Knowing keyboard shortcuts help you to be more efficient and work faster!

You may not realize it, but knowing keyboard shortcuts used in Adobe Photoshop CS3 can help you save a lot of time. For example, when working in a tight schedule, it is definitely quicker to press Ctrl (or Cmd in Mac) + D than having to drag the mouse to click Select > Deselect from the menus. However, not many people realize the benefits of knowing (and even remembering) keyboard shortcuts, yet they are very convenient and time saving. Fortunately, Photoshop CS3 helps you to use keyboard shortcuts extensively.

To assign or create a keyboard shortcut, there are a couple of steps that you need to follow:

1. First, you need to select Edit menu and then choose Keyboard Shortcuts. (Or you can hit Alt + Shift + Ctrl + K on your keyboard for Win users or Opt + Shift + Cmd + K for Mac users)
2. Afterwards, click the arrow on the left column. This is to expand the menu that contains the command you want to create a shortcut.
3. Choose an item from the command list, and use your keyboard to create a new shortcut. You can choose to incorporate for example, Ctrl + W for Win users or Cmd + W for Mac.
4. Click Accept and then click OK.
5. Voila! Your keyboard shortcut is ready to use.

In addition to creating new shortcuts, you can also delete previously created shortcuts, add additional ones, or even print out a summary of shortcuts used in Photoshop. This way, you can put it somewhere you can easily read (for example you can try taping it to your desk or your monitor).

For your information, shortcuts can not only be set for the Application and Palette menus, but for tools in the toolbox as well. To change, add, delete, or even summarize the available keyboard shortcuts, click the Edit menu and then click Keyboard Shortcuts.

Afterwards, choose an item from the command list and choose the buttons (such as Add Shortcut, Delete Shortcut, and Summarize) to perform the task. If you want to use the original shortcuts assigned by Photoshop CS3, click the Use Default button.

Now that you know how to set up your own keyboard shortcuts in Photoshop CS3, you can begin to utilize them when working. Knowing keyboard shortcuts help you to be more efficient and work faster, meaning you can save time. And as the old saying goes, “time is money”!

M.A.H.

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