplicateLayer → Duplicate	`Ctrl`+`J`	`Cmd`+`J`
Merge DownLayer → Merge Down	`Ctrl`+`E`	`Cmd`+`E`
FlattenLayer → Flatten	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`E`	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`E`
Layer below	`Down`	`Down`
Layer above	`Up`	`Up`
Frame
New FrameFrame → New Frame	`Alt`+`N`	`Alt`+`N`
New Empty FrameFrame → New Empty Frame	`Alt`+`B`	`Alt`+`B`
Duplicate Linked Cel(s)Frame → Duplicate Linked Cel(s)	`Alt`+`M`or`Alt`+`Shift`+`D`	`Alt`+`M`or`Alt`+`Shift`+`D`
Duplicate Cel(s)Frame → Duplicate Cel(s)	`Alt`+`D`	`Alt`+`D`
Remove FrameFrame → Remove Frame	`Alt`+`Shift`+`C`	`Alt`+`Shift`+`C`
Frame PropertiesFrame → Frame Properties...	`P`	`P`
Reverse FramesFrame → Reverse Frames	`Alt`+`I`	`Alt`+`I`
First FrameFrame → Jump to → First Frame	`Home`	`Home`
Previous FrameFrame → Jump to → Previous Frame	`Left`	`Left`
Next FrameFrame → Jump to → Next Frame	`Right`	`Right`
Previous frame in tag	`,`	`,`
Next frame in tag	`.`	`.`
Last FrameFrame → Jump to → Last Frame	`End`	`End`
Go to FrameFrame → Jump to → Go to Frame	`Alt`+`G`	`Alt`+`G`
Play AnimationFrame → Play Animation	`Enter`	`Enter`
Select
Select: AllSelect → All	`Ctrl`+`A`	`Cmd`+`A`
DeselectSelect → Deselect	`Ctrl`+`D`	`Cmd`+`D`
ReselectSelect → Reselect	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`D`	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`D`
Select: InverseSelect → Inverse	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`I`	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`I`
View
Refresh & Reload SkinView → Refresh & Reload Skin	`F5`	`F5`
View: PreviewView → Preview	`F7`	`F7`
Fullscreen PreviewView → Fullscreen Preview	`F8`	`F8`
View: GridView → Show → Grid	`Shift`+`G`	`Shift`+`G`
Pixel GridView → Show → Pixel Grid	`Alt`+`Shift`+`G`	`Alt`+`Shift`+`G`
Snap to GridView → Grid → Snap to Grid	`Shift`+`S`	`Shift`+`S`
Tiled in Both AxesView → Tiled Mode → Tiled in Both Axes	`Shift`+`T`	`Shift`+`T`
Set Loop SectionView → Set Loop Section	`F2`	`F2`
Show Onion SkinView → Show Onion Skin	`F3`	`F3`
View: TimelineView → Timeline	`Tab`	`Tab`
View: ExtrasView → Extras	`Ctrl`+`H`	`Cmd`+`H`
Scripts
Scripting ConsoleScripts → Scripting Console	`F12`	`F12`
Tools
Rectangular Marquee	`M`	`M`
Elliptical Marquee	`Shift`+`M`	`Shift`+`M`
Lasso	`Q`	`Q`
Polygonal Lasso	`Shift`+`Q`	`Shift`+`Q`
Magic Wand	`W`	`W`
Pencil	`B`	`B`
Spray	`Shift`+`B`	`Shift`+`B`
Eraser	`E`	`E`
Eyedropper	`I`	`I`
Hand	`H`	`H`
Move	`V`	`V`
Zoom	`Z`	`Z`
Paint Bucket	`G`	`G`
Line	`L`	`L`
Curve	`Shift`+`L`	`Shift`+`L`
Rectangle	`U`	`U`
Filled Rectangle	`U`	`U`
Ellipse	`Shift`+`U`	`Shift`+`U`
Filled Ellipse	`Shift`+`U`	`Shift`+`U`
Contour	`D`	`D`
Polygon	`Shift`+`D`	`Shift`+`D`
Blur	`R`	`R`
Jumble	`R`	`R`
Hold while drawing
Hold for Eyedropper	`Alt`	`Alt`
Hold for Move	`Ctrl`	`Cmd`
Hold for Hand	`Space`	`Space`
Colours, brushes and inks
Palette Editor	`F4`	`F4`
Swap foreground and background colours	`X`	`X`
Previous palette colour (foreground)	`9`or`[`	`9`or`[`
Next palette colour (foreground)	`0`or`]`	`0`or`]`
Previous palette colour (background)	`Ctrl`+`9`	`Ctrl`+`9`
Next palette colour (background)	`Ctrl`+`0`	`Ctrl`+`0`
Brush size +	`+`or`=`or`Plus Pad`	`+`or`=`or`Plus Pad`
Brush size −	`-`or`Minus Pad`	`-`or`Minus Pad`
Custom brush 1	`Alt`+`1`	`Alt`+`1`
Custom brush 2	`Alt`+`2`	`Alt`+`2`
Custom brush 3	`Alt`+`3`	`Alt`+`3`
Custom brush 4	`Alt`+`4`	`Alt`+`4`
Custom brush 5	`Alt`+`5`	`Alt`+`5`
Custom brush 6	`Alt`+`6`	`Alt`+`6`
Custom brush 7	`Alt`+`7`	`Alt`+`7`
Custom brush 8	`Alt`+`8`	`Alt`+`8`
Custom brush 9	`Alt`+`9`	`Alt`+`9`
New BrushEdit → New Brush	`Ctrl`+`B`	`Cmd`+`B`
Pixel perfect mode	none by default	none by default
Simple Ink	none by default	none by default
Alpha Compositing	none by default	none by default
Copy Alpha+Color	none by default	none by default
Lock Alpha	none by default	none by default
Shading	none by default	none by default
Same in all Tools	none by default	none by default
Color Tint/Shade/Tone	none by default	none by default
Color Spectrum	none by default	none by default
RGB Color Wheel	none by default	none by default
RYB Color Wheel	none by default	none by default
Load Palette	none by default	none by default
Save Palette	none by default	none by default
Create Palette from Current Sprite	none by default	none by default
Add color (fg)	none by default	none by default
Add color (bg)	none by default	none by default
Zoom and scroll
Zoom 50 %	`~`	`~`
Zoom 100 %	`1`	`1`
Zoom 200 %	`2`	`2`
Zoom 400 %	`3`	`3`
Zoom 800 %	`4`	`4`
Zoom 1600 %	`5`	`5`
Zoom 3200 %	`6`	`6`
Zoom in	`Ctrl`+`+`or`Ctrl`+`=`or`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`=`	`Cmd`+`+`or`Cmd`+`=`or`Cmd`+`Shift`+`=`
Zoom out	`Ctrl`+`-`	`Cmd`+`-`
Centre the view	`Shift`+`C`	`Shift`+`C`
Scroll view ←	`Space`+`Left`	`Space`+`Left`
Scroll view →	`Space`+`Right`	`Space`+`Right`
Scroll view ↑	`Space`+`Up`	`Space`+`Up`
Scroll view ↓	`Space`+`Down`	`Space`+`Down`
Scroll view ← by a grid tile	`Shift`+`Space`+`Left`	`Shift`+`Space`+`Left`
Scroll view → by a grid tile	`Shift`+`Space`+`Right`	`Shift`+`Space`+`Right`
Scroll view ↑ by a grid tile	`Shift`+`Space`+`Up`	`Shift`+`Space`+`Up`
Scroll view ↓ by a grid tile	`Shift`+`Space`+`Down`	`Shift`+`Space`+`Down`
Selection (nudge)
Nudge selection ← 1 px	`Left`	`Left`
Nudge selection → 1 px	`Right`	`Right`
Nudge selection ↑ 1 px	`Up`	`Up`
Nudge selection ↓ 1 px	`Down`	`Down`
Nudge selection ← by a grid tile	`Shift`+`Left`	`Shift`+`Left`
Nudge selection → by a grid tile	`Shift`+`Right`	`Shift`+`Right`
Nudge selection ↑ by a grid tile	`Shift`+`Up`	`Shift`+`Up`
Nudge selection ↓ by a grid tile	`Shift`+`Down`	`Shift`+`Down`
Move selection outline ← 1 px	`Alt`+`Left`	`Alt`+`Left`
Move selection outline → 1 px	`Alt`+`Right`	`Alt`+`Right`
Move selection outline ↑ 1 px	`Alt`+`Up`	`Alt`+`Up`
Move selection outline ↓ 1 px	`Alt`+`Down`	`Alt`+`Down`
Move selection outline ← by a grid tile	`Alt`+`Shift`+`Left`	`Alt`+`Shift`+`Left`
Move selection outline → by a grid tile	`Alt`+`Shift`+`Right`	`Alt`+`Shift`+`Right`
Move selection outline ↑ by a grid tile	`Alt`+`Shift`+`Up`	`Alt`+`Shift`+`Up`
Move selection outline ↓ by a grid tile	`Alt`+`Shift`+`Down`	`Alt`+`Shift`+`Down`
Select tile	none by default	none by default
Select tile (add)	none by default	none by default
Select tile (subtract)	none by default	none by default
Tabs and window
Advanced mode (cycle hiding panels)	`F11`	`F11`
Cancel / close	`Esc`	`Esc`
Next tab	`Ctrl`+`Tab`or`Ctrl`+`PgDn`	`Ctrl`+`Tab`or`Ctrl`+`PgDn`
Previous tab	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`Tab`or`Ctrl`+`PgUp`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`Tab`or`Ctrl`+`PgUp`
Toggle FullscreenView → Toggle Fullscreen	`Shift`+`F`	`Shift`+`F`

The 30 to learn first

If you only learn a handful, learn these. They cover drawing, colour, view and animation, which is most of what you do in a sprite editor.

Action	Windows / Linux	macOS
Pencil	`B`	`B`
Eraser	`E`	`E`
Paint Bucket	`G`	`G`
Eyedropper	`I`or`Alt`	`I`or`Alt`
Hold for Eyedropper	`Alt`	`Alt`
Rectangular Marquee	`M`	`M`
Magic Wand	`W`	`W`
Move	`V`or`Ctrl`	`V`or`Cmd`
Line	`L`	`L`
Rectangle	`U`	`U`
Brush size +	`+`or`=`or`Plus Pad`	`+`or`=`or`Plus Pad`
Brush size −	`-`or`Minus Pad`	`-`or`Minus Pad`
Swap foreground and background colours	`X`	`X`
Undo	`Ctrl`+`Z`or`Ctrl`+`U`	`Cmd`+`Z`or`Cmd`+`U`
Redo	`Ctrl`+`Y`or`Ctrl`+`R`or`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`Z`	`Cmd`+`Y`or`Cmd`+`R`or`Cmd`+`Shift`+`Z`
Select: All	`Ctrl`+`A`	`Cmd`+`A`
Deselect	`Ctrl`+`D`	`Cmd`+`D`
Zoom 100 %	`1`	`1`
Zoom 800 %	`4`	`4`
Hold for Hand	`Space`	`Space`
View: Grid	`Shift`+`G`	`Shift`+`G`
View: Timeline	`Tab`	`Tab`
New Frame	`Alt`+`N`or`Alt`+`Shift`+`D`	`Alt`+`N`or`Alt`+`Shift`+`D`
New Layer	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`N`	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`N`
Play Animation	`Enter`	`Enter`
Show Onion Skin	`F3`	`F3`
Next Frame	`Right`	`Right`
Save	`Ctrl`+`S`	`Cmd`+`S`
Export	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`Shift`+`S`	`Cmd`+`Alt`+`Shift`+`S`
Export Sprite Sheet	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`E`	`Cmd`+`Alt`+`E`

Tool keys and how they cycle

Tools that share a key are grouped. Press the key once to pick the first tool in the group, and again to switch to the next one. U goes Rectangle → Filled Rectangle, Shift+U Ellipse → Filled Ellipse, R Blur → Jumble.

Tool	Group	Key
Rectangular Marquee	Selection	`M`
Elliptical Marquee	Selection	`Shift`+`M`
Lasso	Selection	`Q`
Polygonal Lasso	Selection	`Shift`+`Q`
Magic Wand	Selection	`W`
Pencil	Pencil & Spray	`B`
Spray	Pencil & Spray	`Shift`+`B`
Eraser	Eraser	`E`
Eyedropper	Eyedropper	`I`
Zoom	Zoom & Hand	`Z`
Hand	Zoom & Hand	`H`
Move	Move	`V`
Paint Bucket	Paint Bucket	`G`
Line	Line & Curve	`L`
Curve	Line & Curve	`Shift`+`L`
Rectangle	Shapes	`U`
Filled Rectangle	Shapes	`U`
Ellipse	Shapes	`Shift`+`U`
Filled Ellipse	Shapes	`Shift`+`U`
Contour	Contour & Polygon	`D`
Polygon	Contour & Polygon	`Shift`+`D`
Blur	Blur & Jumble	`R`
Jumble	Blur & Jumble	`R`

From data/gui.xml in LibreSprite 1.3. Pressing a group’s key again cycles through the tools that share it (for example U: Rectangle, Filled Rectangle).

Tool details and options: every tool explained.

Hold-down keys and mouse tricks

These work while you hold a key with the mouse over the canvas. They come from the quicktools and actions sections of gui.xml.

Hold	While	Effect
`Alt`	any drawing tool	Temporarily switch to the Eyedropper; click to pick a colour
`Ctrl` (`Cmd` on Mac)	any tool	Temporarily switch to the Move tool
`Space`	any tool	Temporarily switch to the Hand: drag to pan
`Shift`	Pencil, Eraser (freehand)	Click to draw a straight line from the last point you drew
`Shift`	Line, Rectangle, Ellipse	Square or circle, and lines snap to pixel-art angles
`Ctrl`	Rectangle, Ellipse	Draw from the centre
`Space`	while dragging a shape or line	Move the starting point
`Shift` / `Shift`+`Alt`	selection tools	Add to / subtract from the selection
`Ctrl`	dragging a selection	Copy instead of move
`Shift`	moving a selection	Lock movement to one axis
`Alt`	moving a selection	Snap to the grid
`Shift`	scaling / rotating a selection	Keep the aspect ratio / snap the angle
`Alt`	scaling a selection	Scale from the pivot point
`Ctrl` (`Cmd`)	Move tool	Auto-select the layer under the cursor

Mouse: the left button paints with the foreground colour, the right button with the background colour. The mouse wheel zooms. In the palette, left-click sets the foreground colour and right-click sets the background colour.

Arrow keys depend on what you are doing

← / → go to the previous / next frame, and ↑ / ↓ to the layer above / below.
While a selection is being moved or transformed, the arrows nudge it 1 pixel. With Shift, it moves one grid tile. With Alt, only the selection outline moves, not the pixels.
Space + arrows scroll the view (Shift+Space + arrows by a whole grid tile). Shift+C centres the sprite again.
, and . step through the frames of the current tag only.

Change or reset shortcuts

Open Edit → Keyboard Shortcuts… (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+K). The dialog has a search box and lists Menus, Commands, Tools and Actions. Point at an entry and use its Change, Add or Del button to record, add or remove a key. Export saves your set as a .aseprite-keys file, Import loads one, and Reset restores the defaults.

Real screenshot · Linux (Ubuntu 24.04, X11) · LibreSprite 1.3 (AppImage)Edit → Keyboard Shortcuts (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+K): every command with its keys; change them here.Xvfb 1440×900, Openbox · taken 2026-11-01

Your changes are stored in user.aseprite-keys in the settings folder (~/.config/libresprite/ on Linux, %AppData%\LibreSprite\ on Windows, ~/Library/Application Support/LibreSprite/ on macOS). Deleting that file also restores the defaults. Shortcuts that stopped working altogether? See keyboard shortcuts don’t work.

On a Mac

Cmd replaces Ctrl almost everywhere: Cmd+Z, Cmd+S, Cmd+Shift+N.
Exceptions that stay on Ctrl in 1.3: switching tabs (Ctrl+Tab, Ctrl+PgUp / Ctrl+PgDn) and stepping the background colour (Ctrl+9 / Ctrl+0).
Preferences is Cmd+, (Ctrl+K elsewhere). Alt+F4 to quit is Windows-only; use Cmd+Q.
Alt is the Option key. Laptops without Home / End / PgUp / PgDn keys: use Fn with the arrow keys.

On a laptop or non-US keyboard

No number pad? Brush size also works with +, = and - on the main row.
LibreSprite reads [, ], ~, - and = by key position on a US layout. On AZERTY, QWERTZ and other layouts those keys may sit elsewhere or need a modifier. If one doesn’t respond, give the command a new key in Edit → Keyboard Shortcuts.
~ (the key left of 1) zooms to 50 %.

Differences from Aseprite

LibreSprite forked from Aseprite in 2016, and the two have drifted apart. If your muscle memory comes from a current Aseprite, these are the defaults that will catch you out:

Action	LibreSprite 1.3	Aseprite 1.3.18.6
New layer	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`N`	`Shift`+`N`
Merge down	`Ctrl`+`E`	none
Duplicate layer	`Ctrl`+`J`	none
Flatten	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`E`	none
Export sprite sheet	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`E`	`Ctrl`+`E`
Import sprite sheet	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`I`	`Ctrl`+`I`
Remove frame	`Alt`+`Shift`+`C`	`Alt`+`C`
Show grid	`Shift`+`G`	`Ctrl`+`'`
Show pixel grid	`Alt`+`Shift`+`G`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`'`
Centre the view	`Shift`+`C`	`Shift`+`Z`
Advanced mode	`F11`	`Ctrl`+`F`
Undo	`Ctrl`+`U` `Ctrl`+`Z`	`Ctrl`+`Z`
Hue/Saturation	none	`Ctrl`+`U`
Text	`T`	none
Text tool	none	`T`
Scripting console	`F12`	none
Deselect	`Ctrl`+`D`	`Ctrl`+`D` `Esc`
Fit on screen	none	`Ctrl`+`0`
Sprite size	none	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`I`
Outline	none	`Shift`+`O`

Compared from each program’s data/gui.xml (LibreSprite tag v1.3, Aseprite tag v1.3.18.6): 137 bindings are identical, 15 differ, 12 exist only in LibreSprite and 54 only in Aseprite (mostly for features LibreSprite does not have).

The biggest trap is Ctrl+E: it is Merge Down in LibreSprite but Export Sprite Sheet in Aseprite. Aseprite also has keys for features LibreSprite lacks, such as layer groups, tilemaps, the gradient and slice tools, and the command palette. Full comparison: LibreSprite vs Aseprite.

Printable cheat sheet

Windows and Linux keys; on a Mac read Cmd for Ctrl. It prints on one A4 or Letter page without the rest of this page.

Tools

B: Pencil
E: Eraser
G: Paint Bucket
I Alt: Eyedropper
L: Line
U: Rectangle
Shift+U: Ellipse
M: Rectangular Marquee
W: Magic Wand
Q: Lasso
V Ctrl: Move
Shift+B: Spray

Brush & colour

+ =: Brush size +
- Minus Pad: Brush size −
X: Swap foreground and background colours
0 ]: Next palette colour (foreground)
9 [: Previous palette colour (foreground)
F4: Palette Editor
Shift+R: Replace Color
Alt: Hold for Eyedropper

View

1: Zoom 100 %
2: Zoom 200 %
3: Zoom 400 %
4: Zoom 800 %
Space: Hold for Hand
Shift+C: Centre the view
Shift+G: View: Grid
Alt+Shift+G: Pixel Grid
Shift+T: Tiled in Both Axes
F7: View: Preview

Edit & select

Ctrl+Z Ctrl+U: Undo
Ctrl+Y Ctrl+R: Redo
Ctrl+C Ctrl+Ins: Copy
Ctrl+V Shift+Ins: Paste
Ctrl+X Shift+Del: Cut
Ctrl+A: Select: All
Ctrl+D: Deselect
Ctrl+Shift+I: Select: Inverse
Ctrl+T: Transform selection
Shift+H: Flip Horizontal

Layers

Ctrl+Shift+N: New Layer
Ctrl+J: Layer: Duplicate
Ctrl+E: Merge Down
Shift+X: Layer: Visible
Shift+P: Layer: Properties
Up: Layer above
Down: Layer below

Animation

Tab: View: Timeline
Alt+N Alt+Shift+D: New Frame
Alt+B: New Empty Frame
Alt+Shift+C: Remove Frame
Right: Next Frame
Left: Previous Frame
Enter: Play Animation
F3: Show Onion Skin
P: Frame Properties

File

Ctrl+N: New
Ctrl+O: Open
Ctrl+S: Save
Ctrl+Shift+S: Save As
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S: Export
Ctrl+Alt+E: Export Sprite Sheet
Ctrl+Shift+X: Repeat Last Export
Ctrl+K Ctrl+Shift+O: Preferences

LibreSprite 1.3 defaults, from data/gui.xml · libresprite.dev/shortcuts/

FAQ

What is the brush size shortcut in LibreSprite?

+ (or =) makes the brush bigger and - makes it smaller, one pixel at a time. The number-pad + and - work too. Alt+1 to Alt+9 switch to saved custom brushes.

What is the fill shortcut?

G selects the Paint Bucket; click to fill. LibreSprite 1.3 has no “fill selection” key like Aseprite’s F. Fill a selection by clicking inside it with the bucket.

How do I zoom with the keyboard?

1 to 6 jump to 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 and 3200 %, ~ to 50 %. Ctrl++ / Ctrl+- zoom in and out step by step.

How do I deselect?

Ctrl+D (Select → Deselect). Ctrl+Shift+D brings the last selection back. Esc is Cancel in 1.3, not Deselect as in Aseprite.

Why does Ctrl+E merge my layers?

In LibreSprite Ctrl+E is Layer → Merge Down. Undo with Ctrl+Z. Export Sprite Sheet is Ctrl+Alt+E.

Where is the list of shortcuts inside LibreSprite?

Edit → Keyboard Shortcuts (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+K) lists and edits them all. Menu items also show their key next to the name.

My panels disappeared. What did I press?

Probably F11, Advanced mode. It cycles from normal, to hiding the tool and colour panels, to showing only the canvas. Press F11 until everything is back. Tab shows or hides just the timeline.

Keep going

ToolsAll 23 tools, their options and their keys.AnimationFrames, the timeline, onion skin, tags and frame rate.TroubleshootingWon’t open, crashes, lag, huge UI: fixes for every common error.

Found something wrong or out of date? Tell us: hello@libresprite.dev. We fix mistakes within a day.

#Live keyboard map

#Shortcut Finder

#The 30 to learn first

#Tool keys and how they cycle

#Hold-down keys and mouse tricks

#Arrow keys depend on what you are doing

#Change or reset shortcuts

#On a Mac

#On a laptop or non-US keyboard

#Differences from Aseprite

#Printable cheat sheet