In the past week, while helping different clients search for documents, I offered the following tip that I use myself many times a day. Believe it or not, it was first introduced way back in 2007 when Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) came out.
It’s called Quick Look, and it works like this:
• Click once on a document to select it
• Tap on the space bar
You will immediately see a preview of that file. This works for everything from images and movies to Word and Excel files—just about any file you might encounter in your day-to-day computer usage.
Once the preview is open, you can tap the arrow keys on your keyboard to jump up and down or left and right to select the next file you want to see. When you are finished, simply tap the spacebar again and the preview will disappear.
Whether you are searching on your Desktop or digging through a folder looking for a specific file, Quick Look can save you lots of time.
Or just type its name…
• Open the folder where the item you’re seeking is located
• Start typing and watch the selection jump to that item
You don't have to be in a search window, just open the folder and start typing. For instance, if you know there’s a folder on your Desktop named “Poems,” but you just can’t see it, click anywhere on the Desktop and start typing “Poems.” The selection will jump to the first folder or file with that name. Give it a try! It can really save a lot of frustration and time.
Over the years I have been asked to help many people find or organize their files and photos. These two tips often make that task easier. If you feel your files or your photographs (in Lightroom or Photos) are in a bit of disarray, and you find yourself wishing they were better organised, please get in touch! I’d love to help you sort it out.