Keyboard Shortcuts: Cut, Copy, and Paste

Whether you’re pumping out a 10,000 word report or just a computer beginner, keyboard shortcuts can make all the difference when you are trying to do something quickly.

Here’s a quick guide to keyboard shortcuts I’ve put together for cut, copy, and paste functions on Windows and Mac:

In Windows

Cut – Control (Ctrl) + X

The cut command can be used to remove text, images, or files from the screen or folder you are looking at. You cannot cut text from webpages or other screens that you are not able to edit. Insead, try copying text or images from the web to obtain a duplicate.

Copy – Control (Ctrl) + C

The copy command can be used to duplicate text, images, or files from the screen or file you are looking at. You can copy text from just about anywhere including documents and webpages. This is because you are not altering the file, document, or webpage you are looking at.

Paste – Control (Ctrl) + V

The paste command is used for placing the information you either cut or copied to your clipboard. An example of this would be pasting a text selection you copied from the web, or pasting a file you duplicated into a folder.

On a Mac

The Mac equivalents to the Windows keyboard shortcuts perform the same function, they just require a different combination of key presses.

Cut – Command + X

The cut command can be used to remove text, images, or files from the screen or folder you are looking at. You cannot cut text from webpages or other screens that you are not able to edit. Insead, try copying text or images from the web to obtain a duplicate.

Copy – Command + C

The copy command can be used to duplicate text, images, or files from the screen or file you are looking at. You can copy text from just about anywhere including documents and webpages. This is because you are not altering the file, document, or webpage you are looking at.

Paste – Command + V

The paste command is used for placing the information you either cut or copied to your clipboard. An example of this would be pasting a text selection you copied from the web, or pasting a file you duplicated into a folder.

Hope this helps everyone!