In this technological age, all types of work are having to be typed as opposed to hand written. While this contribute to taking up less desk space, more information needs to be put into the computer. You may already know how to type, but these quick typing tricks will ensure that you are efficient in completing you work.

The concept of touch typing follows the idea that every finger has its own area on the keyboard. People with the highest typing speeds don’t even have to look at the keyboard because with practice, they are able to memorize the keyboard through muscle memory.

You too can learn the location of the keys through muscle memory with a little practice.

Posture

It’s very easy to sit at a desk for a couple of hours and gradually acquire a slump. Posture contributes to effective touch typing as much as your fingers do. Keeping your face too close to the screen and crouching around the keyboard can put strain on your body that is contributing to less-than-perfect posture. Keep your back straight and head slightly forward (at least 45-75 cm away from the screen). Making sure that your elbows, arm, and wrists aren’t strained by resting them on the tabletop from time to time will improve your posture as well.

Position: HOME ROW

Curve your fingers and put your right hand on the ASDF keys, while the left will fall on the JKL; keys in the middle row of the keyboard. This position is known as “Home row” because you will start from these keys and end there as well. Notice how the F and J keys have a raised line on them for you to feel for, instead of actually having to look for them; they are on the same line as “Home row”.

Keyboard Scheme

Remember that you will always begin on the keys of “Home row” and you should always return there. Envisioning the keyboard of letters, numbers, and symbols will help to guide your fingers to where they are. After a little practice, you will see that you won’t have to look for every key that you type. Establishing and maintaining a rhythm while typing will keep the flow going, allowing you type at long intervals without stopping. This is much more effecting than typing a couple words – looking at your reference – typing some more, and repeating this process. The SHIFT key is always pressed by the pinky finger opposite to the one hitting the other key. While this may be hard to configure at first, catching yourself in the act and actively practicing this will have it becoming a habit in no time. The space bar is the key that will most likely hit the most. Using your thumb of the hand this is most convenient to you is optimal, since the slant of your hands will have the thumb nearest anyway.

Finger Motion

This may sound odd at first, but don’t look at the keys when you type. Sliding your fingers around until they find the “home row” markings will help you to find your position. Keep from moving your arms everywhere. Limit movement to what you need to press and keep your fingers close. This not only improves typing speeds but takes stress off the hands and wrists.

Typing Speed

This is probably the number one thing people look to improve in terms of computer work. So much so, that certain jobs require that you take a test or include your wpm (words per minute) on your resume. When you are just starting out, don’t rush because you want to type faster. With practice, your fingers will begin to learn the keys and you will speed up out of habit. If you continue to forcefully speed up your typing, mistakes will be made causing you to go back and fix them; this will only make you slower in the long run. Reading ahead allows you to continue typing without having to stop for every word or two.

Learning how to touch type will improve all aspects of your typing, from accurately hitting the keyboard to increasing your typing speed. While it will take practice and determination, in turn you will become more efficient in any and all typing work that you do.

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