custom keyboard shortcuts for symbols mac

CUSTOM KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS FOR SYMBOLS MAC PLUS

After creating the shortcut, it should appear in the menu next to the command. Therefore, choose 'Other' at the bottom of the list and select Pages that way (it will now appear in the list for future shortcuts). Initially the list may only be populated with applications that are directly in the /Applications folder, so Pages may not be listed because it is in the /Applications/iWork/ folder by default.

CUSTOM KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS FOR SYMBOLS MAC PLUS

In looking at Richard's need for a shortcut to invoke the 'Instant Alpha' command, here's how it will be done.Ĭlick the plus symbol under the shortcut list to add a new shortcut, and select Pages from the 'Application' list. The listed shortcuts are system-wide, and should function in all applications regardless of which one is in focus however, for applications such as Pages, you will need to assign a special 'Application Shortcut' that will only be functional when the specific application is in focus. Choose an Application, enter the command title, and type a command sequence for creating a shortcut. You can also change the shortcut to something else by double-clicking the shortcut command, and then pressing the shortcut keys that you want for the command. If you select any of these you will see the currently assigned shortcut, and can disable it by toggling the check box next to the function's entry. In here you will see a list of system functions such as Expose and Spaces, Screen Shots, and Spotlight. The tool is rather easy to set up, and should allow you to use any of a variety of keyboard combinations for practically any OS X application.įirst, open the Keyboard system preferences, and go to the 'Keyboard Shortcuts' tab. Is there a way to assign a keystroke to Instant Alpha? Widening this query, is there a way to assign a keystroke to menu functions for any program?Īpple has a built-in keyboard shortcut assignment feature where you can customize some system shortcuts, and also assign unused shortcuts to application functions. Positioning the cursor again and again is becoming irritating. Using Pages (4.0.3) in iWork '09, I constantly use Instant Alpha, which has no assigned keystroke, in the Format menu. Program menus list keystroke combinations (presumably the most popular) for some functions for the others you must position the cursor on it and click. MacFixIt reader 'Richard' recently wrote in asking about the options for setting custom keyboard shortcuts: The standard 'Format' menu in Pages does not have a shortcut for the 'Instant Alpha' command. Though these are convenient, many times applications will have frequently used functions that do not have an associated keyboard shortcut. Keyboard shortcuts for various commands are exceptionally useful for speeding up your workflow, and many applications have some set of custom keyboard shortcuts (beyond those reserved for system functions), that can be used for common functions.

Custom keyboard shortcuts for symbols mac