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What Is a KYS File?

How to Open or Edit Photoshop KYS Files

By Tim Fisher Tim Fisher Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability Emporia State University Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the VP and General Manager of Lifewire. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on December 9, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email File Types File Types Apps Windows MS Office Linux Google Drive Backup & Utilities Design Cryptocurrency

What to Know

A KYS file is an Adobe Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts file.Double-click to open one in Photoshop or Illustrator.Edit the shortcuts through one of those program's settings. This article describes what a KYS file is and how it works, plus how to open one with an Adobe program and how to edit the file to change its shortcuts.

What Is a KYS File

A file with the KYS file extension is an Adobe Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts file. Photoshop lets you save custom keyboard shortcuts for opening menus or running certain commands, and the KYS file is what's used to store those saved shortcuts. For example, you can save custom shortcuts for opening images, creating new layers, saving projects, flattening all the layers, and lots more. To create a Keyboard Shortcuts file in Photoshop, navigate to Window > Workspace > Keyboard Shortcuts & Menus, and use the Keyboard Shortcuts tab to find the small download button that makes the KYS file.

How to Open or Edit a KYS File

KYS files are created by and can be opened with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. Since this is a proprietary format, you probably won't find other programs that can use these files. If you double-click one to open it with Photoshop, nothing will show up on the screen. However, in the background, the new keyboard shortcut settings will be saved as the default set of shortcuts that the program should use. Opening the file this way is the fastest method to start using it with Photoshop. However, if you need to make changes to the set of keyboard shortcuts or change which set should be used at any given time, you have to go into Photoshop's settings. You can make changes to which set of shortcuts Photoshop should have "active" by going into the same screen used to make the KYS file, which is Window > Workspace > Keyboard Shortcuts & Menus. In that window is a tab called Keyboard Shortcuts. That screen lets you not only pick which KYS file should be used but also lets you edit each and every shortcut from that set. Use the save button, name it something unique, and then change the shortcuts by selecting the action and entering the keys that should trigger it.
You can also import several KYS files into Photoshop by putting them in a specific folder that Photoshop can read from. However, if you do put them in this folder, you have to then reopen Photoshop, go into the menu explained above, select the KYS file, and save the changes to start using those shortcuts. This is the folder in Windows; it's probably down a similar path in macOS: C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop [version]\Presets\Keyboard Shortcuts\ KYS files are actually just plain text files. This means you can also open them with Notepad in Windows, TextEdit in macOS, or any other text editor. However, doing this just lets you see the shortcuts that are stored within the file but doesn't let you use them. To actually use the shortcuts, you need to follow the instructions above to import and activate them within Photoshop.

How to Convert a KYS File

This file format is used only with Adobe programs. Converting one to a different file format would mean that those programs can't read it correctly, and therefore not use any custom keyboard shortcuts. This is why there aren't conversion tools that work with KYS file.

Still Can' t Open It

If double-clicking and copying the file doesn't make it work with Photoshop or Illustrator, double-check the file extension. If, after the file name, the letters don't say .kys exactly, then you're dealing with a totally different file format that most likely can't be used with an Adobe program. For example, KS is short and easy to mix up with KYS, but it actually has two primary purposes: it belongs to a format used for creating images on Linux-based operating systems, and is also called a keystore security file since it's used to store cryptographic keys and certificates. There are other examples that could be given, but the idea is the same. If you don't really have a KYS file, you'll most likely need something other than an Adobe program to view/edit/use it. FAQ Can I import shortcuts into Photoshop? Yes, you can import KYS shortcut files into Photoshop. To add more than one or add files quickly, use the import/export tool. Select Edit > Presets > Export/Import Presets > Select Import Folder. Choose your KYS files from this folder and click Import Presets to add them to Photoshop. Where can I find my KYS files for Adobe? Open AppData > Roaming > Application Name > Settings on Windows. On Macs, click Applications > Application Name. For example, to locate KYS files in Photoshop for Mac, click Locales > Language > Support Files > Shortcuts > Mac. To find KYS files for Illustrator on Mac, choose Presets > Language > Keyboard Shortcuts. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire GRD File (What It Is & How to Open One) PSP File (What It Is & How to Open One) EAP File (What It Is and How to Open One) ACV File (What It Is & How to Open One) What Is a GIF? ASE File (What It Is and How to Open One) ACO File (What It Is & How to Open One) SVG Files: What They Are and How to Open & Convert Them ARW File (What It Is & How to Open One) ABR File (What It Is and How to Open One) PAT File (What It Is and How to Open One) XLTM File (What It Is & How to Open One) AHS File (What It Is and How to Open One) PCT File (What It Is & How to Open One) AHK File (What It Is and How to Open One) What Is a DAT File? (And How to Open One) Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies