Illustrator · Lock selection
Object
Windows · Linux
Ctrl+2Mac
Cmd+2Makes the selection unclickable so you can work over the top of it. Nothing marks a locked object on the canvas, so the Layers panel is the only place to see what you locked.
- Group
- Object
- Keys held
- 2
Illustrator gives each tool a single letter, and learning those letters is the biggest win — but while you are editing type they simply get typed, so press Esc first.
Reading the key names
- Keys joined by + are pressed together: Ctrl+Shift+P means hold Ctrl and Shift, then P.
- On a Mac, Cmd is ⌘, Option is ⌥ (labelled Alt on some keyboards), Control is ⌃ and Shift is ⇧.
- Windows Ctrl usually becomes Cmd on a Mac, but not always — this reference lists both combinations separately.
- With a Korean, Japanese or Chinese input method active, shortcuts built on letter keys may not fire. Switch to Latin input and try again.
- When a combination does nothing, another program has often claimed it as a global shortcut first.
Common questions
Q. What is the shortcut for Lock selection in Illustrator?
Makes the selection unclickable so you can work over the top of it. Nothing marks a locked object on the canvas, so the Layers panel is the only place to see what you locked. It is Ctrl+2 on Windows and Cmd+2 on a Mac.
Q. Is it the same on Windows and Mac?
No — Ctrl+2 on Windows, Cmd+2 on a Mac.
Q. How many keys is that?
2 pressed together. The combination sits under Object in Illustrator.