Word-processing keyboard shortcuts

The following general, navigation, selection, and formatting shortcuts apply in word-processing documents and text frames. Some actions have two or more shortcuts.

General word-processing keyboard commands

  Action or command   Keyboard shortcut    
Apply Ruler Shift--V

Bold -B

Copy Ruler Shift--C

Delete the next character Del (not available on all keyboards)

Delete the previous character Delete

Insert Column Break Enter

Insert Blank Footnote Shift--F

Insert Page Break Shift-Enter

Insert Section Break Option-Enter

Italic -I

Other (font size) Shift--O

Plain Text -T

Return to the main text area from the footnote area Enter (numeric keypad)

Show/Hide formatting (invisible) characters -; (semicolon)

Underline -U

Word-processing navigation keyboard commands

  To move   Keyboard shortcut    
One character left Left Arrow

One character right Right Arrow

One line up Up Arrow

One line down Down Arrow

One word left Option-Left Arrow

One word right Option-Right Arrow

To the beginning of a document Home, -Up Arrow

To the end of a document End, -Down Arrow

To the beginning of a line -Left Arrow

To the end of a line -Right Arrow

To the beginning of a paragraph Option-Up Arrow

To the end of a paragraph Option-Down Arrow

Word-processing selection keyboard commands

  Action or command   Keyboard shortcut    
Select one or more characters Click in front of the first character and drag across the characters you want to select

Select a word Double-click the word

Select a line of text Click three times in the line

Select a paragraph Click four times in the paragraph

Select All -A

Select blocks of text Click the start of a text block, and then Shift-click the end of another text block

Select from the insertion point to the beginning of the paragraph Shift-Option-Up Arrow

Select from the insertion point to the end of the paragraph Shift-Option-Down Arrow

Extend the selection one line at a time Shift-Up Arrow, Down Arrow, Right Arrow, Left Arrow

Typing formatting characters and special text

  For this character   Press
Space Space bar

Non-breaking space Option-Space bar

Tab Tab

Paragraph return Return

Line break (soft return) Shift-Return

Column break Enter

Page break Shift-Enter

Section break Option-Enter

Related topic

  Using the Button Bar, contextual menus, and keyboard shortcuts

 
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