Studies have shown – and experts will tell you – that keystrokes are much more efficient than mouse actions. They are faster, easier, better.
The only problem is that you have to remember them. And it’s not easy trying to remember the 70 keyboard shortcuts listed in Apple Mail’s help file (and available as a PDF here in case you have forgotten them).
These are my ten most useful, the ones I do remember because I use them most often.
1. Command-N — Opens a new message
2. Command-1 — Opens the inbox (try also, Command-2, -3, -4 – neat!)
3. Command-Shift-M — Closes and opens the mailbox drawer on the left
4. Command-Option-F — Jumps the cursor up to the search field
5. Command-Shift-A — Attaches a file to a message
6. Command-Shift-V — Paste as quotation
7. Command-Shift-D — Send message
8. Command-Shift-F — Forward message
9. Command-R — Reply to message
10. Command-Shift-H — Show/hide all headers (because I am curious)
Just remembering these makes me feel I am working faster. That’s half the battle, isn’t it?
[...] If the existing keyboard shortcuts don’t do what you want, Chuck Toporek over at O’Reilly offers a short tutorial on how to roll your own. Remember, it’s faster and better to use the keyboard. [...]
[...] A while ago I blogged my list of ten most useful keyboard shortcuts that I use a lot and that save me lots of time. [...]
[...] I say “undocumented”. That is to say, it is not included in the 70+ keyboard shortcuts in Mail’s help file (I’ve made a helpful PDF of them which you can find in this entry). Nor does it appear as option in any of Mail.app’s menus. [...]
[...] Here is a list of ten great ones for Mail.app and a comprehensive listing of all the shortcuts documented for Apple Mail. Or perhaps you want to make your own keyboard shortcuts for Mail. Technorati Tags: emailing a URL, Automator, keyboard shortcut, Safari, email, Mail.app [...]
[...] Debate will probably continue for ever on whether keyboard shortcuts are actually faster or just feel faster. [...]
Get Ergonis’s KeyCue (http://www.ergonis.com/products/keycue/) and see all of an app’s key commands whenever you like. They appear when you press the command key and hold it down. Very useful!
As I like to get tings done check mail manually:
Cmd-Shift-N
Another shortcut I use very often: cmd+shift+L (to flag/unflag messages).
What’s Command-2 supposed to show?
It doesn’t work on my system (Command-1 works, Command-3 as well).
@mds, it shows the Outbox (look under Mailbox>Go To)
Command-2 takes you to your outbox.
[...] use Mail? Do you waste hours of your own time NOT using the inbuilt, helpful shortcuts. Memorise this page to streamline your email [...]