New Website

Hey Everyone, 

I realize it has been awhile since I posted on this account, but I some big news. I have created a new website full of some new designs and some of the classic stuff. Everything from branding and websites, to photography and painting. Why not give it a look! 

I'm also open for some freelance work as well. Do you need a logo for a start up company, or maybe a new website to help boost sales? Let me know we can work something out to help you stand out from the rest when it comes to promoting your business. Thanks again for all of your support and I hope to hear from you real soon! 

All the Best,




https://rkaye93.wixsite.com/rachelrisingdesign

{ 7 Tools That Make Design More Efficient }

Weld - strips away complexity by giving designers the power to focus on an outside in UX approach. It allows you to design and are responsive interfaces without any coding

Tiff - helped designers visually contrast the difference between tow fonts by placing them side by 

side. Works with all system fonts so you can easily compare an infinite amount of different typefaces and make fast font decisions

Brandfolder - user friendly interface makes it simple to organize logos, colors and fonts all from a single cloud based folder, which can be made public or private. Having all your assets in a single location makes for a quick response for emails.

What the Font - helps you discover the fonts origin. Simply upload a screenshot of the font in action and it will match the typefaces with the name of a matching typeface

Colorkit - this color tool helps designers create, manage and save their color collections. With the ability to integrate colors into existing projects and attach them to shapes and text, organizing colors has never been easier.

Userbrain- this lets designers get new users to test out their website each week. By providing you’re with frequent feedback, it makes it easy for you to identify issues and make changes as soon as possible

Unroll.me- this smart subscription organizer makes it easy to unsubscribe from all those mass emails cluttering your inbox. You can also opt to have your emails organized into a single daily email, ensuring that you receive only the message you want, exactly when you want them

https://creativemarket.com/blog/2015/05/04/7-tools-that-make-designers-more-efficient

{ HTML Cheat Sheet }

When it comes to remembering HTML codes it can be hard to get it all straight. I have recently started my advanced web design class and my professor handed out a HTML cheat sheet to keep with us for reference. So why not share it with you guys on my blog, so it can help you the next time that HTML coding gets you in over your head. Sorry that the codes may seem small on screen but with a simple click of the Ctrl and the + sign you can make it appear bigger on the screen. Happy Coding!!!!

{ How to Fix a Bad Design }

When it comes to designing, we all have created things that we may not have been so happy about. So here are some tips to fix a bad design.

{1} Scrap Bad Photography

This single step can have a huge impact on a design. Modern, on-trend photography is the only kind of photography that should be included on a website. If it isn't good, it's better not to use images at all. Cheap and tacky imagery makes the website look cheap and tacky. Unless you can replace your photographs with a professional's work, scrap them all and rely on your font choices.

{2} Make Navigation Simpler

Your users won't stick around unless your website is easy to browse and navigate. Surfing the Internet is all about doing something fast and getting it done without obstacles. Clever, easy-to-use bars, straightforward menus and clearly demonstrated buttons ensure that site navigation isn't a problem.

{3} Choose Better Fonts

Fonts can present all kinds of problems in your site's design. Is the font size consistent with the site as a whole? Does the color of the font clash with the background or other text? It is almost always best to go for a unified appearance. It is a novice's mistake to choose more than is absolutely necessary. Use no more than two font sizes and one, or at most two, font styles.

{4} Declutter

Your site's layout can always get better by getting rid of the clutter: minimalist design wins in most cases. Try to eliminate anything that stands out in a distasteful way. You don't want your users to be overwhelmed. Eliminate badges, links and networks, and if you absolutely must include them, put them on the About page.

{5} Fix Bad Call-to-Action Buttons

Call-to-action buttons are a tricky business. They're needed, but when used badly, they can make the site look more like a cheap advertising setup than a classy service. Be discreet. Make them evident but not overwhelming. Camouflage them subtly. Find appropriate positions for them and make sure they work correctly and don't lead the user anywhere irrelevant.

{6} Use a Grid

You make think alignment issues have gone the way of the dinosaur because of grid systems, but amateur site designs almost always suffer from this problem. Sometimes a seemingly cluttered site design can be drastically improved by imposing a much-needed grid layout. Also, if the client's site isn't responsive or at least optimized for mobile, there's a serious discussion to be had on that front.

{7} Correct Broken Links

If a client hands you an aging site and is looking for a refresh, you can bet good money that you'll find some ancient links floating around that no longer work. Checking all the links on a site can be a dull, tedious task, so be sure to use a tool like the W3C's Link Checker.

{8} Coordinate Colors

Another mistake amateur web designers make is choosing terrible color schemes. If the site your client hands you makes your eyes bleed, your first task should be to update the colors. Like everything else, the rule here is to simplify. Like removing ugly wallpaper from an old house, you might find something decent under that bad color scheme!

{9} Harmonize the Text-Background Relationship

Don't let the background harm the readability of your content. This kind of mistake is considered the ultimate crime by professional website designers. Browse your site and pay close attention to any background choices that don't complement the text entirely. Your best bet when it comes to your website's background is almost always white.

{10} Is It Worth The Effort?

The most important consideration to put forth when attempting to fix a bad design is whether or not it's worth the trouble. Always give your honest opinion to a client and let them know when starting from scratch will be faster, easier, and/or better than putting a band-aid on an ultimately doomed project.

https://creativemarket.com/blog/2015/01/09/how-to-fix-a-bad-

{ A Design Students World }

Here's a look into what goes on inside a designs mind, almost all the time. Maybe next time you see a design student you'll look at them differently. To find more great videos check out Buzzfeed, click here to find out for yourself.

{ Gift Ideas For Web Designers }

Much like graphic designers, web designers can be hard to shop for. With Christmas just days away here are some simple gift ideas for web designers.

{1} Lifta Desk Organiser-  You can find it on Made By Cardinal for around $155. Click here to find out more.

{2} Floppy Disk Coaster - You can find it on Etsy for around $16.36. Click here to find out more.

{3} UI Stencils - You can find it on UI Stencils for around $29. Click here to find out more.

{4} Typodarium 2015 - You can find it on Amazon for around $13.33. Click here to find out more.

{5} Cascading Style Sheet Tee - You can find it on The Unrefinery for around $20. Click here to find out more.

{6} Pixel Mouse- You can find it on Amazon for around $14.85. Click here to find out more.

{7} Cosmonaut Wide Grip Stylus- You can find it on Amazon for around $22.99. Click here to find out more.

{8} Cooking for Geeks- You can find it on Amazon for around $15.30. Click here to find our more.

{9} Foldable - You can find it on Foldable.me for around $11.99. Click here to find out more.

{10} EcoDIY Elephant Speaker - You can find it on Area+ for around $22.50. Click here to find out more.

{11} Balcony Desk - You can find it on Reformhaus for around $128.Click here to find out more.

{12} net Magazine Subscription - You can find it on My Favorite Magazine. Click here to find out more.

{13}  Build On Brick Mug- You can find it on ThinkGeek for around $14.99. Click here to find out more.

{14} Letterpress Cookie Cutters - You can find it on Amazon for around $12.17. Click here to find out more.

{15} Tian White and Walnut - You can find it on Mikili for around $385. Click here to find out more.

{16} Day Ruining Invoices - You can find it on Jessica Hische for around $25. Click here to find out more.

{17} Smart Wall Paint - You can find it on Smart Wall Paint for around $99. Click here to find out more.

{18} HTML Necklace - You can find it on Etsy for around $26.18. Click here to find out more.

{19} Wall Notebook- You can find it on Wall Notebook for around $16.95. Click here to find out more.

{20} Responsive Sketch Pad - You can find it on UI Stencils for around $16. Click here to find out more.

http://www.creativebloq.com/netmag/20-great-gift-ideas-web-designers-121310032

{ Choosing The Right Colors For Your Website }

When it comes to choosing the right color palette for your website the right colors can make all the differences. The combination of shades can create an every lasting impression on your website visitors. A food blog should make you feel hunger and ambition, commercial sites should inspire desire for the product, whatever your site is it should inspire your readers to keep coming back for more. Whatever the purpose of the site the colors contribution should always set the mood and personality. A professional appearance is essential to success, so here are some examples of excellent color designs to keep in mind the next time you create a website.

Three-Color Websites

The following examples are of three-color websites. The three colors can be any combination, primary, secondary, tertiary and they can be complementary or analogous. It’s important for the colors to work well with each other, but it’s also essential that they don’t overlap too much. If your colors are too similar, your site may not pop and users may go elsewhere for a more stimulating experience. If you like a three-color scheme, check out some of these next examples.

{1} In addition to an adorable icon that saunters as you scroll down the page, the Fat-Man Collective website clearly has its web design in order. The three-color scheme includes a neutral warm gray, a professional and powerful black, and a warm and invigorating yellow. These colors work together to suggest professionalism, creativity and intelligence. The yellow helps elevate the feeling to one of optimism.

{2} Blue evokes feelings of calm, stability and peace, and that’s what the French design website Pentagon wanted to express with its front page. Using multiple shades of blue and leaving the background white for clarity and cleanliness, the business has created a soothing yet respectable appearance that appeals to a wide variety of customers.

Five-Color Websites

Expanding on the three-color theme, five colors allow for a greater variety of accent tones and interest. With five colors, you can stimulate a full sensory experience based on the way a color makes a person feel. The extra shades refine the image to one that perfectly suits your web design. Check out the following examples for good uses of five-color themes, and check out some available themes to streamline your design process, rather than starting from scratch.

{1} The perfect case of a website utilizing three strong main colors and two accent colors can be seen in Mint. Using white for clarity, green for money and growth, and black for professionalism, the website also uses orange and red as accent tones that add optimism, cheer and energy to the site’s overall sensation.

{2} Some companies use all colors with equal weight, more or less. Your blog or business doesn’t have to use two or three dedicated accent shades; the colors can swap places depending on the page layout, and each color can take a turn as the main option, like in the example of Carbonite, which uses purple, green, blue, white and gray. The result is accessible, trustworthy and clean, exactly what you want from a file saving company.



https://creativemarket.com/blog/2013/11/19/choosing-the-right-colors-for-your-website?utm_content=buffer7aee2&utm_medium=social&utm_source=CMfacebook&utm_campaign=buffer

{ Fonts Used on Famous Websites }

Types used in designs and websites can be fascinating. Back in the day we only had a few typefaces to choose from, but not a days designers use a diverse amount of fonts. That being said, if you take a look at some of the top sites on the web you'll see that some of the old standards are still in use. Old standards such as Helvetica, Arial and Georgia. Were going to take a look at sites such as Facebook, Google, and Wikipedia to see what fonts they use in headings and body copy.

{1} Helvetica

It’s not surprising that the social media giant Facebook uses Helvetica, an immensely popular sans serif font, for almost all of its content choices. The font doesn’t change between your mobile and desktop interface, as its one of the most common fonts out there. Facebook is displaying its role as the standard of social media in an age where new start-ups abound. Pinterest and Tumblr are also Helvetica lovers, and Buzzfeed uses it for the body font on its homepage in snippets of featured articles and lists.

{2} Arial

Like Helvetica, Arial is a basic font that is easy to read. Twitter and Google both use Arial for all their copy and content. The Huffington Post also uses Arial on its front page but uses the Georgia font for full articles. Arial’s origins actually stem from the aforementioned standard font, Helvetica. Arial had the same heights and widths as Helvetica to work as a placeholder for designers who couldn’t afford the rights to Helvetica but wanted to keep their font choices open to change in the future.

{3} Georgia 

Like Helvetica, Arial is a basic font that is easy to read. Twitter and Google both use Arial for all their copy and content. The Huffington Post also uses Arial on its front page but uses the Georgia font for full articles. Arial’s origins actually stem from the aforementioned standard font, Helvetica. Arial had the same heights and widths as Helvetica to work as a placeholder for designers who couldn’t afford the rights to Helvetica but wanted to keep their font choices open to change in the future.

{4} Proxima Nova 

Hip news needs an equally hip font to make it pop. Buzzfeed uses Proxima Nova, a new Futura-like font created by designer Mark Simmons. It features many different weights and alternative characters, so it is extremely versatile whenever and wherever it is used. Buzzfeed shakes up the standards with other bold font choices on its homepage: Helvetica for a body font in snips of featured articles and Tahoma, a humanist sans serif, for footers. Cracked also features Proxima Nova in its body font, simple headlines and footers, but it also uses Arvo for its mind-blowing headlines.

{5} Arvo

Like Buzzfeed, Cracked uses Proxima Nova for some of its body, but it uses a sleek, new font called Arvo to catch your attention in the headers. It’s close to Egyptian with it’s slab-serifs, and it is very geometric. Arvo is a free font available through Google, so it’s becoming quite popular.

https://creativemarket.com/blog/2014/12/09/fonts-in-use-on-famous-websites?utm_content=bufferee949&utm_medium=social&utm_source=CMfacebook&utm_campaign=buffer

{ Web Design Mistakes- Part 2 }

A few day ago I posted something called Wed Design Mistakes Part One. In that post  I told you guys about some helpful tips and tricks that could help you when it comes to designing a website. So with out further or do here is Web Design Mistakes part 2.


{25}  Use a simple navigation structure: sometimes less is more. This rule usually applies to people and choices. Make sure that your website has a single, clear navigation structure. The last thing you want is to confuse the reader regarding where he should go to find the information he is looking for.

{26}  Avoid “intros”: do not force the user to watch or read something before he can access to the real content. This is plain annoying, and he will stay only if what you have to offer is really unique.

{27}  Do not use FrontPage: this point extends to other cheap HTML editors. While they appear to make web design easier, the output will be a poorly crafted code, incompatible with different browsers and with several bugs.

{28}  Make sure your website is cross-browser compatible: not all browsers are created equal, and not all of them interpret CSS and other languages on the same way. Like it or not, you will need to make your website compatible with the most used browsers on the market, else you will lose readers over the long term.

{29}  Make sure to include anchor text on links: I confess I used to do that mistake until some time ago. It is easier to tell people to “click here”. But this is not efficient. Make sure to include a relevant anchor text on your links. It will ensure that the reader knows where he is going to if he clicks the link, and it will also create SEO benefits for the external site where the link is pointing.

{30}  Do not cloak links: apart from having a clear anchor text, the user must also be able to see where the link is pointing on the status bar of his browser. If you cloak your links (either because they are affiliate ones or due to other reasons) your site will lose credibility.

{31}  Make links visible: the visitor should be able to recognize what is clickable and what is not, easily. Make sure that your links have a contrasting color (the standard blue color is the optimal most of the times). Possibly also make them underlined.

{32}  Do not underline or color normal text: do not underline normal text unless absolutely necessary. Just as users need to recognize links easily, they should not get the idea that something is clickable when in reality it is not.

{33}  Make clicked links change color: this point is very important for the usability of your website. Clicked links that change color help the user to locate himself more easily around your site, making sure that he will not end up visiting the same pages unintentionally.

{34}  Do not use animated GIFs: unless you have advertising banners that require animation, avoid animated GIFs. They make a site look unprofessional and detract the attention from the content.

{35}  Make sure to use the ALT and TITLE attributes for images: apart from having SEO benefits the ALT and TITLE attributes for images will play an important role for blind users.

{36}  Do not use harsh colors: if the user is getting a headache after visiting your site for 10 consecutive minutes, you probably should pick a better color scheme. Design the color palette around your objectives (i.e. deliver a mood, let the user focus on the content, etc.).

{37}  Do not use pop ups: this point refers to pop ups of any kind. Even user requested pop ups are a bad idea given the increasing amount of pop blockers out there.

{38}  Avoid Javascript links: those links execute a small Javascript when the user clicks on them. Stay away from them since they often create problems for the user.

{39} Include functional links on your footer: people are used to scrolling down to the footer of a website if they are not finding a specific information. At the very least you want to include a link to the Homepage and possibly a link to the “Contact Us” page.

{40}  Avoid long pages: guess what, if the user needs to scroll down forever in order to read your content he will probably just skip it altogether. If that is the case with your website make it shorter and improve the navigation structure.

{41}  No horizontal scrolling: while some vertical scrolling is tolerable, the same can not be said about horizontal scrolling. The most used screen resolution nowadays is 1024 x 768 pixels, so make sure that your website fits inside it.

{42}  No spelling or grammatical mistakes: this is not a web design mistake, but it is one of the most important factors affecting the overall quality of a website. Make sure that your links and texts do not contain spelling or grammatical mistakes.

{43}  If you use CAPTCHA make sure the letters are readable: several sites use CAPTCHA filters as a method of reducing spam on comments or on registration forms. There is just one problem with it, most of the times the user needs to call his whole family to decipher the letters.

http://www.dailyblogtips.com/43-web-design-mistakes-you-should-avoid/

{ Web Design Mistakes- Part 1 }

There are several things that can go wrong when it comes to creating a web site that is suitable for the Internet. Here is a list of some common website mistakes that can happen to anyone.
Some are common sense and other may be harder to understand, but never the less here they are.

{1} The user must know what the site is about in the first couple of seconds. Attention is one the most valuable currencies on the Internet. If a visitor can not figure what your site is about in a couple of seconds, he will probably just go somewhere else. Your site must communicate why I should spend my time there, and FAST!

{2} Make the content scannable: this is the Internet, not a book, so forget large blocks of text. Probably I will be visiting your site while I work on other stuff so make sure that I can scan through the entire content. Bullet points, headers, subheaders, lists. Anything that will help the reader filter what he is looking for.

{3} Do not use fancy fonts that are unreadable: sure there are some fonts that will give a sophisticated look to your website. But are they readable? If your main objective is to deliver a message and get the visitors reading your stuff, then you should make the process comfortable for them.

{4} Do not use tiny fonts: the previous point applies here, you want to make sure that readers are comfortable reading your content. My Firefox does have a zooming feature, but if I need to use on your website it will probably be the last time I visit it.

{5} Do not open new browser windows: I used to do that on my first websites. The logic was simple, if I open new browser windows for external links the user will never leave my site. WRONG! Let the user control where he wants the links to open. There is a reason why browsers have a huge “Back” button. Do not worry about sending the visitor to another website, he will get back if he wants to (even porn sites are starting to get conscious regarding this point lately…).

{6}  Do not resize the user’s browser windows: the user should be in control of his browser. If you resize it you will risk to mess things up on his side, and what is worse you might lose your credibility in front of him.

{7} Do not require a registration unless it is necessary: lets put this straight, when I browse around the Internet I want to get information, not the other way around. Do not force me to register up and leave my email address and other details unless it is absolutely necessary (i.e. unless what you offer is so good that I will bear with the registration).

{8}  Never subscribe the visitor for something without his consent: do not automatically subscribe a visitor to newsletters when he registers up on your site. Sending unsolicited emails around is not the best way to make friends.

{9}  Do not overuse Flash: apart from increasing the load time of your website, excessive usage of Flash might also annoy the visitors. Use it only if you must offer features that are not supported by static pages.

{10}  Do not play music: on the early years of the Internet web developers always tried to successfully integrate music into websites. Guess what, they failed miserably. Do not use music, period.

{11}  If you MUST play an audio file let the user start it: some situations might require an audio file. You might need to deliver a speech to the user or your guided tour might have an audio component. That is fine. Just make sure that the user is in control, let him push the “Play” button as opposed to jamming the music on his face right after he enters the website.

{12}  Do not clutter your website with badges: first of all, badges of networks and communities make a site look very unprofessional. Even if we are talking about awards and recognition badges you should place them on the “About Us” page.

{13}  Do not use a homepage that just launches the “real” website: the smaller the number of steps required for the user to access your content, the better.

{14}  Make sure to include contact details: there is nothing worse than a website that has no contact details. This is not bad only for the visitors, but also for yourself. You might lose important feedback along the way.

{15}  Do not break the “Back” button: this is a very basic principle of usability. Do not break the “Back” button under any circumstance. Opening new browser windows will break it, for instance, and some Javascript links might also break them.

{16}  Do not use blinking text: unless your visitors are coming straight from 1996, that is.

{17}  Avoid complex URL structures: a simple, keyword-based URL structure will not only improve your search engine rankings, but it will also make it easier for the reader to identify the content of your pages before visiting them.

{18}  Use CSS over HTML tables: HTML tables were used to create page layouts. With the advent of CSS, however, there is no reason to stick to them. CSS is faster, more reliable and it offers many more features.

{19}  Make sure users can search the whole website: there is a reason why search engines revolutionized the Internet. You probably guessed it, because they make it very easy to find the information we are looking for. Do not neglect this on your site.

{20}  Avoid “drop down” menus: the user should be able to see all the navigation options straight way. Using “drop down” menus might confuse things and hide the information the reader was actually looking for.

{21}  Use text navigation: text navigation is not only faster but it is also more reliable. Some users, for instance, browse the Internet with images turned off.

{22}  If you are linking to PDF files disclose it: ever clicked on a link only to see your browser freezing while Acrobat Reader launches to open that (unrequested) PDF file? That is pretty annoying so make sure to explicit links pointing to PDF files so that users can handle them properly.

{23}  Do not confuse the visitor with many versions: avoid confusing the visitor with too many versions of your website. What bandwidth do I prefer? 56Kbps? 128Kbps? Flash or HTML? Man, just give me the content!

{24}  Do not blend advertising inside the content: blending advertising like Adsense units inside your content might increase your click-through rate on the short term. Over the long run, however, this will reduce your readership base. An annoyed visitor is a lost visitor.

http://www.dailyblogtips.com/43-web-design-mistakes-you-should-avoid/

{ Web Design Mistakes to Avoid }

A website is the first thing a visitor sees, it should be clean, easily navigated  and readable website will keep visitors come back for more. Unfortunately their are some things to avoid when designing a website and here are what they are.

• Unclear Content - nothing is more confusing to a web visitor then when the site is hard to understand what the content is. You should be able to understand the site's purpose within seconds of arriving on the site. If the homepage is misleading or confusing the visitor may not find what they came to your site for. Clean, simple text on the homepage in a visible, central area will tell the visitors what they need to know and how to use the site

• Advertising-  ads irritate visitors, and they make your site look alot less professional. Depending on who you use for the ads, competitor ads might be placed on your site. The extra cash isn't worth losing a customer.

• Complicated Graphics- it might be tempting to have flashing animation or a bunch of cute gifs on your page, but try to avoid them. Cluttered design can take away from the content on your site and it can even annoy visitors. The cleaner the website the easier for the visitor to understand the sites purpose. Plus if the site has to much on it, it could take some time to load and may not even work on some platforms.

• Unreadable Text - avoid fancy fonts. lots of bolding and underlining, and bad color choices. A traditional font in a dark color on a light background may seem simple, but it works because it's readable. Always avoid using too small or too large or text that changes sizes often or too severely. 

• Spelling and Grammar Errors- you should always proofread everything posted onto your site, That means no spelling, grammatical, or punctuation errors. Simple errors can make you look very unprofessional. Always proofread and double check.

• Pop Ups -  are annoying, unnecessary and force visitors to juggle multiple windows and pages rather than simply hitting the back button to return to where they were. Many people keep the pop blocker feature turned on in their browsers, which means they either have to approve each pop up a site throws at them, or they miss content. Plus, we tend to associate advertisements and dangerous spam with pop ups. Avoid using them at all costs. 

• Irrelevant Content - producing new content is important for SEO and to drive traffic, but make sire your content is always relevant to your site. Otherwise the purpose of your website will become less clear and you may lose traffic, or attract people who aren't interested in your site's actual purpose. 

• Complicated Navigation- whether it's menus within menus, drop down menus or absolutely no menus at all, avoid making your visitors work to find the content they're looking for. Navigating your site should be easy and intuitive. You need a single, simple menu with all navigation options obvious. Similarly, don't shove everything onto the homepage and forego navigation all together, Huge blocks of text and long pages that aren't scalable will send site visitors running to hit the back button 

Steering clear of these web design mistakes will create a clean, user friendly experience for your websites visitors. Making the content obvious, readable and accessible gives visitors an incentive to return. Plus they'll focus on the purpose of your website ans not on any design flaws.

{ Computer Shortcuts for Macs }

A few post ago I posted something about key code shortcuts for Window users. Just to be fair here are some of the key shortcuts for Mac Users. Since Macs are a more advance and have more features click here for the full list of Mac shortcuts.

Also since symbols are different on Mac here is a image of the symbols on the Apple keyboard with their common names,

Common Mac Shortcuts

• Command-X cut file
• Command-C copy file
• Command-V paste file
• Command-Z undo or redo
• Command-F find
• Command Spacebar spotlight search
• Command-O open selected item or file
• Command-P print
• Command-S save file, application
• Command- Q quit, application
• Command- M minimize window
• Option-Command-M minimize all windows
• Command-W close window
• Option-Command-W close all windows
• Option-Command-N new finder window
• Command-1, Command-2, Command-3, Command-4 change finder views
• Shift-Command-N new folder
• Option-Command-N new smart folder
• Select Folder-Press Return or Enter rename folder/file
• Command-A select all
• Option-Command-A deselect all
• Select File Than Tap Spacebar open quick look
• Command-Plus Symbol(+) or Command-Minus Symbol(-) zoom in or out
• Command-Drag File move file to another location
• Option-Drag File copy file to another location
• Command-Delete send file to trash
• Command-Shift-Delete empty trash
• Command-Tab(forward) or Shift-Command-Tab (backward) switch open applications
• Command-Shift-? open help

{ Computer Shortcuts for Windows }

When I started graphic design around six years ago one of the first things I learned was how to use keyboard shortcuts for programs such as Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign, little did I know that there are shortcuts for just computer in general. As the time passed I found that a lot of my friends and family members were unaware that some of the computer functions can be done with key shortcuts. In this post I will give you 20 of the most known computer key shortcuts that can make your life a lot easier.

Program Shortcuts

• Ctrl-a highlights everything in a folder or document
• Ctrl-c copies the selected item or text to the clipboard
• Ctrl- v pastes the content of the clipboard into the active program
• Ctrl-f opens the search in many programs. All web browsers and the majority of Office applications for instance support this. If not try F3
• Ctrl-s saves a document or web page in many programs, including Office and web browsers
• Ctrl-z undo the last action
• Ctrl-left arrow moves the cursor to the beginning of the previous word
• Ctrl- right arrow to the beginning of the next word
• Ctrl- Shift- left arrow or right arrow highlights the full previous or next word
• Ctrl- Backspace deletes the word on the left of the cursor
• Ctrl- Home moves the cursor to the top of the document
• Ctrl-End goes to the end of the document
• Esc cancels the current task

Window Shortcuts

• Ctrl-Shift-Esc opens the Windows Task Manager
• Ctrl- Shift-click on a taskbar icon to open the program with administrative privileges
• Shift-click on a taskbar icon to launch instance of the program
• Alt-Tab lets you switch between open programs and windows
• Alt-Shift- Tab walked through the listing backwards
• Alt-F4 close the active item or exits the active program
• Alt-Esc cycles through the list of open programs in the order they have been opened
• Windows-d displays the desktop
• Windows - m minimizes all windows to show the desktop
• Windows- Shift-m restores the window to their original position
• Windows-e opens My Computer in Windows Explorer
• Windows-r opens the run box to start programs from there