Tutorial Tech

To use a keyboard shortcut, or key combination, you press a modifier key with a character key. For example, pressing the Command key (the key with a symbol) and the "c" key at the same time copies whatever is currently selected (text, graphics, and so forth) into the Clipboard. This is also known as the Command-C key combination (or keyboard shortcut).

A modifier key is a part of many key combinations. A modifier key alters the way other keystrokes or mouse clicks are interpreted by Mac OS X. Modifier keys include: Command, Control, Option, Shift, Caps Lock, and the fn key (if your keyboard has a fn key).


Here are the modifier key symbols you can see in Mac OS X menus:

MENU COMMANDS

• Shift+Apple+Q
• Log out

• Shift+Option Apple+Q
• Log out immediately

• Shift+Apple+Delete
• Empty Trash

• Apple+H
• Hide Active Application Doesn't Work With Adobe Applications

• Option+Apple+H
• Hide All But The Active Application

• Control+Eject
• Shut Down, Sleep, or Restart Options

• Apple+Control+Eject
• Quit all applications and Restart

• Apple+ . (period)
• Stop a process

• Apple+ , (comma)
• Open Preferences for Active Application

• Option+Apple+D
• Show/Hide Dock

• Control+Up Arrow
• Move up one page

• Control+Down Arrow
• Move down one page

• Option+Apple+Esc
• Force Quit

FILE MANAGEMENT

• Apple+N
• New Finder window or New Blank Page in Some Applications

• Shift+Apple+N
• New Folder Must Be In Finder Window For It to Work

• Apple+O
• Open Another Existing Document

• Apple+S
• Save

• Shift+Apple+S
• Save as

• Apple+P
• Print

• Apple+W
• Close Window

• Apple+Option+W
• Close all Windows

• Apple+I
• Get Info

• Option+Apple+I
• Show Attributes Inspector Limited use – varies by application.

• Apple+D
• Duplicate

• Apple+Q
• Close Application

• Apple+L
• Make Alias

• Apple+R
• Show Original

• Apple+T
• Add to Favorites Deprecated

• Apple+Delete
• Move Highlighted Items to Trash

• Apple+E
• Eject

• Apple+F
• Find

EDITING

• Apple+Z
• Undo

• Apple+X
• Cut

• Apple+C
• Copy

• Apple+V
• Paste

• Apple+A
• Select All

• Apple+ {
• Align Left Only Works in Some Applications

• Apple+ }
• Align Right Only Works in Some Applications

• Apple+ | (pipe)
• Align Center Only Works in Some Applications

• Apple+ ; (semicolon)
• Check Spelling Only Works in Some Applications

• Shift+Apple+C
• Show Colors palette in application Only Works in Some Applications

• Apple+T
• Show Font palette in application Only Works in Some Applications

VIEW MENU

• Apple+1
• View as Icons

• Apple+2
• View as List

• Apple+3
• View as Columns

• Option+Apple+T
• Hide Toolbar

• Apple+J
• Show View Options

MOVING AROUND

• Apple+ [
• Back Must be in Finder Window

• Apple+ ]
• Forward Must be in Finder Window

• Shift+Apple+A
• Applications Must be in Finder Window

• Shift+Apple+F
• Favorites Must be in Finder Window

• Shift+Apple+G
• Goto Folder Must be in Finder Window

• Apple+K
• Connect to Server Must be in Finder Window

• Apple+Tab
• Switch to next Application Hold Apple key to enter App. switcher mode

CONTROLLING WINDOWS

• Apple+N
• New Window

• Apple+T
• New Tab If the Application supports Tabs

• Apple+M
• Minimize Window

• Option+Apple+M
• Minimize All Windows

GETTING HELP

• Apple+ ?
• Open Mac Help

UNIVERSAL ACCESS

• Option+Apple+ * (asterisk)
• Turn on Zoom

• Option+Apple+ =
• Zoom in

• Option+Apple+ -
• Zoom out

• Control+Option+Apple+ *
• Switch to White on Black

COMBINE KEYBOARD WITH MOUSE

• Option+Drag
• Copy to new location

• Option+Apple+Drag
• Make alias in new location

• Apple+Drag
• Move to new location without copying

SCREEN SHOTS

• Apple+Shift+3
• Take a picture of the screen will leave a .png file on desktop

• Apple+Shift+4
• Take a picture of the selection will leave a .png file on desktop

• Apple+Shift+4, Control
• Take a picture of the selection, place in clipboard

• Apple+Shift+4, Spacebar
• Take a picture of the selected window will leave a .png file on desktop