Balsamiq for Desktop Documentation
- Introduction to Balsamiq Wireframes for Desktop
- Editor Overview
- Adding and Arranging UI Controls
- Editing Controls
- Sharing and Reviewing
- Using Images and Assets
- Symbols
- Markup
- Linking Wireframes Together
- Full Screen Presentation Mode
- Alternates
- Exporting
- Importing
- Keeping Projects Clean and Organized
- Keyboard Shortcuts
- Working with Controls
- Working with Icons
- Working with Text
- Text Formatting
- Special Text Macros
- Quick Add
- Drawing Controls
- Project Actions
- Views
- Fullscreen
- Zoom to Fit All on Windows 10
- The BMPR File Format
- Autosaving
- Backups and The Support Folder
- Windows Advanced Installation Instructions
- macOS Advanced Installation Instructions
- Editing Balsamiq Cloud Projects from Wireframes for Desktop
- Installing Balsamiq Wireframes on Linux
Keyboard Shortcuts
Below is a list of all the keyboard shortcuts and modifiers available in Balsamiq Wireframes.
Working with Controls |
|
|---|---|
Selection |
|
| Edit the selected control's text | ENTER or F2 |
| Add to selection | SHIFT+Click |
| Toggle selection | CTRL+Click |
| Select All | CTRL+A |
| Select None | CTRL+SHIFT+A |
| Ignore control(s) under cursor | Hold ALT |
| Treat/do not treat selection as markup | CTRL+SHIFT+K |
Size/Position |
|
| Resize maintaining aspect ratio | Hold SHIFT while resizing with mouse |
| Move selection along horizontal or vertical axis | Hold SHIFT while dragging |
| Disable snapping during move or resize | Hold CTRL |
| Grow/Increase text or icon size | CTRL+] |
| Shrink/Decrease text or icon size | CTRL+[ |
| Nudge selection 1px | ↑↓←→ |
| Nudge selection 10px | SHIFT+↑↓←→ |
| Nudge-Resize selection 1px | CTRL+ALT+↑↓←→ |
| Nudge-Resize selection 10px | CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+↑↓←→ |
| Auto-Size selection | CTRL+ALT+0 |
| Pan the canvas (Hand tool) | SPACE BAR+Click and drag |
| Bring to front | CTRL+SHIFT+↑ |
| Send to back | CTRL+SHIFT+↓ |
| Bring forward | CTRL+↑ |
| Send backward | CTRL+↓ |
| Duplicate selection | ALT+drag |
Edit/History |
|
| Undo last command | CTRL+Z |
| Redo last command | CTRL+Y or CTRL+SHIFT+Z |
| Cut the selected controls | CTRL+X or SHIFT+DELETE |
| Copy the selected controls | CTRL+C or CTRL+INSERT |
| Paste | CTRL+V or SHIFT+INSERT |
| Paste In Place | CTRL+SHIFT+V |
| Delete the selected controls | DELETE or BACKSPACE |
| Duplicate the selected controls | CTRL+D |
| Lock the selected controls | CTRL+2 |
| Unlock all locked controls | CTRL+3 |
| Transform the selected controls | CTRL+ALT+T |
Group |
|
| Group the selected controls | CTRL+G |
| Ungroup the selected groups | CTRL+SHIFT+G |
Align |
|
| Align selected controls left | CTRL+ALT+1 |
| Align selected controls center | CTRL+ALT+2 |
| Align selected controls right | CTRL+ALT+3 |
| Align selected controls top | CTRL+ALT+4 |
| Align selected controls middle | CTRL+ALT+5 |
| Align selected controls bottom | CTRL+ALT+6 |
Working with Icons |
|
| Navigating the Suggestion List | ↑↓←→ |
| Using the selected icon | ENTER |
| Closing the Icons Library | ESC |
| Closing the Suggestion List | ESC |
| Grow/Increase icon size | CTRL+] |
| Shrink/Decrease icon size | CTRL+[ |
Working with Text |
|
| Start Editing text of the selected control | ENTER or F2 |
| Committing the current text | ENTER (single-line controls), CTRL+ENTER (multi-line controls) or click anywhere |
| Ignoring the current edit | ESC |
| Grow/Increase Text Size | CTRL+] |
| Shrink/Decrease Text Size | CTRL+[ |
Text Formatting |
|
| italic | _text in underscores_ |
| link | [text in brackets] |
| link with a target | \[text in brackets\]\(wireframe_name\) or \[text in brackets\]\(website_url\) |
| bold | *text in asterisks* |
| disabled | -text in hyphens- |
| strikethrough | ~text in tildes~ |
| font point size | {size:12}text{size} |
| color (hex value or color name) | {color:#ff0000}text{color} or {color:red}text{color} |
| To type a literal *, , − -, or [] in a control, escape it by prefixing it with a \ (backslash): \*, \, −\-, \, [\] | |
Special Text Macros |
|
| Lorem-Ipsum generator | type lorem in a Text or Text Area control. |
| Show the current wireframe name | type {mockup-name} in a Label, Text, Title or Subtitle control. |
Quick Add |
|
| Sending focus to Quick Add | / (forward slash) or + (plus sign) |
| Navigating the Suggestion List | ↑↓ |
| Closing the Suggestion List | ESC |
| Sending focus back to the Canvas | ESC |
| Add control at cursor position | SHIFT+ENTER |
Drawing Controls |
|
| Learn more about drawing controls here | |
| Draw a rectangle on the canvas | R+drag |
| Draw a block of text on the canvas | T+drag |
| Draw a line of text on the canvas | Y+drag |
Project Actions |
|
| New blank wireframe | CTRL+SHIFT+N |
| Duplicate current wireframe | CTRL+ALT+N |
| New project | CTRL+N |
| Open project | CTRL+O |
| Save as... | CTRL+SHIFT+S |
| Rename wireframe | F2 or CTRL+ALT+R |
| Close current project | CTRL+W or CTRL+F4 |
| Export this wireframe's JSON | CTRL+E |
| Import wireframe JSON | CTRL+SHIFT+E |
| Export snapshot to clipboard | CTRL+ALT+C or CTRL+SHIFT+C(Windows) ⌘+SHIFT+C (Mac) |
| Export snapshot to PNG | CTRL+R |
| Export all snapshots to PNG | CTRL+SHIFT+R |
| Export to PDF | CTRL+P |
| Quit the Balsamiq Wireframes editor | CTRL+Q |
| Next wireframe | CTRL+TAB (Windows) ⌘+PAGE DOWN or fn+⌘+↓ (Mac) |
| Previous wireframe | CTRL+SHIFT+TAB (Windows) ⌘+PAGE UP or fn+⌘+↑ (Mac) |
| Top of wireframe | HOME (Windows) fn+SHIFT+↑ (Mac) |
| Bottom of wireframe | END (Windows) fn+SHIFT+↓ (Mac) |
Views |
|
| Hide/Show the UI Library | CTRL+L or CTRL+F1 |
| Hide/Show the Inspector | CTRL+; or ALT+ENTER |
| Hide/Show the Project Info | CTRL+, |
| Hide/Show the Comments Panel | CTRL+. |
| Hide/Show the Navigator Panel | CTRL+J |
| Show/Hide Markup | CTRL+K |
| Back to Wireframes (From Symbols/Assets/Trash) | CTRL+SHIFT+M |
| Zoom In | CTRL++ (plus sign) or CTRL+scroll mouse |
| Zoom Out | CTRL+- (minus sign) or CTRL+scroll mouse |
| Zoom to Actual Size | CTRL+1 |
| Zoom to Fit | CTRL+0 |
Fullscreen |
|
| Enter Full Screen View | CTRL+F or F5 |
| Exit Full Screen View | ESC |
| Edit Current Wireframe | e |
| Hide/Show Settings Panel | s |
| Hide/Show Navigator | j | Hide/Show Notes | n | Hide/Show Comments | c |
| Hide/Show Link Hints | l |
| Hide/Show Big Arrow Cursor | b |
| Hide/Show Markup | m |
| Zoom | z |
| Pan Canvas | Click+drag |
| Next Wireframe | Page Down (Windows) ⌥ Option+↓ (Mac) |
| Previous Wireframe | Page Up (Windows) ⌥ Option+↑ (Mac) |
| Back | ← |
| Forward | → |
Zoom to Fit All on Windows 10
For users with Windows Vista and above, you may find that the Zoom to Fit All (CTRL+SHIFT+0) doesn't work. The reason for this is that Windows captures the input before it gets sent to Wireframes for Desktop, preventing the app from ever seeing it.
Luckily, the fix is super easy.
The option for changing the shortcut is in a different place in Windows 8 and Windows 10. In Windows 8 you will need to go to Control Panel > Language > Advanced Settings and then find the Change language bar hot keys button. In Windows 10 it's in Settings > Devices > Typing > Advanced keyboard settings.
From there click Change Key Sequence... and then set Switch Keyboard Layout to Not Assigned.
