Here’s a list of useful (Mac-based) Sketch tips for my reference and yours.
Commands Quick Reference
| Task | Command | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Add an artboard | a | or Insert > Artboard |
| Insert text element | t | |
| Insert rectangle | r | |
| Centre screen on current element | Command-2 | |
| Zoom out, centred on artboard | Escape then Command-2 then Command-0 | |
| Zoom in on current element to 100% of screen size | Command-0 | |
| Show and hide rulers | Control-R | or use “View” dropdown at top-right |
| Duplicate element | Hold Option while drag from original. Hold Shift for alignment | |
| Check distances | Select one layer then hold down Option then hover over the other layer | |
| Adjust text size by decimal increments | Hold Option while adjust size via right-hand panel | |
| Resize an image | Drag from sides or corners to your target size, holding shift to maintain aspect ratio | |
| Crop an image | Select then double-click image to go into image mode. Draw the rectangular shape you want to crop over the image, then select “crop” from top-right |
Key Concepts
Starting with an Artboard
The initial canvas is infinite so we need a fixed frame (representing a device screen) on which to work.
Steps:
- Add an artboard.
- From the top-right choose one of the options (presets) e.g. Responsive Web > Desktop (1024 × 1024) or select “Custom”.
- Rename your layer to something appropriate for the overall task, e.g. News Article.
Creating something
- Show rulers.
- Add markers by clicking in the horizontal ruler at the top to provide gutters. Create them at, say, 32px from each side.
- Add a text element, with lateral boundaries snapped to your markers. If it’s for body text, type my lorem0 shortcut 1.
Appendix
- the
lorem0shortcut accesses “lorem ipsum” text which I previously saved into Mac > Preferences > Keyboard > Text.