Scrap Faster (and easier!)
Posted in Computer Tips and Tricks | 25 Comments »
25 Comments »
In my four years of scrapping, I have had the opportunity to meet quite a few of my online friends. I have met designers, fellow scappers, store owners, creative team members, and friends. It is always so fun to get spend face to face time with people I usually only get to interact with online. In July 2007 I travelled to Chicago for summer CHA. After a fun night in the city with some digi friends, I got back to my room, excited to finally meet my long time internet friend Hollie. When I walked in, I saw her sitting in a nice comfy chair, leaned back with her Wacom tablet on her lap, scrapping away. Her laptop was on the table in front her, far from arms reach. I stood there, quite confused, wondering how she was scrapping. I asked, and she told me she doesn’t need her keyboard. Utterly confused, I let it go and we got to know each other “in real life.”
That moment has come to my mind often since that night. Addicted as I am to my keyboard shortcuts, I really can’t fathom someone taking my keyboard from me. Personally, I hate the thought of having to click on every tool I want to use and got through menus for every function I want to perform. Instead, when I scrap, my hands work furiously together…my mouse in my right hand (yea, I gave the pen a try and didn’t like it) and my left hand is on the keyboard, pecking at keys without thought. Keyboard shortcuts in Photoshop/Elements are a complete necessity to me. Hollie may be more comfortable in her chair but I am convinced that I can get the work done faster 
There are lots of ways to learn keyboard shortcuts. You can hover over tools and see the shortcut in parentheses, you can look on drop down menus and see the command listed, or you can look at written lists of shortcuts. As extensive and helpful as these lists are, they can be overwhelming! When I was first learning them, I made a list of ones I wanted to learn (starting with tools and commands I used most often). I put them right next to my computer and when I had to perform the action, I looked at my cheat sheet and practiced. When I wanted to learn a few more, I wrote those on sticky notes and put them on my computer. In time, I knew most of them by heart! I still have many more to learn, but I am thrilled with the way my workflow has sped up and I hope yours can too!
I have found some great websites that have detailed information on keyboard shortcuts for various programs. Since we all use different computers, different programs, and different versions of those programs, you are best up looking up the information you need. These sites can get you started.
THIS SITE has a printable pdf document for Photoshop Elements (PC and Mac).
THIS AMAZING SITE has printable pdfs for the following programs (both PC and Mac):
- Photoshop CS4
- Photoshop CS3
- Photoshop CS2
- Photoshop CS
- Photoshop 7
- Photoshop 6
- Photoshop 5
- Adobe Bridge & Adobe Camera Raw
HERE you can see a list of shortcuts for Paint Shop Pro
Don’t try to learn them all at once — take the actions you do most often and write those out. Then, as you learn those and are using them without thinking, add some more. In time, your knowledge will build and you will be scrapping and editing photos faster (even if less comfortably!) Here is a list of my most used shortcuts. You can print this list along with the shortcut for your computer and program and go from there. Don’t get discouraged…it gets easier with time and before you know it, you will wonder how you ever lived without shortcuts!
Or, if you are a visual person and use a Mac and Photoshop, you can try one of these cool keyboard skins, available at the Photojojo Store. They fit right over your keyboard and let you learn as you peck!
No matter which way you choose to learn, you will be amazed at how second nature using shortcuts can become. I love being able to just hit a key and move on! Give it a try and see what you think!
P.S. A big congrats to some winners of some great coupons! Random.org picked some great people! Thanks to everyone who challenged themselves to a MORE WITH FOUR CHALLENGE! Here is what they won:
Christie won a $10 gift card to Pineapple Plantation Designs. Love the outcome of her truly taking on the MORE WITH FOUR challenge!
Side by Side won a $10 gift card to Melissa Bennett Designs for this layout, where she replaced two of her title letters with other elements
Becki won a $10 gift card to Shabby Miss Jenn Designs for this cute layout, using materials all from THE DIGI FILES no. 1
Kate Teague won a $10 gift card to Flergs for this layout (which, if you are already craving chocolate from Sunday’s post, you may not want to see it!)
Congrats, ladies! Email me at janet [at] thedailydigi [dot] com to claim your prize!
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January 28th, 2009 at 7:30 am
Thank you very much for the keyboard list. I’m printing it right now and that was a very informative article.
January 28th, 2009 at 7:55 am
You are hilarious, Janet! If I used a mouse, I’d probably like the keyboard shortcuts, but it’s really hard to go back and forth between the pen an keyboard all the time. LOL. Plus, using the keyboard contributes to my BACK PAIN. And that is one of the main reasons I avoid it. You are definitely a very fast scrapper though–that’s for sure! I was so excited to read and see how to get faster, until I read the tip. LOL! Oh yeah–and the mouse was starting to give me carpal tunnel. That’s why I got rid of the mouse to begin with. I guess I never mentioned that in Chicago-LOL.
January 28th, 2009 at 9:01 am
OH thank you for that link with the shortcuts. I used to do a lot back in the days of DOS, and have always relied on keyboard shortcuts.
After taking Jessica Sprague’s class, I was getting pretty good at the Photoshop keyboard shortcuts on my Windows box at home, but I now have a Mac at my shop, and am forever trying to do things on the Mac with the Windows shortcut. A lot of that doesn’t work, unfortunately…
January 28th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Thanks!! Good info. I haven’t really gotten used to the shortcuts, and I’ve been scrapping for 2 years, so it’s time I learn!!
January 28th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Yay for the shortcuts! We just got CS4 for Xmas(former PSP gal), and this will help me learn it even faster.
I’d love to hear more of Hollie’s technique though. I have terrible repetitive stress/carpal tunnel that flares up regularly.
January 28th, 2009 at 10:27 am
Thanks for the information! This will really come in handy!
January 28th, 2009 at 10:55 am
It depends on what you are comfortable using. I am a confirmed right-clicker with the PC mouse. I was really unhappy when I started using PS until I learned that I can accomplish most things by right-clicking somewhere. That is much faster for me. The keyboard tray is partially under the desk most of the time. And the Wacom only gets used for extractions and doodling.
I love your new site. It has become a must-read every day.
January 28th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Thanks so much for the shortcut tips. I knew about them but never got around to learning them. Now with your print out, I just might!
January 28th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Thank you so much for sharing these AWESOME tips!! and the ones in your previous post too!! GREAT stuff to know!! Thank you, too for the COOL print out! Big CONGRATS to all those lucky winners!! Hope you have a WONDERFUL day!
January 28th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Thank you so much for the great links! I use some of the short cuts and I see lots more I can learn!
January 28th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Thanks for the short cut links and printout. I lov the idea of leaning just a few at a time with post-it notes. That’s do-able for me.
January 28th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
great tips, thanks! Still so many shortcuts to learn!
January 28th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Thanks for doing the homework for us! I appreciate you giving us the links for the different programs. It was so easy to click the link, save, then print the list of shortcuts and now I am ready to go!
January 28th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Hi Janet- I am one of the prize winners from last week. I’ve tried E-mailing you to claim my prize, but didn’t hear back from you. Please try me at the E-mail address above.
Thanks for providing such a great website! I love it.
Jennifer
January 28th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
another great post – i would love to learn some shortcuts to make scrapping faster….
congrats to all the winners! great layouts!
January 28th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
I love love love keyboard shortcuts and neeeed to learn more of them LOL Thanks so much for the chart to use and the links! How great is that!
January 28th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
Thank you for the great info! I use a few keyboard shortcuts – your suggestion on how to increase that is wonderful – thank you also for the great pdf!
January 28th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Thanks for the great article. I’m still trying to learn all the shortcuts for CS2. LOL
January 28th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
I just got one of these skins for Christmas! I know its going to help tremendously! I just wish shortcuts were the same for PS, AI and ID!
January 28th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
Shortcuts save my life and there are so many more that I don’t use/know. I keep trying to learn new ones- those lists are great! I’ll send you my e-mail asap! THANKS Janet and Flergs!!!
January 29th, 2009 at 8:43 am
thank you for sharing the sites.. they will help me a lot i know!! =)
January 29th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
This is one Freakin’ Cool and Informative post! Thanks for the info!!
January 29th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Hi! I saw a link on another site over here on Jan. 18 linking to a template that has an “08″ photo collage. I can’t find it on the site. I would LOVE to have that template. Any way you can help me out? Thanks!
January 29th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
all this sounds really great! But I don’t have any kind of photoshop. Can someone tell me what to buy, where to start and where to get it? I am totally in the dark. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
melanie
February 6th, 2009 at 4:23 am
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