DaVinci Resolve is Hollywood's free color-grading suite that grew into a full editor — and its keyboard map follows professional NLE logic: JKL playback, Q/W ripple trims and F-key source edits. This complete list of DaVinci Resolve keyboard shortcut keys explains playback, trimming, timeline and page shortcuts in plain words.
Playback and Navigation Shortcuts
| Shortcut Key | Function |
|---|---|
| Spacebar or K | Play / stop |
| L | Play forward (press repeatedly to play faster) |
| J | Play in reverse (press repeatedly for faster reverse) |
| Left / Right Arrow | Move one frame back / forward |
| , (comma) / . (period) | Step one frame back / forward |
| Shift + Left / Right Arrow | Move one second back / forward |
| Up / Down Arrow | Go to the previous / next edit point |
| Home / End | Go to the first / last frame |
| I | Mark In point |
| O | Mark Out point |
| Shift + I / Shift + O | Go to the In / Out point |
| Alt + I / Alt + O | Clear the In / Out point |
| Alt + X | Clear both In and Out points |
| Ctrl + F | Toggle the full-screen viewer (Cinema Viewer) |
Editing and Trimming Shortcuts
| Shortcut Key | Function |
|---|---|
| A | Normal Edit (Selection) mode |
| T | Trim Edit mode |
| B | Blade Edit mode (razor) |
| Ctrl + \ (backslash) | Split the clip(s) at the playhead (blade cut) |
| Shift + \ | Join the clips back through the selected edit point |
| Q | Trim the clip Start to the playhead (ripple) |
| W | Trim the clip End to the playhead (ripple) |
| N | Toggle Snapping on the timeline |
| Ctrl + Shift + L | Toggle Linked Selection (video/audio stay linked) |
| F9 | Insert the source clip at the playhead |
| F10 | Overwrite the timeline with the source clip |
| F11 | Replace the timeline clip with the source clip |
| F12 | Append the source clip at the end of the timeline |
| Ctrl + C / Ctrl + X / Ctrl + V | Copy / cut / paste |
| Ctrl + Shift + V | Paste Attributes onto the selected clip(s) |
| Alt + drag a clip | Copy the clip to the drop position |
| Backspace | Lift the selection (remove, leaving a gap) |
| Delete (Del) | Ripple delete the selection (closes the gap) |
| Ctrl + Z / Ctrl + Shift + Z | Undo / redo |
| M | Add a marker at the playhead |
| Ctrl + + / Ctrl + - | Zoom the timeline in / out |
| Shift + Z | Zoom the timeline to fit the whole edit |
Pages and General Shortcuts
| Shortcut Key | Function |
|---|---|
| Shift + 2 | Go to the Media page |
| Shift + 3 | Go to the Cut page |
| Shift + 4 | Go to the Edit page |
| Shift + 5 | Go to the Fusion page |
| Shift + 6 | Go to the Color page |
| Shift + 7 | Go to the Fairlight page |
| Shift + 8 | Go to the Deliver page |
| Ctrl + B | Create a new Bin (on the Media page) |
| Ctrl + N | Create a new Timeline (new project from the Project Manager) |
| Ctrl + S | Save the project |
| Ctrl + Shift + S | Save the project As |
| Ctrl + O | Open a project |
| Ctrl + I | Import media |
| Ctrl + Q | Quit Resolve |
| Alt + S (Color page) | Add a Serial node |
| Alt + P (Color page) | Add a Parallel node |
| Alt + L (Color page) | Add a Layer node |
| Ctrl + D (Color page) | Bypass/disable the selected node (toggle) |
| Middle-click a thumbnail (Color page) | Apply that grade/still to the current clip |
Tips for Resolve Users
JKL is the heartbeat: L plays, K stops, J reverses — and tapping L again doubles the speed each time. Q and W ripple-trim a clip's head or tail straight to the playhead, closing gaps automatically — the fastest rough-cut tool in Resolve. On the Color page, middle-clicking a Gallery still applies its grade instantly, and Alt + S builds serial node chains without touching the node editor menus.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I split a clip at the playhead in DaVinci Resolve?
Press Ctrl + \ (backslash) — all selected (or all under-playhead) clips are cut at that frame. Shift + \ joins clips back through an edit point.
What is the difference between Backspace and Delete in Resolve?
Backspace lifts the clip out and leaves a gap; Delete ripple-deletes it and pulls everything after it closed.
How do I switch pages quickly in Resolve?
Use Shift + 2 through Shift + 8: Media, Cut, Edit, Fusion, Color, Fairlight, Deliver.
How do I zoom the timeline to fit in Resolve?
Press Shift + Z. Ctrl + + and Ctrl + − zoom in and out around the playhead.
By Umar Farooq, Tech Know.
0 Comments