This is a Google Drawing I did recently for a video animation project. I needed to exert a lot of control over placement to ensure that the school windows lined up and that the flag was representative. The “stars” (dots) and the “stripes” (scribbles) are quite small. Even with the canvas enlarged, using the cursor alone to position these items would not have allowed all the representative stars and stripes to end up on the actual flag canvas. Fortunately, within Google Drawing you have the ability to move objects 1 pixel at a time in any horizontal or vertical direction with no mouse or trackpad involved. This ability is incredibly helpful when working with small objects and especially with layered items. Once your object is selected, hold down the shift key and the desired arrow key for ultimate control over your Google Drawing creation.

Try it out! What will you create using this shortcut?