Over 70 Handy DaVinci Resolve Keyboard Shortcuts to Edit Faster

Shortcuts are a great way of saving time when you are editing. Using these hotkeys can help change up how you edit, making you faster and more efficient in the process, which is why we put together this handy cheat sheet of DaVinci Resolve keyboard shortcuts.

That said, shortcuts only really save you time when they become a habit, and you automatically use the keys rather than the mouse. If you already have certain editing habits, these can be difficult to break or relearn.

The most effective way to get your head around shortcuts is to start with your most frequent actions. It can take some time and be frustrating, but if you pick one or two to start with, you’ll soon have those as a part of the workflow, and can start integrating other hotkeys into your work. 

Part 1: DaVinci Resolve Shortcuts

We’ve split this guide into different sections to help you navigate the range of keys you can use. While you might use some of these already, there is a wealth of shortcuts to master. 

File

Firstly, let’s take a look at the shortcuts associated with the File Menu, where you can create new timelines, import and export media, and save your projects.

Timeline Navigation

The Timeline shortcuts are super helpful in navigating your timeline and playback options. 

Marking

Marking your timeline is an efficient way of adding reference points to a clip without needing a keyframe or a cut. Use markers for anything that you want to remind yourself of later, but don’t overuse them, or your timeline will become cluttered and confusing.

Playback

Playback Shortcuts help you watch your edit through in a variety of different ways. Learning these shortcuts will help you quickly watch through, reverse, and loop your clips for review.

Editing

With these hotkeys, you can quickly jump between editing tools, which can save a ton of time and mouse action.

Effects

Shortcuts can also help you with your effects, such as retiming clips, adding transitions, and working with keyframes.

General

Some general shortcuts you can use include copy and paste, as we’ve already mentioned, but you can also use a similar method for a variety of other general actions.

Part 2: How to Customize Keyboard Shortcuts

You can make the most of your editing workflow by customizing your keyboard to your preferred setup. Within DaVinci Resolve, you can create as many unique keyboard setups as you like, creating shortcodes specific to your workflow.

It might sound daunting, but don’t worry, customizing your keyboard for Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci is very easy, and needn’t take long. You can also change to other preset keyboards such as Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro, which can help if you are working between applications or migrating entirely to Resolve.

1. Go to the DaVinci Resolve menu, and select Keyboard Customization (Option+Command+K or Alt+Control+K)
2. In the top right corner, you can browse the present keyboard options from the drop-down.
3. To create your own, select the keyboard most like the one you want to use.
4. Scroll through the window displaying all of the functions, and find the one you’d like to customize.
5. Click in the box alongside it and type your new shortcode. If the key is already used, a notification will appear giving you the option to overwrite it or try again.
6. Once you have edited the shortcode, click Save and give your keyboard a new name. If you want to edit the keyboard at a later date, just select it from the drop-down menu, make your changes and save it again.

So, that’s a whole heap of hotkeys to save you time and repetitive strain injury. Our top tip for integrating DaVinci Resolve shortcuts into your work is don’t try and learn them all at once. You don’t need to master this entire list to see the positive effects they can have on your work. Concentrate on your most used actions and learn those, as you grow as a video editor, shortcuts will feel more familiar, and you’ll begin to have fun with them.