After watching a (20ish) assistant moving the mouse to change the address on a form letter going to a bunch of different people, then moving the mouse again the hit the Print icon and then moving the mouse to hit Okay on the print pop up a bunch of times, I showed her the Ctrl-P-Enter sequence. She was not even aware that such a move was possible.
I told her that I use it because I am a typist and use the mouse as little as possible.
Do you usually use the icon or the keyboard to print?
I don’t think I use any programs that have a print icon, or at least none in which I didn’t immediately disable or hide whatever silly buttonbar has that on it.
It depends on a few factors. What program I’m using, what I was doing right before printing, which computer…I’m sure there are more that I’m not thinking of.
In a text doc, if I’m editing or typing, I’ll use ctrl-p-ent, but if I’m reading, using the scroll wheel, I’ll use the ion.
Drafting-almost exclusively the icon.
Image edit-about 50/50. (50-50? 50%-50%? nope, the %'s look dumb.)
I very rarely have to print things that I’m composing, the vast majority of printing is of things I receive or view online. Since most reading, browsing and opening occurs via the mouse the icon is most logical.
Though, on rare times I use a laptop keyboard shortcuts are much preferred.
I usually click Ctrl-P, but then I often need to change some printer settings, such as printing 2 pages per sheet, only printing certain pages, etc. After I’m done using the mouse to do all this, it’s then easier just to click “enter” with the mouse.
In Word, I always reset the command and the icon (both of which I use, though probably the command more often) to open the “Print…” rather than the “Print” function – that is, to show me printer options before printing. I mess with printer options a lot, usually trying to save paper (duplex, 2-up, all that good stuff). I totally trick out all my Word toolbars and menus, though, which I realize is anathema to some folks.
I usually use the menu (often File>Print…) - you never can tell whether the toolbar buttons are going to throw up the print dialog and let you make choices, or just send the document straight to the default printer with the default options.
I don’t really print things often enough for it to come up.
But I use a good variety of keyboard shortcuts, especially the ones that are universal.
I hate it when some app uses the same shortcut I’m familiar with for some completely unrelated task (and for all you know, it has changed some important setting that will destroy your work), it messes me around something fierce. Unfortunately it’s an inevitable and almost unavoidable hazard.
Keyboard, all the way. Hell, when I don’t remember a particular shortcut and have to open a menu, I’ll hit Alt and explore the menus with the cursor keys.