Illustrator · Send to back
Arrange
Windows · Linux
Ctrl+Shift+[Mac
Cmd+Shift+[Drops the selection to the bottom of the stack. Inside a group that means the bottom of the group, which is why an object can vanish behind its neighbours yet still sit above the background.
- Group
- Arrange
- 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
QWhat is the shortcut for Send to back in Illustrator?
Drops the selection to the bottom of the stack. Inside a group that means the bottom of the group, which is why an object can vanish behind its neighbours yet still sit above the background. It is Ctrl+Shift+[ on Windows and Cmd+Shift+[ on a Mac.
QIs it the same on Windows and Mac?
No — Ctrl+Shift+[ on Windows, Cmd+Shift+[ on a Mac.
QHow many keys is that?
3 pressed together. The combination sits under Arrange in Illustrator.