If you’re one of those people who recently bought or received a new Mac, you’ve probably realized that Apple’s personal computers have a lot to offer. And while a Mac is undoubtedly one of the best computers out there, there are several things you can do to get the most out of it. From doing calculations and currency conversions in Spotlight to signing documents in the Preview app, here are five tips and tricks for navigating your Mac.
Sign a PDF file with Preview on Mac
Businesses today often require electronic signatures on PDF documents. This is now standard, but digital documents must also be signed. If you are a Mac user, signing documents electronically is easy. All you have to do is use the Preview app to create and save your digital signature.
To create a digital signature, make sure you have a PDF document ready. Open a PDF document with Mac’s built-in Preview app (if you don’t have a PDF document ready, you can create one and save it as a PDF). The next step is to open the markup tool, either by clicking on the “pen in circle” in the top right of the preview window or by selecting View > Show Markup Tool. Click on the signature icon. You can create a digital signature.
Make summaries of long articles
A lesser-known Mac feature that many users are unaware of is article summarization. The Summarize feature allows you to summarize an article in a way that allows you to decide whether the story, whether it’s a review or a long form, is worth your time. To summarize a document, you must first enable the feature. Go to System Preferences, then Keyboard, then Shortcuts, then Services: check Summarize here. To summarize the text, highlight the text you want to summarize. Then right-click Services and then click Summarize.
Add emojis to any document
Emojis have become a digital and cultural phenomenon and they are much more than funny characters and smileys. Using emojis to express emotions is popular on iPhone and other smartphones, they can be added to any document including Google Docs. Just go to the menu bar and click Edit>Emoji and Symbols. Click on the emoji you want to use and it will be inserted where you left your cursor.
Use Spotlight for quick calculations
Although macOS includes a calculator, it’s not the fastest way to do calculations. The best way to do quick calculations is to use Spotlight. Instead of opening the calculator app, use the Spotlight search box. Enter your formula and the answer will appear as you type. Aside from calculations, you can use Spotlight for currency conversions.
Speech to text conversion
Dictation is a helpful feature that can be used in daily workflow. In fact, typing dictation on Mac works well. You can convert speech to text by pressing the function (fn) key twice and start speaking. It’s a handy tool when you want to take notes or work freehand.
