The Importance of Keyboard Shortcuts

Aren't you tired of clicking and using the mouse all the time in Illustrator, Photoshop or other design software? The best way to speed up your work is with keyboard shortcuts. If you want to know more, please keep reading.

"Ctrl+x, Ctrl+c, Ctrl+v, Ctrl+z"

 

Almost everyone know these combinations. They're the most used since they are present in almost all programs, both Windows and other operating systems. When using them for the first time in my childhood, I could only see them as that nothing else.

Knowing the Keyboard Shortcuts

When I first started using design software, I discovered that these combinations have a name, and there were even more than I knew. In addition to that they change between every application, which allows the existence of a wide range of them.

And if there is something that I can confirm from my own experience, it is that once you put them into practice and get used to them, there is no going back.

My Experience with Keyboard Shortcuts

By definition, keyboard shortcuts are key combinations which allow us to execute previously defined actions, which we would commonly perform with the mouse. The idea behind this is to optimize your work and keep your eyes on the screen.

Although it has facilitated my work with design software, where I have benefited the most has been in MMORPG's. At first I used the default shortcuts, but the more I played and researched, I discovered that they can be modified and adapted to both the need and your gameplay, allowing me to be efficient.

Why Keyboard Shortcuts Matters?

Efficiency is the main reason why keyboard shortcuts are important. They allow you to organize a set of actions depending on your needs, in that case, on the activities you want to do: draw, write, photoedit, programming, etc.

Another reason is that it is often the case of software that, although from different developers, share the same shortcuts, which would make it easier for you to adapt to a new work environment.

Once you have practiced enough, you will have enough agility to carry out the activities in less time.

If you use or plan to use plugins, they can also be run via shortcuts. Of course, it depends on the program you use.

A Tip

To conclude this post, what I recommend -with my current experience- when working is that you always have one hand on the mouse and the other one on the keyboard. If you can, modify the shortcuts to have them as close to your keyboard hand as possible. If it is more optimal for you to execute an action with the mouse than with the keyboard, do it.

You don't have to learn all the shortcuts. Learn only what you need for the tasks you will do, but do not forget that the main thing should be efficiency.

"Regardless of how you travel, the shortcuts you take, whether or not you meet expectations, you always end up learning something"

                                                                                                       -Jack Kerouac, novelist

Replica made in Illustrator from a 3D work. You can watch more about it here.