How to Cut and Paste on Photoshop

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Written by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: January 20, 2024

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• Using a Keyboard Shortcut
|
• Using the Toolbar
|
• Right-clicking a Selection

|Show more |Show less

Cutting is the process of copying the media you’ve selected, but removing it from the original document as well. Pasting is the process of adding the copied media into the document. This wikiHow teaches you how to cut and paste in Photoshop shop using the keyboard and your mouse. These methods work in both the Photoshop program and the online version, and with both PC and Mac.

Quick Steps

• Select what you want to cut.
• On your keyboard, press CTRL + X (Windows) or CMD + X (Mac) to cut.
• Select a new location or layer.
• Press CTRL + V (Windows) or CMD + V (Mac) to paste.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using a Keyboard Shortcut

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1. 
   1
   Select the media you want to cut with your mouse. You can cut things such as text, images, or shapes from your Photoshop document.

   • If there are multiple objects you want to cut one layer, press Ctrl+A (PC) or ⌘ Cmd+A.
   • If you want to select more than one object at a time, you can press and hold Ctrl (PC) or ⌘ Cmd (Mac) and click the other objects.
2. 
   2
   Press Ctrl+X (PC) or ⌘ Cmd+X (Mac) to cut. The selected object is copied to your clipboard and removed from the project.
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3. 
   3
   Press Ctrl+V (PC) or ⌘ Cmd+V (Mac) to paste. The copied object is pasted into your document.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using the Toolbar

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1. 
   1
   Select the media you want to cut with your mouse. You can cut things such as text, images, or shapes from your Photoshop document.

   • If there are multiple objects you want to cut one layer, press Ctrl+A (PC) or ⌘ Cmd+A.
   • If you want to select more than one object at a time, you can press and hold Ctrl (PC) or ⌘ Cmd (Mac) and click the other objects.
2. 
   2
   Click the Edit menu. It's near the top-left corner of the screen.
3. 
   3
   Click Cut. The object will copy to your clipboard and disappear from the project.
4. 
   4
   Click the Edit tab. You’ll see this above your project on Windows and on the top of your screen on Mac.
5. 
   5
   Click Paste. The object will appear again in your project.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Right-clicking a Selection

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1. 
   1
   Select the media you want to cut with your mouse. You can cut things such as text, images, or shapes from your Photoshop document.

   • If there are multiple objects you want to cut one layer, press Ctrl+A (PC) or ⌘ Cmd+A.
   • If you want to select more than one object at a time, you can press and hold Ctrl (PC) or ⌘ Cmd (Mac) and click the other objects.
2. 
   2
   Right-click on your selection. A menu will appear next to your cursor.
3. 
   3
   Click Cut. The object will copy to your clipboard and disappear from the project.
4. 
   4
   Right-click on your selection. A menu will appear next to your cursor.
5. 
   5
   Click Paste. The object will appear again in your project.
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