Do not assign single-key shortcuts to menu commands, because they interfere with the typing of text. If the key sequence is currently being used for another command, InDesign displays that command under Current Shortcut. Learn 200+ Excel shortcuts (Mac and PC) with this easily searchable list.

Active2 years, 5 months ago

How do I change the keyboard shortcut for highlighting text in Preview (OS X Yosemite)? By default it is Ctrl+Command+H, but I'd prefer a different combination (maybe Ctrl+E) as that’s easier to use. However, the following method does not work. How do I resolve this?

Alex

1,1582 gold badges20 silver badges36 bronze badges

ExorcistExorcist

3 Answers

In OS X El Capitan 10.11.4 I was able to set up a custom shortcut like this:

Mac Os Shortcuts

Open the Preview app.
Enter Preview -> Services -> Services Preferences
Choose App Shortcuts
Click on the + button and the fill in the fields like below. It is important that the Menu Title perfectly matches the operation name to which you want to assign the shortcut.
Done. Now you can highlight text in Preview using your custom shortcut.

Mateusz PiotrowskiMateusz Piotrowski

1,2652 gold badges10 silver badges25 bronze badges

For nested menu items, separate the menu levels with -> without any spaces. You also have to include the top-level menu item. In this case that would be:

If Highlight Text is a unique menu item in Preview, you can also just use Highlight Text and omit the rest.

ArthurArthur

The error is that you've partly listed the hierarchy, though incorrectly. Normally, you don't need to specify the menu hierarchy at all - simply use 'Highlight Text' as your menu item.

Text shortcuts for mac preview for windows

You can use the hierarchy syntax, as mentioned in Arthur Hammer's answer - Tools->Annotate->Highlight Text - but unless there is potential for confusion, if the same command was present in two hierarchies, performing slightly different tasks, for instance, then there is no need.

Strangely, I cannot make any hotkey work if I specify that item for Preview only, as suggested in comments. Frankly, I have no idea why it would not work, as that would be the standard way to implement something like this.
Edit: This appears to have been a bug in that particular version of Preview & now works as expected.

Testing a similar sub-menu in Safari by adding Ctrl ⌃ E to Check Spelling While Typing works perfectly.

The workaround appears to be what you almost had - to enter it as a system-wide hotkey, then it works just fine.

TetsujinTetsujin

65.6k15 gold badges109 silver badges212 bronze badges

3 Answers

Mac Os Shortcuts

Text Shortcuts For Teens

You must log in to answer this question.

Text Shortcut For Mac Preview Annotate

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged yosemitekeyboardpreviewshortcut .

Text Shortcuts For Mac Preview