Computersight -

If you’ve never tried using keyboard shortcuts before, give these 5 helpful ones a chance. 

Five Basic Shortcut Keys:

• control + z will: undo
• control + x will: cut
• control + c will: copy
• control + v will: paste
• control + s will: save

Besides saving time, another beneficial aspect of these keystrokes is they usually work between programs. For instance you can copy something in Word, but paste it in Printshop or even Instant Messenger.

I find them particularly helpful using my Wacom Intuos 3 Art Tablet. While you can customize the pen and tablet buttons, you may find you like using these keystrokes and saving the custom feature on your pen and tablet for other shortcut functions. This frees up your right hand to draw, while your left hand controls functions that are all in a close area, meaning little movement for your left hand. Also, if your artpen does not have a customizable button that you can set to “undo”, the “control + z” feature is indispensable, especially if you have a larger tablet, where the arm stroke needed to reach the “undo” with your mouse movement is large.

If you are unfamiliar with how shortcuts work, here’s how: To use the shortcut key to edit, simply highlight the text or photo, then while holding down control, press the correct letter key. For example, if you want to move a sentence, highlight it with your mouse, then hold “control” and “x” at the same time. Move your mouse cursor to where you want to place your sentence, and hit “control” and “v.” If you simply want to save your work, press “control” + “s”.

There are literally hundreds of shortcut key combinations out there. So, hey, as you work on your computer, keep in mind there might be more you want to try