The Function keys are assigned tasks by the operating system or application. They are often combined with the Alt and Ctrl keys to do certain tasks, and on laptops, can also have dual functions like turning the volume up or down when used with a designated key, usually the Fn key. Read on to add the Function keys to your repertoire of Windows keyboard shortcuts.
Function shortcuts aren’t the same across all operating systems, though some keys in some programs can perform the same task. If you have a browser open, tapping F5 will reload the page. Not all programs use the function keys or a program may assign a different function that is mentioned here, though in general, most Function keys do the same thing in most programs. The Function keys listed here should work from Windows 7 to Windows 10, but if not, here’s a complete list of Windows 7 keyboard shortcuts. If you want the Function or other keys to do something else, you can remap your keyboard to your liking. This How to Remap Your Keyboard article has a few different methods.
F1
F1 is an almost universal help key for most programs. It usually opens the Help menu. The Win + F1 key combination opens the Microsoft help and support dialog box.
F2
F2 is an editing key, it will rename a highlighted folder, icon or file. It’s the same as right-clicking a file, folder or icon and selecting rename. In Office, Ctrl + F2 opens the Print dialog box.
F3
F3 usually opens a search function in most programs, including web browsers. It opens the search function on the Windows desktop and in Windows File Explorer. In Office, it changes the case of any highlighted text.
F4
F4 on its own doesn’t do much, it opens the location bar in Windows File Explorer and Internet Explorer. Combined with other keys it’s like an escape key, closing open windows and tabs quickly. Alt + F4 quickly closes the current active window or program. In Office, you’ll be asked if you want to save changes before closing. Ctrl + F4 closes the window open in a program or document, for example, it will close a tab in a browser if more than one tab is open.
F5
F5 refreshes the Windows desktop and File Explorer – changes made in either don’t always show up right away. In most Office programs it brings up the Find and Replace dialog box. It’s very useful in browsers, F5 is used to reload a web page. Ctrl + F5 in a browser forces a refresh of the page, clearing the cache and reloading the page again.
F6
F6 moves the cursor to the address bar in most browsers, making it a very useful shortcut. In Office, Ctrl + Shift + F6 opens a new Microsoft Word document.
F7
F7 will turn on caret browsing in Firefox. In some programs in Office, it opens the Spelling and Grammar check, while Shift + F7 opens the Thesaurus.
F8
F8 will boot your Windows computer into Safe Mode. In Windows 7, tapping the F8 key during boot will let you boot into Safe Mode. In Windows 8 and 10, the F8 key has to be enabled to boot into Safe Mode.
F9
F9 doesn’t have a Windows function. In Office, it will refresh a document in Word and send and receive an email in Outlook.
F10
F10 will activate the menu bar in most open applications. Shift + F10 will act as a right click/context menu in most programs.
F11
F11 opens enter and exit full-screen mode in Windows File Explorer and most browsers.
F12
F12 doesn’t have an assigned function in Windows. In Office, it opens the Save As dialog box in most programs. Ctrl + F12 opens a document in Word, Shift + F12 saves an existing document in Word (like Ctrl + S does), and Ctrl + Shift + F12 opens the Print dialog box in Word (like Ctrl + P does).
F12 also opens and closes the developer tools console in most browsers.
I accidentally the open developer tools in browsers fairly often and this Function key closes them instantly. You might say this article was brought to you by the F12 key. 🙂
You can find more Tech Treats here.
**********************************************
For training & education in wide format printing, MUTOH is your source. We conduct nationwide live training sessions in design & production using your wide format printer. In these 2-day sessions, we discuss and teach you about using your design programs, Photoshop, Flexi, etc together with your wide format printer, HP, Roland, Mimaki, MUTOH, etc., to get the best color prints you can as well as refine your daily shop workflow.
For dates and locations use this link: www.thinkmutoh.com/events
Wide Format Printing? Think in Terms of Dog Years
If you are like me, you hate paying that insurance bill. Seems like you pay and pay and rarely if ever use it. The exception might be life insurance, since at some point we will all use that one. But we get insurance on our house, our car,and our health. That said, we simply know month to month that we need to budget some of our money for that cost.
The MUTOH RJ900x has been wildly popular due to the low price for such a high quality dye-sublimation printer. The RJ-900X incorporates a new generation “Wide Model” print head (4 color sections, 360 nozzles/color), which will enable the highest resolution printing for Aqueous, 2880 dpi. The RJ-900X delivers superior line sharpness and photo quality with continuous tones, smooth transitions and a wide color gamut. Offering various print resolutions for different applications, the RJ-900X delivers a high speed 360 dpi printing 676 sq/ft/hr. The CMYK printer can be utilized with a variety of ink sets.
You Just Got the Most From Your MUTOH Wide Format Printer