diff --git a/src/viewer.js b/src/viewer.js
index 51b22756..fbceaf4f 100644
--- a/src/viewer.js
+++ b/src/viewer.js
@@ -2477,31 +2477,61 @@ function onBlur(){
 }
 
 function onCanvasKeyDown( event ) {
-    if ( !event.preventDefaultAction && !event.ctrl && !event.alt && !event.meta ) {
+    var canvasKeyDownEventArgs = {
+      originalEvent: event.originalEvent,
+      preventDefaultAction: event.preventDefaultAction,
+      preventVerticalPan: event.preventVerticalPan,
+      preventHorizontalPan: event.preventHorizontalPan
+    };
+    /**
+     * Raised when a keyboard key is pressed and the focus is on the {@link OpenSeadragon.Viewer#canvas} element.
+     *
+     * @event canvas-key
+     * @memberof OpenSeadragon.Viewer
+     * @type {object}
+     * @property {OpenSeadragon.Viewer} eventSource - A reference to the Viewer which raised this event.
+     * @property {Object} originalEvent - The original DOM event.
+     * @property {Boolean} preventDefaultAction - Set to true to prevent default keyboard behaviour. Default: false.
+     * @property {Boolean} preventVerticalPan - Set to true to prevent keyboard vertical panning. Default: false.
+     * @property {Boolean} preventHorizontalPan - Set to true to prevent keyboard horizontal panning. Default: false.
+     * @property {?Object} userData - Arbitrary subscriber-defined object.
+     */
+
+    this.raiseEvent('canvas-key', canvasKeyDownEventArgs);
+
+    if ( !canvasKeyDownEventArgs.preventDefaultAction && !event.ctrl && !event.alt && !event.meta ) {
         switch( event.keyCode ){
             case 38://up arrow
-                if ( event.shift ) {
+                if (!canvasKeyDownEventArgs.preventVerticalPan) {
+                  if ( event.shift ) {
                     this.viewport.zoomBy(1.1);
-                } else {
+                  } else {
                     this.viewport.panBy(this.viewport.deltaPointsFromPixels(new $.Point(0, -this.pixelsPerArrowPress)));
+                  }
+                  this.viewport.applyConstraints();
                 }
-                this.viewport.applyConstraints();
                 return false;
             case 40://down arrow
-                if ( event.shift ) {
+                if (!canvasKeyDownEventArgs.preventVerticalPan) {
+                  if ( event.shift ) {
                     this.viewport.zoomBy(0.9);
-                } else {
+                  } else {
                     this.viewport.panBy(this.viewport.deltaPointsFromPixels(new $.Point(0, this.pixelsPerArrowPress)));
+                  }
+                  this.viewport.applyConstraints();
                 }
-                this.viewport.applyConstraints();
                 return false;
             case 37://left arrow
-                this.viewport.panBy(this.viewport.deltaPointsFromPixels(new $.Point(-this.pixelsPerArrowPress, 0)));
-                this.viewport.applyConstraints();
+                if (!canvasKeyDownEventArgs.preventHorizontalPan) {
+                  this.viewport.panBy(this.viewport.deltaPointsFromPixels(new $.Point(-this.pixelsPerArrowPress, 0)));
+                  this.viewport.applyConstraints();
+                }
                 return false;
             case 39://right arrow
-                this.viewport.panBy(this.viewport.deltaPointsFromPixels(new $.Point(this.pixelsPerArrowPress, 0)));
-                this.viewport.applyConstraints();
+                if (!canvasKeyDownEventArgs.preventHorizontalPan) {
+                  this.viewport.panBy(this.viewport.deltaPointsFromPixels(new $.Point(this.pixelsPerArrowPress, 0)));
+                  this.viewport.applyConstraints();
+                }
                 return false;
             default:
                 //console.log( 'navigator keycode %s', event.keyCode );
@@ -2511,9 +2541,30 @@ function onCanvasKeyDown( event ) {
         return true;
     }
 }
-
 function onCanvasKeyPress( event ) {
-    if ( !event.preventDefaultAction && !event.ctrl && !event.alt && !event.meta ) {
+    var canvasKeyPressEventArgs = {
+      originalEvent: event.originalEvent,
+      preventDefaultAction: event.preventDefaultAction,
+      preventVerticalPan: event.preventVerticalPan,
+      preventHorizontalPan: event.preventHorizontalPan
+    };
+    /**
+     * Raised when a keyboard key is pressed and the focus is on the {@link OpenSeadragon.Viewer#canvas} element.
+     *
+     * @event canvas-key
+     * @memberof OpenSeadragon.Viewer
+     * @type {object}
+     * @property {OpenSeadragon.Viewer} eventSource - A reference to the Viewer which raised this event.
+     * @property {Object} originalEvent - The original DOM event.
+     * @property {Boolean} preventDefaultAction - Set to true to prevent default keyboard behaviour. Default: false.
+     * @property {Boolean} preventVerticalPan - Set to true to prevent keyboard vertical panning. Default: false.
+     * @property {Boolean} preventHorizontalPan - Set to true to prevent keyboard horizontal panning. Default: false.
+     * @property {?Object} userData - Arbitrary subscriber-defined object.
+     */
+
+    this.raiseEvent('canvas-key', canvasKeyPressEventArgs);
+
+    if ( !canvasKeyPressEventArgs.preventDefaultAction && !event.ctrl && !event.alt && !event.meta ) {
         switch( event.keyCode ){
             case 43://=|+
             case 61://=|+
@@ -2530,29 +2581,37 @@ function onCanvasKeyPress( event ) {
                 return false;
             case 119://w
             case 87://W
-                if ( event.shift ) {
-                    this.viewport.zoomBy(1.1);
-                } else {
-                    this.viewport.panBy(this.viewport.deltaPointsFromPixels(new $.Point(0, -40)));
-                }
-                this.viewport.applyConstraints();
-                return false;
+                if (!canvasKeyPressEventArgs.preventVerticalPan) {
+                    if ( event.shift ) {
+                        this.viewport.zoomBy(1.1);
+                    } else {
+                        this.viewport.panBy(this.viewport.deltaPointsFromPixels(new $.Point(0, -40)));
+                    }
+                    this.viewport.applyConstraints();
+                  }
+                  return false;
             case 115://s
             case 83://S
-                if ( event.shift ) {
+                if (!canvasKeyPressEventArgs.preventVerticalPan) {
+                  if ( event.shift ) {
                     this.viewport.zoomBy(0.9);
-                } else {
+                  } else {
                     this.viewport.panBy(this.viewport.deltaPointsFromPixels(new $.Point(0, 40)));
+                  }
+                  this.viewport.applyConstraints();
                 }
-                this.viewport.applyConstraints();
                 return false;
             case 97://a
-                this.viewport.panBy(this.viewport.deltaPointsFromPixels(new $.Point(-40, 0)));
-                this.viewport.applyConstraints();
+                if (!canvasKeyPressEventArgs.preventHorizontalPan) {
+                  this.viewport.panBy(this.viewport.deltaPointsFromPixels(new $.Point(-40, 0)));
+                  this.viewport.applyConstraints();
+                }
                 return false;
             case 100://d
-                this.viewport.panBy(this.viewport.deltaPointsFromPixels(new $.Point(40, 0)));
-                this.viewport.applyConstraints();
+                if (!canvasKeyPressEventArgs.preventHorizontalPan) {
+                  this.viewport.panBy(this.viewport.deltaPointsFromPixels(new $.Point(40, 0)));
+                  this.viewport.applyConstraints();
+                }
                 return false;
             default:
                 //console.log( 'navigator keycode %s', event.keyCode );