Time-saving tips

Time management is one of the most valuable skills in contemporary world. Every other year, every other technology generation gives more and more opportunities to speed up work processes and makes time pressure higher and higher.Several years ago companies expected from a successful candidate basic knowledge of MS Office. Now being an average user is not enough. Software developers include more and more time-saving functions with every application release, but users barely know of their existence.

Here I provide several time-saving functions that I use in everyday work for a long time. Haven’s you forgotten?

1. I bet you know about Macro. It is enormously simplified Visual Basic script. When you do some routine tasks and repeat several commands very often it is very wise to record a Macro. The key point with a Macro – while recording, use only keyboard. It will make your Macro more correct. The maim problem about Macro is that antivirus programs may detect it as a Trojan virus.

2. “Actions” in Adobe Photoshop. Action principle is almost the same with a Macro. It is a sequence of commands, activated on click or active keyboard shortcut. You can create wooden or glass frames; make different complex effects such as quadrant colors, foggy lenses. And if default default Photoshop actions are not enough for you - you can easily record your sequence.

3. Multi-file processing or “Batch” in Photoshop. So what you can do if you need to resize, rename and autocorrect 300 or more pictures? Even with the fastest picture editor manually it will take the whole day. Just use Batch. Select source folder, apply one or several actions, select destination folder, pick the naming option, file format, press OK and leave computer alone for 30 minutes. Here you go!

4. PDF-converting button in a toolbar will save you not only from retyping and reformatting but also from looking for an application, opening it. It is installed with PDF Transformer in most MS Office applications. You can convert PDF attachments in e-mails in mailbox, as well as convert PDF to Excel, convert PDF to Word, Text. Creating PDF-presentations from Power Point is also a one-click job. It is even faster than using a PDF Printer plug-in.

5. Dealing with a screenshot. To create a screenshot and past a piece of it into letter or word application you usually need to open an application for capturing screenshots, crop it, recognize and copy to Clipboard. But all you need is a single click. And a special tiny utility Screenshot Reader.

6. Excel surprises again. You can automate many tasks even without Macro and Visual Basic. How often do you use auto-change and sorting? Did you know it supports standard request language? For example, it can replace the line “*http://www.” with “ www.” With only this 2 functions you can unify and sort items, remove duplicates in any list. Removing of duplicate lines is done by Advanced filter.

7. When you read text in another language it is much quicker when you see the translation on-mouse-over. At least two dictionary software support this function. Translate it and ABBYY Lingvo 12. Simply hold a cursor over an unfamiliar word.

8. What do you know about Nero beside how to record or erase the CD? Nero can do multi-copying of the CD or DVD. Just insert blank CDs in time.

9. Looking a little deeper, you will find an outstanding cover designer in Nero Pack. Even complete beginner can create with it professionally-looking cover design in a couple of minutes.

10. Use File managers. Sorting, multi-renaming, compressing, copying, moving, transferring files via FTP, access to Control panel can be done much faster than you used to do. Your life will be much easier with programs like Total Commander.

The purpose of this article is not to teach how to do things. It’s a simple reminding of what can be possibly done by the software you use many times a day. When you know that the function exists, learning “how” is the matter of several minutes. And that is what “Help” for.

Good luck!