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Now I will go ahead and close this file. We do not really need it and we do not need to save it. But I do want to show you a couple of other ways to customize the interface of InDesign.
Let us start by exploring custom keyboard shortcuts. These are available at the very bottom of the edit menu. So choose Edit, Keyboard Shortcuts, it is the same on Mac and Windows, and we will start here at the very top of the screen. So first, note that there are three sets built in by default. There is the default set and those are very consistent with Photoshop, in Illustrator, really rest of the creative suite. There are also shortcuts built in for PageMaker users, and there are also keyboard shortcuts built in for those making the migration from Quark XPress. My recommendation is to leave it at the default settings because frankly, the keyboard shortcuts are so consistent with other applications that you are probably already using like Photoshop and Illustrator that it actually makes it easier to learn because you really end up learning just one set of keyboard shortcuts and storing those in your head. But if these other options help you make the transition, hey, who am I to stop you.
In addition to the default sets, we can also create our own sets. So I will create a new set based on the default set just by clicking the new set button. I might call it something obvious like My Favorites? Make sure it is based on the set that you want to base it on. And click Okay.
Now in the product area pulled down menu, you can see all the different aspects of the application that you can customize. For example, let us choose the file menu, now here in the middle, in the commands view, you can see all of the commands listed in alphabetical order that you might want to customize. So for example, it is easy to find a place command that you might want to customize, maybe you do not like Ctrl+D so you can select that shortcut, click remove, right now it has no shortcut but maybe we want to add a new shortcut. For example, we will just click in the new shortcut field and on Windows, I could press Shift+Cotrol+Alt+P, and you will notice here it says currently assigned to nothing, perfect! That means we do not have any conflicts. So now I will click Assign, if I was on the Mac I would have been pressing Shift command option P, but you get the idea. Now if P reminds me a place instead of Command+D, or Control+D, it is that much easier. Now a couple of things about keyboard shortcuts that I want to point out here in the product area pull down. This is one of my favorite options.
First of all, notice tools. This means you can actually assign custom keyboard shortcuts to various tools. Now most of them have defaults built in but if you do not like them, you want to customize them, you can do that. In addition to customizing keyboard shortcuts for tools, you can also customize the keyboard shortcuts for various views in the view menu. So we have the view menu, we also have the views and navigation option, and you will see this list contains all sorts of crazy navigation options that you might not have access to by default.
So now, with those single clicks, you can assign a keyboard shortcut to some of the more obscure commands. In addition to Tools and Views, you also have Panel Menus. So this ties with things we looked at earlier in the lesson. That is those fly out Panel Menus throughout the application. That means you can actually assign custom keyboard shortcuts to the most obscure commands hidden out in those panel menus. You can really customize this application to look and work just like you want. You can be your own power user and really trick it out.
Now the last thing I will mention about custom keyboard shortcuts, is this icon right here. Show Set. If you want a cure for insomnia, this is it. When you click Show Set, you will have a complete list of all of your keyboard shortcuts. So you can print those out, put them by your bedside, and put yourself to sleep.
Now before I am done, instead of using my favorite keyboard shortcuts, again, I am going to choose the Default Set so that you and I are using all of the same settings. Do I want to save them on modifications to my favorite set? Why not. I will click Yes. Make sure Default is selected, and click Okay.
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