How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts to Save Time
If you are still translating documents on notebook paper or a typewriter then I wish you all the luck in the world, but this post is not for you. Keyboard shortcuts may first appear to be more trouble than they’re worth, given that you can navigate through Microsoft Word and Trados just fine with the cursor. And while there are indeed lots of shortcuts that 99% of us will never need, anyone who spends a good amount of time translating or editing can most likely benefit from a few tips.
Microsoft Word
These are the five most basic shortcuts and the ones that I find myself using the most.
CTRL + X — Cut the selected text.
CTRL + C — Copy the selected text.
CTRL + V — Paste the selected text.
CTRL + Z — Undo last action.
CTRL + F — Open Find and Replace window
Trados
There are a number of shortcuts built into Trados, TagEditor and WinAlign as well. These are the ones I get lots of use out of in Trados.
CTRL + ALT + U — Fix document (see previous post Trados Fix Document Magic)
ALT + Home — Open/Get
ALT + End — Set/Close
ALT + Insert — Copy source.
I really recommend trying out the Trados keyboard shortcuts if you haven’t done so already. If anyone has got any other good shortcuts, feel free to post them!