Photo from Flickr user Fi20100

Shortcuts, shortcuts, shortcuts! The more of these little bad boys you know and use the faster you will be. I’ve decided this will be an ongoing list that I will probably add to weekly if not daily. Please feel free to add yours in the comments or twitter them to me @MacfusionGirl

Legend:

(Command key) – on older Apple keyboards this key also had an Apple logo ()
(Control key)
(Option key) – “Alt” may also appear on this key
(Shift key)

Command+Shift+3 This takes a picture of your entire screen

Command+Shift+4 This will give you crosshairs to select what you want to capture

Command+a Selects all, you can use this command in nearly every application

Command+c copy

Command+v paste

Command+p print

Command+o open

Command+q quit

Command+s save

Command+Shift+S to do a save as (this doesn’t work in all apps. Microsoft I’m talking to you)

Command+w close

Command+Option+esc gives you the force quit dialog box. If your application is really frozen you may need to click out of it first (like click on the desktop or an open window in another app)

Command+Shift+A gives you the Applications folder

Command+Shift+U gives you the Utilities folder

Command+h to hide an application. Good for when you’re being sneaky at work Doesn’t work with Adobe though.

Option+Mouse click outside of an app will also hide. I use this for Adobe apps. So if you are in Photoshop putting your head on a body that is better than yours for Mactch.com and don’t want your cube mate to see you would Option+Click on the desktop and Photoshop and your new hot bod picture will vanish from the screen!

Command+comma (,) to open preferences in most applications. This is one of my favorites, I guess being a Tech I spend a lot of time checking out peoples prefs.

Tab in Safari to jump from one input box to another. This tab jump works in many apps and browsers as well. Also in System Preferences.

Shift+Tab in Safari to jump backwards from one input box to another. This tab jump works in many apps and browsers as well. Also in System Preferences.

Command+m minimizes the active window and puts it in your dock.

Shift+Right Arrow When selecting text this will select one character at a time.

Shift+Left Arrow When selecting text this will DESELECT one character at a time.

Shift+Option+Right Arrow When selecting text this will select one word at a time.

Shift+Option+Left Arrow When selecting text this will DESELECT one word at a time.

Shift+Command+Right Arrow When selecting text this will select the entire line.

Shift+Command+Left Arrow When selecting text this will DESELECT the entire line.

Shift+Down Arrow When selecting text this will select the one line of text from the point of insertion to the line beneath.

Shift+Up Arrow When selecting text this will select the one line of text from the point of insertion to the line above.

Shift+Command+Down Arrow When selecting text this will select all the text below the insertion point.

Shift+Command+Up Arrow When selecting text this will select all the text above the insertion point.

UPDATED

Shift+Option+K to get the Apple icon  This is somewhat font dependent so it may not work everywhere.

This is a list in progress. I’m trying really hard to not just steal these from somewhere else and give you the ones I know.