Photoshop · Brush tool
Tools
Windows · Linux
BMac
BBoth systems use the same combination.
Paints with a brush. The bracket keys change the size and the number keys change the opacity only while this tool is active — the same keys do other things elsewhere.
- Group
- Tools
- Keys held
- 1
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 Brush tool in Photoshop?
Paints with a brush. The bracket keys change the size and the number keys change the opacity only while this tool is active — the same keys do other things elsewhere. It is B on Windows and B on a Mac.
Q. Is it the same on Windows and Mac?
Yes, B on both.
Q. How many keys is that?
1 pressed together. The combination sits under Tools in Photoshop.