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Photoshop · Soften brush edge

Paint

Windows · Linux

Shift+[

Mac

Shift+[

Both systems use the same combination.

Softens the brush edge. Unlike the size it steps in twenty-five per cent jumps, so four presses reach the softest setting.

Group
Paint
Keys held
2

Bracket keys resize the brush ([ and ]) on every layout, but with a non-Latin input method active some other shortcuts stop responding.

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 Soften brush edge in Photoshop?

Softens the brush edge. Unlike the size it steps in twenty-five per cent jumps, so four presses reach the softest setting. It is Shift+[ on Windows and Shift+[ on a Mac.

Q. Is it the same on Windows and Mac?

Yes, Shift+[ on both.

Q. How many keys is that?

2 pressed together. The combination sits under Paint in Photoshop.

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