PCW Mailbag: How to Hide Tools and UI in Sketchbook Pro like a Boss

This week’s PCW mailbag question comes from Paula, who writes:

Hi, This is a technical question. I’ve read some of your comments on SketchBook Pro. I finding the learning curve a little steep and the software help minimal for beginners. My question- How to do a screen shot of the canvas for a video. My problem is I would like just have the drawing without all the tools in the perimeter.
Thank you

Great question, Paula!

To go fullscreen, press Option-Command-J (Alt-Control-J on Mac) and then press the Tab key (to hide all the UI). Command-J by itself will only hide the radial menu.

Other useful keyboard shortcuts that I use within Sketchbook Pro are:

• Command-L (makes a new layer)
• Command-E (merge with the layers below)
• Press and hold V (to move the layer down or up, while seeing a preview of that layer)

Hope that clears things up!

And speaking of keyboard shortcuts, my biggest gripe with Sketchbook Pro is that there is no way to reconfigure or customize the keyboard shortcuts. The end result is I wind up working slower than I’d like when I’m using the tool. Nine times out of ten, this is why I will start the design in SBP and move over to Photoshop. For the last year or so, my artistic tool of choice is Manga Studio Pro EX5, which DOES let you configure its keyboard shortcuts (among other things).

Got a question? Ask away on the PCW Mailbag!

-Krishna