Illustrator · Send backward
Arrange
Windows · Linux
Ctrl+[Mac
Cmd+[Moves the selection down one place in the stack. Watch the Layers panel while you press it — in a crowded group the picture on the canvas only changes every few presses.
- Group
- Arrange
- 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 Send backward in Illustrator?
Moves the selection down one place in the stack. Watch the Layers panel while you press it — in a crowded group the picture on the canvas only changes every few presses. It is Ctrl+[ on Windows and Cmd+[ on a Mac.
Q. Is it the same on Windows and Mac?
No — Ctrl+[ on Windows, Cmd+[ on a Mac.
Q. How many keys is that?
2 pressed together. The combination sits under Arrange in Illustrator.