Photoshop Killer Keystroke Commands

In this article I will teach you about the importance of keyboard shortcuts for Photoshop. There are only a few keyboard shortcuts that you need to diligently memorize but this effort will pay off huge dividends in streamlining your workflow and enhancing the sheer enjoyment of working with Photoshop!

One question that I hear repeated over and over is why is there not a multiple undo option for Photoshop like other standard computer programs. Well, there is such a feature in Photoshop. It's just that Photoshop's intellectual model is based upon the history palette. In most software programs, you can continuously press Ctrl-Z (Command-Z for Macintosh users) to undo the offending error. Sometimes you're left in the lurch because you can't undo the undo! With Photoshop, this command is called "step backward" on the edit menu. The keystroke command is Alt-Ctrl-Z. If you feel that you've gone too far you can "step forward" which is Shift-Crtl-Z. This is the same principle as the History Palette but it's great to know that when you're immersed in your project and you don't necessarily want to fumble through your menus or palettes to take immediate action!

Here are a few other standard menu shortcuts, which are common to a lot of applications but ones you really should know:

Ctl-N = New file Ctl-O = Open file Ctl-S = Save file Ctl-C, X, V = Copy, Cut, Paste

Here is another killer shortcut, when you are working with the brush tool, how do you usually increase your brush size? Do you usually go up to the brush menu bar and scrub the slider left and right? This step always annoyed me because it completely breaks my concentration not to mention my creativity. Next time you have to use the brush tool, experiment with the [ key (that's the left bracket next to the P key) to decrease the brush tool and the ] key (the right bracket next to the [ key). You can even adjust the softness or hardness of the brush this way. To increase the softness, it's Shift-Ctrl-[. To increase the hardness, it's Shift-Ctrl-].

Here are some other shortcuts that will rocket propel your workflow:

Ctl-Space = Zoom in Ctl-Alt-Space = Zoom out v = move tool t = Text tool

I hope this tutorial has been helpful. Please drop me an email, if you have question or comments.

Thanks again for subscribing to Photoshop-How-To.com!

Kai Yee teaches Best Practice for Photoshop CS, for his company, http://www.Photoshop-How-To.com and he is a teacher and lecturer in universities and institutions of higher learning. Questions or comments can be addressed to kai(at)www.Photoshop-How-To.com

Keystroke Logging

I Lost My Baby, My Pickup, and My Guitar on the Information Highway

There are a variety of ways to track keystrokes and log instant messaging sessions, but let me offer a word of caution before we go there. If your friend believes that her husband's affections may be wandering, the best tool to address the problem really isn't a computer. Spying on someone you love, with or without the aid of technology, is ugly. Consider that you may learn things that are very painful, or that you may anger the other party when the subterfuge is revealed. A good old-fashioned OFFLINE chat or a counseling session (with or without the spouse) may be the most direct, and most effective way to get to the bottom of it all.

That said, most instant messaging programs either have session logging built in, or you can install a third-party plugin to enable logging. A quick web search will show you where to find those plugins. Also, the Google Toolbar will archive and allow you to search email from Gmail, Outlook, Outlook Express, Netscape Mail and Thunderbird; Web pages you have visited; files on your computer, including text, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, image, audio, and video files; and yes... chats from AOL, AOL Instant Messenger, and MSN Messenger.

There are also general purpose loggers that can track every keystroke that is sent or received. I won't provide any links to those, because I've never used them, recommend against them for ethical reasons, and wouldn't trust them on my computer. The problem with all of these logging utilities is that they are detectable, either in the Windows system tray, Task Manager or by anti-virus and anti-spyware software.

So what happens if the suspected infidel finds out that he or she is being spied upon? Chances are it will either shatter whatever trust remains in the relationship, or they'll just find another venue to communicate. The chances of ending up in a win-win situation are very slim.

NEWS FLASH! After publishing this article, the following info from the Internet Patrol came to my attention. A Florida court has ruled that it is not ok to install spyware on your spouse’s computer to monitor what they do, and that, indeed, to do so rises to the level of a punishable criminal offense. For the full story, see Spouse Spanked for Spying.

Is There Such a Thing as a Semi Sequitur?

By the way, "I Lost My Baby, My Pickup, and My Guitar on the Information Highway" is the title of a humorous book written back in 1995 by Judy Heim. You can still find it on Amazon.com. I credit Judy with getting me started on the path to writing several books of my own, since she recommend me to No Starch Press after reading my "Accessing the Internet by Email" guide.

Reprinted from: http://www.askbobrankin.com/keystroke_logging.html

BOB RANKIN... is a tech writer and computer programmer who enjoys exploring the Internet and sharing the fruit of his experience with others. His work has appeared in ComputerWorld, NetGuide, and NY Newsday. Bob is publisher of the Internet TOURBUS newsletter, author of several computer books, and creator of the http://LowfatLinux.com website. Visit Bob Rankin's website for more helpful articles and free tech support.

The Best Keylogging Software-Which Program To Buy

Whether you want it or not, but one day you realize that the problems you have with your computer can only be solved by watching who uses the computer and for what. You can face this problem at home (what do your children do with the computer when you are away?) or at the office (do your employees devote all their time to work?). Of course, you have neither time nor desire to hide and find it all out. Is there a way out? Yes, the only way out is to install a program that thoroughly everything that is done with the computer. This spy program can not only keep track of users’ actions, but also carefully hide itself from inquisitive eyes so that it can be seen neither in the list of running services nor among running programs. Antivirus programs do not detect it as well.

What does the program monitor and how? It logs all keystrokes and the case of each typed character. It also saves screenshots not for each window, but at certain intervals. The program logs when programs are started and closed and monitors the clipboard. Very often one look at a screenshot gives more information than looking through logged keystrokes.

With this program you can find out if your significant other is cheating/flirting in email or chat rooms. You can find out what websites your children are visiting. You can learn what others are writing in their email's and which programs are being used. You can view instant messenger conversations and know when the computer is in use. You will also be able to recieve emails with information in real time as it happens.

To get the latest and most powerful stealth computer monitoring spy software available, please visit Supreme Spy Online .

Put a stop to worrying about who is doing what on the computer. Got doubts of what the spouse is doing? Wonder what the kids are up to? Wondering what your employees are doing while you aren't around? Put a stop to all of the worries and get Supreme Spy. You can get a free trial version at Supreme Spy Online