Quick keyboard shortcuts

Can you handle the excitement?

The Application Bar, I keep it at the top of the screen. I spend a lot time going up there. Whether its to change a font size, move a frame or just flick through the multitude of options on a rainy day. The Application Bar, it's the place to be. But rather than mouse up to it every time, the quickest way there from anywhere in the document is to use command/ctrl+6. This shortcut drops you neatly into the first available field or button, depending on what is selected on the document. But wait! Hands off that mouse! There is more, here are a couple of useful things to know whilst you are at the bar.



Keep on moving
To get around the Application Bar use the tab key to cycle forward through the various fields and buttons on display. Alternatively Shift+Tab cycles you backwards. When you arrive at the first icon in a group, the Text Wrap buttons for example, use the cursor keys to move through the items contained within that set, tab will jump you over to the next group.


After you have made a change to a text field you can easily just tab out and remain active in the Application Bar. But with buttons, you hit return to select it and… you are dumped back into the document?! How can that be! It's easily fixed, to activate a button and stay at the bar simply use Shift+Return to resume tabbing around. As mentioned above to leave the bar behind just press return when making a change or re-use command/ctrl+6 to drop back into the document.


And finally, if you have a keyboard with a numeric pad and a frame selected, you can set the Reference Point before making Application Bar adjustments. Jumping up to the bar will always place you in the first available field/button. In the case of a frame that'll be the X Location. Shift+Tab backwards into Reference Point grid and then use the corresponding number key on the pad to set where you want the point to be. For example, 1 = bottom left, 5 = centre, 7 = top left. It's all so easy.


Keyboard shortcuts are a great way to look smug in front of your colleagues, I recommend learning as many as possible!


Just to be clear command/ctrl+6 means command+6 or ctrl+6. One is for Windows one is for OS X.