How to Use Sketch: 10 Shortcuts for UI Design

Working as a UI/UX designer, I use Sketch to create most of my interface designs.

Along the way, I’ve learned a few things that helped me work smoother and faster.

Here are the 10 tips that I find most helpful when working with Sketch.

1. Use shortcut for Pick Color (Ctrl + C)

‘Pick color’ is one of the most underrated functions in Sketch. The ability to copy any object’s color instantly is imperative, yet this function is hidden deep inside the Fill option.

What’s nice about Sketch’s Color Pick is the zoomed-in magnifier view to increase precision and can also be used outside the app. Ctrl + C is one the most used shortcut in my opinion and this neat little trick makes a big difference in productivity.

2. Use shortcut for Inserts  

Rectangle – R

Circle – O

Line – l

Vector – V

Text – T

At its core, we use shapes and text to construct our design in Sketch. It is important to learn the shortcuts to insert basic objects in Sketch so that you can quickly create the building blocks of your design. Furthermore, they are easy to remember and execute.

3. Rename layers rapidly (cmd + R , tab)

If you use a naming convention to keep your files organized, you will know that renaming layers is very time consuming.

Use cmd + R to enter edit mode to rename the layer. You can also tab through layers (while still in edit mode) to rapidly rename all layers.

4. Focus on layer while moving (alt + cmd)

Moving a selected layer that is obscured by another layer above is a delicate act.

You’re standing on a fine line between accidentally selecting the above layer and your intended layer. Holding alt + cmd will focus your selection so you will never waste time on moving the unintended layer.

5. Use Text Style/Object Style for repeated style

When working with text heavy projects, it’s always a good idea to create a shared style of the given text, as it will save you a great deal of time.

Sketch’s shared styles is extremely easy and it works on object styles as well.