Creating Keyboard Shortcuts

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If you like working quickly with the keyboard instead of using the mouse to open menus and choose commands, you might be interested in working with keyboard shortcuts and adding more of them to your Word document templates. You can add shortcuts to existing buttons and include symbols and special characters while you're at it. This part of the chapter gives you the steps for customizing your Word settings by adding keyboard shortcuts.

Note 

All shortcut keys begin with Alt, Ctrl, or a function key.

Assigning Keyboard Shortcuts to Existing Buttons and Commands

In the Customize dialog box, you'll find options that enable you to add keyboard shortcuts to commands you use frequently. When the Customize dialog box appears (choose Tools, Customize), click Keyboard to see the Customize Keyboard dialog box shown in Figure 5-7.

Figure 5-7: In the Customize Keyboard dialog box, you can choose a shortcut key for a command you use frequently.

To add a keyboard shortcut, select the menu and the command you want to use. In the Press New Shortcut Key box, press the key combination you want to use. Click Assign to apply the change to the document, and then click Close to close the dialog box.

Note 

Any keyboard shortcuts you create will be saved only with the current document. Be sure to save your changes to a template if you want to use the same settings with other documents.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts for Symbols or Special Characters

You can assign a symbol or a special character to a keyboard shortcut if you want to create a quick key combination for a symbol or special character you use often. For example, if you frequently need to insert a copyright symbol into documents you write, you can create a keyboard shortcut to add the symbol for you. To create a keyboard shortcut for a symbol, follow these steps:

1. Choose Insert, Symbol. The Symbol dialog box appears. Click the Special Characters tab if you want to insert a special character; otherwise, leave the Symbols tab selected.

2. Click the Shortcut Key button. The Customize Keyboard dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 5-8.

   
   Figure 5-8: Assign a keyboard shortcut to a symbol or special character.

3. Click in the Press New Shortcut Key box, and press the new key combination you want to assign to the symbol or special character.

4. Click Assign. Word applies the shortcut keys to your selection.

5. Click Close twice to close both dialog boxes.

   Tip 

   Reset keyboard shortcuts  You have the option of resetting all your keyboard shortcuts if you want to wipe the slate clean. To do this, display the Customize Keyboard dialog box by choosing Tools, Customize. Click the Keyboard button, and then click Reset All. Word alerts you that continuing with this operation will remove all macros you've previously assigned to the template you're currently using. Click Yes to continue; otherwise, click No to cancel the procedure. Click Close twice to close both dialog boxes.

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