Illustrator · Pathfinder panel
Panels
Windows · Linux
Ctrl+Shift+F9Mac
Cmd+Shift+F9Opens the Pathfinder panel — Unite and the rest are buttons here, with no default key of their own. Holding Alt (Option on a Mac) while clicking a Shape Mode keeps the parts editable as a compound shape instead of merging them for good.
- Group
- Panels
- Keys held
- 3
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 Pathfinder panel in Illustrator?
Opens the Pathfinder panel — Unite and the rest are buttons here, with no default key of their own. Holding Alt (Option on a Mac) while clicking a Shape Mode keeps the parts editable as a compound shape instead of merging them for good. It is Ctrl+Shift+F9 on Windows and Cmd+Shift+F9 on a Mac.
Q. Is it the same on Windows and Mac?
No — Ctrl+Shift+F9 on Windows, Cmd+Shift+F9 on a Mac.
Q. How many keys is that?
3 pressed together. The combination sits under Panels in Illustrator.