Last week we talked about using style "aliases," which make it easy to apply styles in Microsoft Word. Even easier is using keyboard shortcuts. I don't like the inconsistency of Word's standard ones, so mine are set up like this:
CTRL + SHIFT + 1 applies the Heading 1 style (Macintosh users would use OPTION rather than CTRL).
CTRL + SHIFT + 2 applies Heading 2.
CTRL + SHIFT + 3 applies Heading 3.
I've added the other heading styles as well--all the way through Heading 9 on CTRL + SHIFT 9.
Also on my computer:
CTRL + SHIFT + N applies the Normal style.
CTRL + SHIFT + B applies Block quotation.
CTRL + SHIFT + L applies List.
CTRL + SHIFT + P applies Poem.
In fact, for those last three, our Editor's ToolKit and WordSetter programs automatically style block quotations, lists, and poems as they should be for correct typographic control. For example, a four-paragraph block quotation actually needs *three* styles, not just one--like this:
First paragraph of the block quotation.
Middle paragraph of the block quotation.
Another middle paragraph of the block quotation.
Last paragraph of the block quotation.
On a typeset page, the positioning of each paragraph would be basically the same as it is in this newsletter, with spacing above and below the block quotation.
To accomplish that, the first paragraph would need a style called something like BlockFirst, which would be set up to include, say, 6 extra points of spacing (leading) above it.
The second and third paragraphs, styled with BlockMiddle, would include *no* extra spacing above or below.
The third paragraph, styled with BlockLast, would include 6 extra points of spacing below it.
That may seem overly picky, but it provides enormous control over the formatting of a block quotation, and it's the right way to do it. The *easy* way to do it is to install our Editor's ToolKit or WordSetter program, select the paragraphs of the block quotation you want to format, and press CTRL + SHIFT + B. Bingo! The whole block quotation will automatically be styled correctly. If you think that's neat, you should see how the programs style multiple-stanza poems (too complex to go into here).
If you want to assign your own key combinations to styles, you can do it like this:
1. Click the "Format" menu.
2. Click "Style."
3. In the "Styles" box, find and click the style you want to apply with a key combination.
4. Click the "Modify" button.
5. Click the "Shortcut key" button.
6. With your cursor in the box labeled "Press new shortcut key," press the key combination you want to use, such as CTRL + SHIFT + B.
7. Click the "Assign" button. The new combination will appear in the box labeled "Current keys."
8. Click the "Close" button.
9. Click the "OK" button.
10. Click the "Close" button.
To apply the style using the new key combination, do this:
1. Position your cursor on the paragraph you want to style
2. Press the key combination.
The paragraph will be formatted with the style you selected for that key combination.
Try not to get too carried away. Remember that you need certain key combinations for things other than styles. CTRL + F, for example, brings up Word's Find dialog, and ALT + E activates the Edit menu.
If you need to remove a key combination, that's easy too:
1. Click the "Format" menu.
2. Click "Style."
3. In the "Styles" box, find and click the style with the key combination you want to remove.
4. Click the "Modify" button.
5. Click the "Shortcut key" button.
6. In the "Current keys" box, click the key combination you want to get rid of.
7. Click the "Remove" button. The new combination will disappear.
8. Click the "Close" button.
9. Click the "OK" button.
10. Click the "Close" button.
And that's how to use keyboard shortcuts with style--oops, I mean styles.
To learn more about Editor's ToolKit, click here:
http://www.editorium.com/14842.htm
To learn more about WordSetter, click here:
http://www.editorium.com/14000.htm
