Sketch Reference

Kip Landergren

(Updated: )

My cheat sheet for Sketch covering terminology, keyboard shortcuts, and resources.

Contents

Sketch Terminology

Sketch Document
the .sketch file containing your work
Sketch Library
a specialized Sketch Document able to be referenced by other Sketch Documents, providing access to its components and colors
artboard
layer that crops a canvas to a specific dimension; may not contain other artboards
bounding box
the perimeter of the layer with 8 selection handles
canvas
drawing area
component
a reusable entity; may be specialized into a symbol, text style, or layer style
fill
shape style property that comprises the interior content; may be solid or gradient
grid
the lines of an x, y coordinate system; may be specialized into a Square Grid or Layout Grid
guide
canvas tool to display a fixed line, typically at a measured distance
layer
the contents of a single x, y plane on the z axis; may be specialized into types: shape, symbol, image, artboard, and others.
layer style
a reusable set of layer-specific properties
page
mechanism to group work within a Sketch document
plugin
3rd party software to automate or enhance some aspect of Sketch
resizing constraints
rules that dictate how a layer behaves when its parent is resized
ruler
canvas tool to display distance
shape
a vector layer
smart distribute
means of arranging multiple layers by their horizontal or vertical gaps
smart guide
a Sketch-suggested location for a layer
snapping
the act of a layer moving to a predetermined point instead of what is indicated by the user’s mouse
style
a set of properties that contribute to the look of a layer
symbol
a single, reusable, layer comprised of a flattened layer hierarchy; exists as a single master instance with multiple instance copies created wherever used
text style
a reusable set of text-specific properties
tidy
means of arranging layers into a grid
tint
the mixture of a color with white
vector
a layer comprised of points connected by paths

macOS Keyboard Shortcuts

Note: all letter keys are displayed uppercase. Shortcuts requiring use of ⇧ Shift will be called out.

Fast Menu Item Access

Not every operation has a keyboard shortcut. In the event that you know the title of the menu item you wish to select you can use the following steps to quickly access it:
access Help menu, focusing search ⌘ Command + ⇧ Shift + /
access Menu Item type Menu Item and select from search results
insert artboard A
create line L
create oval O
use pencil tool P
create rectangle R
insert text T
create rounded rectangle U
create vector shape V
rotate layer ⌘ Command + click and drag selection handle
show preferences ⌘ Command + ,
show / hide Sketch interface (aka presentation mode) ⌘ Command + .
zoom in ⌘ Command + +
zoom out ⌘ Command + -
increase width by 1 px ⌘ Command + →
decrease width by 1 px ⌘ Command + ←
increase height by 1 px ⌘ Command + ↑
decrease height by 1 px ⌘ Command + ↓
zoom to 100% ⌘ Command + 0
zoom to view whole canvas ⌘ Command + 1
zoom to selected layer(s) ⌘ Command + 2
center selected layer(s) ⌘ Command + 3
duplicate selection ⌘ Command + D
group ⌘ Command + G
rename layer ⌘ Command + R
create symbol ⌘ Command + Y
rotate layer in 15° increments ⌘ Command + ⇧ Shift + click and drag selection handle
switch to components panel, focusing the search bar ⌘ Command + ⇧ Shift + F
ungroup ⌘ Command + ⇧ Shift + G
show / hide selected layer ⌘ Command + ⇧ Shift + H
increase width by 10 px ⌘ Command + ⇧ Shift + →
decrease width by 10 px ⌘ Command + ⇧ Shift + ←
increase height by 10 px ⌘ Command + ⇧ Shift + ↑
decrease height by 10 px ⌘ Command + ⇧ Shift + ↓
show / hide toolbar ⌘ Command + ⌥ Option + T
distribute selection horizontally ⌘ Command + ⌃ Control + H
distribute selection vertically ⌘ Command + ⌃ Control + V
navigate one page up fn + ↑
navigate one page down fn + ↓
focus layers panel ⌃ Control + 1
focus components panel ⌃ Control + 2
toggle square grid ⌃ Control + G
toggle layout grid ⌃ Control + L
toggle rulers ⌃ Control + R
measure distance (based on bounding box) layer selection + ⌥ Option + mouse hover
duplicate selection via drag hold ⌥ Option + click + drag selection
resize proportionally ⇧ Shift + click and drag on a selection handle
resize from center ⌥ Option + click and drag on a selection handle

Common Operations

Hiding a Layer

Hiding a layer makes it invisible, but does not remove it.

Locking a Layer

Locking a layer prevents editing or movement.

Resources

Sketch Documentation