Category: Mac & OS X

Paste text without formatting in OS X Lion

If you want to copy formatted text from one document into a new one but don’t want to keep the formatting, you can do so with a simple keyboard shortcut.

Simply copy the text as you normally would (Command + C), then move to where you want to paste the text and hit Command + Shift + Option + V. Your text will be pasted with no formatting whatsoever.

This is particularly useful when copying colored text with one font and pasting it into a new document that uses completely different fonts and colors.

The problem with Mac OS X Lion’s Auto Save feature

Auto SaveMac OS X 10.7 Lion’s Auto Save feature is one of the highlights of the operating system revision, especially for inexperienced users. It removes the need to remember to press Command-S (or take a mouse trip to choose File > Save) in applications that support the feature. Lion automatically and continuously saves every change to disk. However, one casualty of the feature is the age-old “Save As” command, used to create and then work on a new file with the same contents as the original. Save As has been replaced by a cumbersome duplicate-and-then-save behavior.

Tidbits goes into detail about how Auto Save works, and the problem with it replacing the ages-old Save As command. I’m not a fan of Auto Save, which is to say I absolutely hate it. I hope Apple makes it an option I can turn off in future OS revisions, but I suspect we’re seeing the beginning of the end of the file system methodology we’ve known for years. (more…)

How to merge multiple iPhoto libraries

I’ve been asked a few times over the years if it was possible to merge multiple iPhoto library files into one large library. The answer is yes, but it’ll cost a few bucks.

iPhoto Library Manager

iPhoto Library Manager is a handy tool for anyone who has large iPhoto collections

iPhoto Library Manager ($19.95) lets you easily create and keep track of multiple iPhoto libraries, but that’s only the beginning. It also has the ability to copy your photos from one library to another, while keeping track of photo metadata that is normally lost when exporting from one library and importing into another.

You could split or merge library files manually, but that could result in a lot of time spent dragging out and re-importing a lot of photos – and it doesn’t guarantee all your meta-data will make the trip. If you take a lot of photos, and you use iPhoto to manage them, iPhoto Library Manager will make organizing and backing up those precious photos much easier.

Hide those pesky Mac OS X System Preference icons

There are a few icons found in the Mac OS X’s System Preferences that I just never seem to use. Ever. They used to taunt me every time I launch Sys Prefs to make adjustments to my Mac – such as the MobileMe icon that still exists in Lion’s prefs, for example.

Hiding System Preference icons

Why must the MobileMe icon taunt me? Oh. It doesn't!

You can hide any of those preference icons you want simply by visiting the View>Customize… while in the System Preferences. A small checkbox will appear next to each icon which you can untick to hide the icon. Once you turn off the icons you don’t use or for whatever reason wish to hide, simply hit the Done button at the top of the System Preferences window.

LittleIpsum for Mac makes generating filler text in your layouts easy

LittleIpsum iconIn publishing, graphic design and web development, lorem ipsum is placeholder text (filler text) commonly used to demonstrate the layout elements of a document or visual presentation.

The lorem ipsum text is typically a section of a Latin text by Cicero with words altered, added and removed that make it nonsensical in meaning and not proper Latin.

As designers, we all use it. There are web-based lorem ipsum genererators, but they’re all a pain to use because you have to launch a browser and go to the site to use them. It adds unnecessary steps. There has to be a better solution. Enter LittleIpsum. (more…)

Only 3 days left to get Font Genius free with purchase of Suitcase Fusion

Identifying unknown fonts in design projects just got easier. A new bundle of font tools from Extensis makes it easy to identify, purchase and add fonts to designers creative arsenal.

Until December 30th, 2011, each purchase or upgrade of the Suitcase Fusion 3 font manager for Mac, designers get the font identification tool FontGenius ($40 value) for FREE.

Free Font Genius

Grab your copy of Suitcase Fusion and get Font Genius free!

FontGenius allows designers to:

  • Identify fonts used in any picture graphic
  • Preview matched fonts, even uninstalled fonts
  • Search, download, and purchase matched fonts

Visit the bundle page for more info.

Firefox 9 update brings Swipe gestures for Lion users

Mozilla has FINALLY added Mac OS X Lion gesture support in Firefox. Although, Firefox 9 only adds two gestures (forward and back), they are certainly the most popular.

Firefox 9

Still not making the feature list (below), though, are numerous other Lion (and even Leopard) features that Chrome & Safari browsers have, such as PDF viewing support and native full screen. With the plethora of extensions now available for Chrome, there’s little reason to use the more bloated Firefox browser right now.
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Quicky check your hard drive’s free space

Quick Look storage

Quick Look is more than just image previews

The Quick Look feature in Mac OS X Lion is useful for previewing images, text files and websites. But you can also use it to quickly check the free space remaining on your hard drive.

Simply click on the Mac HD icon on the Desktop or in a Finder window and hit the spacebar.

Another quick way to check your free space is to turn on the Status Bar in Finder windows by visiting View>Show Status Bar (Command + /) and click on the Mac HD icon in the Finder window. The Status Bar at the bottom of the Finder window will display your free space.