You can quickly perform tasks by using keyboard shortcuts—one or more keys that you press on the keyboard to complete a task. For example, pressing Command+P opens the Print dialog box.
Keyboard shortcut descriptions refer to the U.S. keyboard layout. Keys on other keyboard layouts might not correspond to the keys on a U.S. keyboard. Keyboard shortcuts for laptop computers might also differ.
To | Press |
---|---|
Create a new file or item | Command+N |
Save | Command+S |
Command+P | |
Open a file | Command+O |
Close a file | Command+W |
Quit the current program | Command+Q |
Hide the current program | Command+H |
Switch to the next program | Command+Tab |
Switch to the previous program | Shift+Command+Tab |
Hide other programs | Command+Option+H |
Minimize the window | Command+M |
View Reference Tools (Entourage) | Shift+Command+Option+R |
View Reference Tools (Excel, PowerPoint, Word) | Command+Option+R |
Open the Project Gallery | Shift+Command+P |
Open the Preferences dialog box | Command+Comma |
To | Press |
---|---|
Move to the next box, option, control, or command | Tab |
Move to the previous box, option, control, or command | Shift+Tab |
Exit a dialog box or cancel an action | Escape |
Perform the action assigned to a default button | Return |
To | Press |
---|---|
Undo the last change | Command+Z |
Redo or repeat the last action | Command+Y |
Cut the selection to the Clipboard | Command+X |
Copy the selection to the Clipboard | Command+C |
Copy the selection to the Scrapbook | Shift+Command+C |
Paste from the Clipboard | Command+V |
Paste from the Scrapbook | Shift+Command+V |
Select All | Command+A |
Display the Find dialog box | Command+F |
Delete one character to the left | Delete |
Delete one character to the right | Del or Clear |
To | Press |
---|---|
Apply or remove bold formatting | Command+B |
Apply or remove an underline | Command+U |
Apply or remove italic formatting | Command+I |
Insert hyperlink | Command+K |
To | Press |
---|---|
One character to the left | Left Arrow |
One character to the right | Right Arrow |
One line up | Up Arrow |
One line down | Down Arrow |
To the beginning of a word or one word to the left | Option+Left Arrow |
One word to the right | Option+Right Arrow |
To the end of a line | Command+Right Arrow or End |
To the beginning of a line | Command+Left Arrow or Home |
To the beginning of a paragraph or up one paragraph | Option+Up Arrow |
Down one paragraph | Option+Down Arrow |
Display the Find dialog box | Command+F |
These basic skills are either unrelated to a specific program feature, or necessary to know in order to complete other sets of instructions.
To close an Office file
To close an Office file and quit the program
To quit a program
To force an unresponsive program to quit
"Viewing files" later in this Quick Reference section
To close a document window
To temporarily hide a document window
To change the size of the document window
To restore the default document window size
To display or hide a gallery
To open or close the Elements Gallery
To manage the behavior and appearance of the Elements Gallery
To start an Office 2008 program and open a document
To open an existing Office file
Click Open on the File menu, or click the Open button on the Standard toolbar.
In the Open dialog box, navigate to the file you want to open, and then do one of the following:
Open the original file for editing by double-clicking the file.
Open the file for viewing only by clicking Read-Only in the Open list and then clicking Open.
Open a copy of the file by clicking Copy in the Open list and then clicking Open.
To display the Preferences dialog box for the active program
To display a specific page of preferences
To return to the list of preferences
To save a file for the first time
Click Save on the File menu, or click the Save button on the Standard toolbar.
In the Save As pane, navigate to the folder where you want to save the file, assign a name to the file, and then click Save.
To save changes to an existing file
To save a copy with a different name or in a different location
Click Save As on the File menu.
In the Save As pane, navigate to the folder where you want to save the copy of the file, or assign a different name to the file, and then click Save.
To create a new folder while saving a file
"Office 2008 Keyboard Shortcuts" earlier in this Quick Reference section
To select text
Select adjacent words, lines, or paragraphs by dragging through them.
Select adjacent words, lines, or paragraphs by positioning the insertion point at the beginning of the text, holding down the Shift key, and either pressing an arrow key or clicking at the end of the text you want to select.
Select a sentence by clicking anywhere in the sentence while holding down the Command key.
Select a line by clicking the selection area to the left of the line.
Select a paragraph by triple-clicking it, or by double-clicking the selection area to the left of the paragraph.
Select an entire document by triple-clicking anywhere in the selection area.
To select noncontiguous blocks of text
To release selected text
To start or switch to an Office 2008 program
To start an Office 2008 program and open a document
To start an Office 2008 program from the Finder
To open the Project Gallery
To display or hide a toolbar
To move a floating toolbar
To manage the appearance and content of the toolbar area
To manage the appearance and content of the Toolbox
Display or hide the Toolbox by clicking the Toolbox button on the Standard toolbar.
Switch palettes by clicking the palette buttons at the top of the Toolbox, or by choosing the palette you want from the View menu.
Minimize the Toolbox by double-clicking its title bar. Double-click again to restore the Toolbox.
When the Toolbox is minimized, display a palette by clicking its button.
Move the Toolbox on the screen by dragging it by its title bar.
Dock the Toolbox by dragging it close to the left or right edge of the screen.
Swivel the Toolbox to display the Toolbox Settings pane by clicking the Settings button.
Control how and when the Toolbox closes by using the commands at the top of the Toolbox Settings pane.
Control what appears on each Toolbox palette by using the commands at the bottom of the Toolbox Settings pane.
Change the color scheme of the Toolbox from the Gallery page of the Preferences dialog box.
The generic instructions in this topic apply to the core Office 2008 programs: Microsoft Word 2008 for Mac, Microsoft Excel 2008 for Mac, and Microsoft PowerPoint 2008 for Mac.
To add a misspelled word to the AutoCorrect list
To cancel an AutoCorrect replacement
To manage AutoCorrect
To view the available clip art
To insert a clip
To add an image to the Clip Gallery
Open the Clip Gallery by clicking Clip Art on the Insert menu.
Click Online to display the Microsoft Office Online Web site, and search for the image you want.
Select the Add to selection basket check box adjacent to the image.
Use the links in the Selection Basket pane on the left side of the screen to preview the selected clip and download it.
After the clip is downloaded, navigate to the Downloads window or to the Downloads folder in your user profile, right-click the file, and click Open.
To check the compatibility of a document with other versions
To identify the cause of a compatibility issue
To remove a warning from the Results list
To manage the Compatibility Report feature
"SmartArt diagrams" later in this Quick Reference section
"Office 2008 Keyboard Shortcuts" earlier in this Quick Reference section
To start a new paragraph or a new line at the insertion point
To insert text
To delete content
To copy selected content to the Clipboard
To paste content from the Clipboard
To change the default pasting operation
To combine two paragraphs
To move selected content by dragging
To move selected text via the Clipboard
Click Cut on the Edit menu.
Position the insertion point in the location in which you want to insert the clipping, and then click Paste on the Edit menu.
To undo or redo a change
Undo the last action by clicking the Undo button on the Standard toolbar.
Undo multiple actions by clicking the earliest action you want to undo in the Undo list.
Redo the last action by clicking the Redo button on the Standard toolbar.
Redo multiple actions by clicking the earliest action you want to redo in the Redo list.
To control how the program behaves when you are editing an Office file
To find a search term
Click Find on the Edit menu.
On the Find page of the Find and Replace dialog box, type the term you want to locate in the Find what box, and then click Find Next.
To refine a search
Display the Find page of the Find and Replace dialog box, and enter the search term.
If necessary, click the Expand button. On the expanded Find page, select options to more specifically define the search.
To find a special character
Display the expanded Find page of the Find and Replace dialog box.
In the Special list, click the character you want to search for, and then either click Find Next or select the Highlight all items found in check box and click Find All.
Click Close.
To replace a search term
Click Replace on the Edit menu, or if the Find page of the Find and Replace dialog box is already displayed, click the Replace button.
On the Replace page, type the term you want to locate in the Find what box and the replacement term in the Replace with box, and then do one of the following:
Locate and select the next occurrence of the search term by clicking Find Next. When you find an occurrence you want to replace, click Replace.
Replace all occurrences in the document by clicking Replace All.
Click Close.
To replace formatting (Word and Excel)
"To replace a font throughout a presentation" in the "Microsoft PowerPoint 2008 for Mac" Quick Reference section
Display the expanded Replace page of the Find and Replace dialog box, and enter the Find what and Replace with terms, if any.
Select the type of formatting you want to search for in the Format list, and the type you want to replace it with.
Either click Find Next and Replace, or click Replace All.
Click Close.
To copy formatting from a selection and apply it to only one other location
To copy formatting from a selection and apply it to multiple locations
To change the size of a graphic
Drag a corner handle to resize a shape while maintaining its aspect ratio.
Drag the top or bottom handle to change the height of the shape.
Precisely resize the graphic by right-clicking it, clicking Format Shape, and then setting the height, width, or scale on the Size page of the Format Object dialog box.
To rotate a graphic
Drag a green rotation handle to rotate the shape in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.
If necessary, display a green rotation handle by opening the Size, Rotation, and Ordering panel of the Formatting Palette, clicking the Rotate button, and then clicking Free Rotate.
Rotate precisely by right-clicking the shape, clicking Format Shape, and then on the Size page of the Format Shape dialog box, setting an exact degree of rotation.
To change the stacking order, distribution, or alignment
"Formatting text manually" in the "Microsoft Word 2008 for Mac" Quick Reference section
To change the font of selected text
To vary the look of text without changing the font
Change the font size by clicking the size you want in the Size list in the Font panel.
Increase or decrease the font size in set increments by sliding the Size control in the Font panel.
Change the font style by clicking a style button on the Formatting toolbar or by clicking the style in the Font panel.
Change the font color to a different theme or standard color by clicking the color you want in the Font Color list in the Font panel.
To control the size and orientation of printed files
Set the page size by changing the Paper Size setting in the Page Setup dialog box.
Orient content vertically or horizontally on the page by clicking the corresponding button in the Page Setup panel of the Formatting Palette, or in the Page Setup dialog box.
Define the printable area of the page by setting the left, right, top, and bottom margins in the Document Margins panel of the Formatting Palette.
To insert an image from a file
To add a folder or library to the Photos page
In the category list at the top of the Photos page, click Other Library Or Folder.
In the lower-left corner of the Open Library Or Folder dialog box, click Show iPhoto Libraries or Show Image Folders to indicate the type of folder you want to add.
Select the image folder or iPhoto library you want to add to the Object Palette, and then click Choose.
Apply a preset Quick Style, shadow, glow, reflection, or three-dimensional effect from the corresponding tab in the Quick Styles and Effects panel of the Formatting Palette.
Apply a custom shadow effect from the Shadow panel of the Formatting Palette.
Apply a custom reflection effect from the Reflection panel of the Formatting Palette.
Apply a monotone color wash by clicking the Recolor button in the Picture panel of the Formatting Palette and then in the picture, clicking an area of the color you want to set as transparent.
Crop the picture by clicking the Crop button in the Picture panel and then dragging the corner and side handles that appear.
Cut the picture into a shape by clicking the Change Shape button in the Picture panel, pointing to the shape group, and then clicking the shape you want.
Make one color in the picture transparent (so that you can see through the picture to its background) by clicking the Set Transparent Color button in the Picture panel and then, in the picture, clicking the color you want to make transparent.
Apply a specialized image effect (Distortion, Stylize, Color Adjustment, Color Effect, Blur, Sharpen, or Halftone Effect) by clicking Effects in the Picture panel and then, in the Image Effects dialog box, clicking the effect you want and, if necessary, adjusting the default effect settings.
Replace the current picture with another while retaining the shape and effects, by clicking the Replace button in the Picture panel and then, in the Choose a Picture window, double-clicking the replacement picture.
To print the contents of a file by using the default settings
To print part of a file or to print by using non-default settings
To preview a file before printing
To control basic settings specific to a program
To control the display of content and program elements (such as scroll bars)
To control the information saved with an Office file and the save frequency of AutoRecover versions
To display reference information for a word or phrase
To research alternatives for a word by using the thesaurus
In the Reference Tools palette of the Toolbox, expand the Thesaurus panel.
In the Search box at the top of the palette, enter the word or phrase you want to look up and then press Return.
In the Meanings list, click the meaning that is most representative of the meaning you want to convey.
Research a suggested synonym further by clicking it and then clicking the Look Up button.
Insert a synonym from the list by clicking it and then clicking the Insert button.
To translate a word or phrase into another language
In the Reference Tools palette of the Toolbox, expand the Translation panel.
In the Translation panel, choose the original language in the From list, and the language you want to translate to in the To list.
Enter the word or phrase you want to translate In the Search box at the top of the palette and then press Return.
To set the default locations in which Word looks for and saves files
Insert a shape at its default size by clicking it on the Shapes page of the Office Palette and then clicking the document, worksheet, or slide.
Insert a custom-sized shape by clicking it on the Shapes page and then dragging across the document, worksheet, or slide.
Insert a shape with equal horizontal and vertical dimensions by holding down the Shift key while you drag.
To format a shape
To display the Format AutoShape or Format Shape dialog box
To add text to a selected shape
Click in the text area of the shape to activate the insertion point, or right-click the shape and click Add Text. Then type the text that you want the shape to display.
Format the text by right-clicking the shape, clicking Format Text, and then in the Format Text dialog box, choosing the options you want.
To insert a diagram
Display the SmartArt Graphics tab of the Elements Gallery, click the button for the type of diagram you want, and then click the diagram thumbnail.
In the Text pane, click a placeholder and type the text you want to appear in the corresponding shape.
To promote, demote, add, and remove shapes, click the buttons on the Text Pane window toolbar.
To modify a diagram
Add and remove shapes, and edit the text that appears in the shapes, by making changes in the Text pane.
Remove a shape from a diagram by selecting it and then pressing the Del key.
Use the options in the panels of the Formatting Palette of the Toolbox to make changes such as the following:
Switch to a different layout of the same type or of a different type.
Add shading and three-dimensional effects to all the shapes in a diagram.
Change the color scheme.
Change an individual shape—for example, you can change a square into a star to make it stand out.
Apply a built-in shape style.
Change the color, outline, or effect of a shape.
To configure the Software Update feature to automatically check for and download updates
In the Dock, click the System Preferences icon.
In the System Preferences window, under System, click Software Update.
In the Software Update window, select the Check for updates check box and the Download important updates automatically check box.
In the Check for updates list, choose the update frequency (Daily, Weekly, or Monthly).
To manually check for updates
To turn the display of information on the status bar off and on
To insert a symbol
On the Symbol page of the Object Palette, click the category you want in the category list, click the symbol you want, and then drag it to the document, worksheet, or slide.
To insert the symbol as a text character rather than a movable, resizable image, click an insertion point before dragging the symbol.
To access commands for controlling your Mac
To apply a different theme
To change the color scheme
To change the font scheme
To change the view
the additional techniques in the "Viewing" topics in the "Microsoft Word 2008 for Mac," "Microsoft Excel 2008 for Mac," and "Microsoft PowerPoint 2008 for Mac" Quick Reference sections
To change the magnification
To scroll parts of a file into view
Move up or down by clicking the scroll arrows at either end of the vertical scroll bar. Move left or right by clicking the scroll arrows at either end of the horizontal scroll bar.
Move in bigger increments by clicking the scroll bar on either side of the scroll box.
Drag the scroll box on the scroll bar until the part of the document you want to view is visible.
To open a second window for the same file
To view two or more files of the same type at the same time
To bring all documents from the same program to the front of a stack