Zooming with Keyboard

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Level 1

5 points

Zooming with Keyboard

Hi.

How do I zoom in/out using a keyboard shortcut? In the "Darstellung" ("View") menu, it says to use ⌘+, but when I try that (by pushing ⌘<shift>1), nothing happens.

I'm using a current MacBook Pro Intel with a swiss german keyboard layout.

What's the shortcut to use, please?

Best regards,
Alexander

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.7), Swiss German Keyboard Layout

Posted on Sep 26, 2009 6:02 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 26, 2009 12:11 PM in response to alexs77

Hmm…this may be a bug that Apple hasn't addressed, but try this to see if it solves the problem, or is a least a good workaround to the problem:

1) Each time you start your computer, go to System Settings - International
2) Change the language from your language to English
3) Change the language from English to your language
4) The keyboard shortcuts should work.

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Answer 2

alexs77 Author

Level 1

5 points

Sep 26, 2009 11:34 AM in response to Golden Shoes

Golden Shoes,

no, I'm not. + is <Shift>+1. There's no directly accessible + key on a Swiss German keyboard.

When I hit <Command>+1, I go to http://www.apple.com/de/.

Hitting <Command> "" doesn't work, because <Command> "" is in reality <Command> <Shift>1.

Alexander

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Answer 3

Sep 26, 2009 2:53 PM in response to alexs77

Is there a way to tell Apple about this bug?

Yes. If you see a "bug" icon on the top far-right of your browser window, click on that to report a bug. If you don't see that, you can go to http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html and report it that way. Apple does read those, but they will not reply to you.

If you change to Swiss German, are you able to zoom using the keyboard?

I'm unable to test that, since the only installed language on my machine is US English.

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Answer 4

alexs77 Author

Level 1

5 points

Sep 26, 2009 12:50 PM in response to Golden Shoes

Hi.

Well, I didn't try restarting the computer, but I created a new user account, changed the locale from Swiss German -> English. Started Safari. Hit <Command> <Shift>^ because <Shift>+^ gives +. Effect: Zoom.

Changed back to Swiss German. Hit the same key combo as before (ie. <Command> <Shift>^). Effect: Nothing happened. Hit <Command> "" (ie. <Command> <Shift>1). Effect: Goes to http://apple.com/.

Is there a way to tell Apple about this bug?

Thanks,
Alexander

Update:

Didn't reboot the system but created just a new account "emulating" a relogin, thinking that this must be a user profile related setting and not a system related setting.

If you change to Swiss German, are you able to zoom using the keyboard?

Message was edited by: alexs77

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Answer 5

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

122,194 points

Sep 26, 2009 4:57 PM in response to alexs77

If you change to Swiss German, are you able to zoom using the keyboard?

Are you are able to zoom out by using the - key at the bottom right?

I can also zoom in by using the + on the numeric keypad.

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Answer 6

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

122,194 points

Sep 26, 2009 4:59 PM in response to Golden Shoes

I'm unable to test that, since the only installed language on my machine is US English.

You should normally still have the Swiss German keyboard layout in system prefs/language & text/input sources. That's what you need for testing, not the German language localization files.

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Answer 7

Sep 26, 2009 8:41 PM in response to Tom Gewecke

I tested that and it works fine for me, but I have a US keyboard, too. I don't know whether having the Swiss German keyboard would make a difference, but I suspect that is the real problem, because the OP has that keyboard and it doesn't work for them.

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Answer 8

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

122,194 points

Sep 27, 2009 3:19 AM in response to Golden Shoes

I tested that and it works fine for me

So when you have the Swiss German icon instead of US at the top right of the Finder, you are able to make Safari zoom in without using the number pad? I can't. What keyboard combo?

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Answer 9

alexs77 Author

Level 1

5 points

Sep 27, 2009 3:25 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

Tom Gewecke wrote:

If you change to Swiss German, are you able to zoom using the keyboard?

Are you are able to zoom out by using the - key at the bottom right?

Yes.

I can also zoom in by using the + on the numeric keypad.

There's no numeric keypad on a MacBook Pro 😟

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Answer 10

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

122,194 points

Sep 27, 2009 4:33 AM in response to Golden Shoes

I don't know whether having the Swiss German keyboard would make a difference, but I suspect that is the real problem, because the OP has that keyboard and it doesn't work for them.

Physical keyboards should all the same electrically, the only difference is the printing on the keys. It's the software in the OS which would cause the problem.

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Answer 11

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

122,194 points

Sep 27, 2009 6:20 AM in response to alexs77

It seems to be a bug in the keyboard layout. If you open Keyboard Viewer, you can see that Shift +1 shows a +, but Command + Shift + 1 shows a 1, so you get behavior of Show Top Sites instead of zoom.

Perhaps you could change the zoom shortcut in system prefs/keyboard/keyboard shortcuts/application shortcuts

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Answer 12

Sep 27, 2009 6:35 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

I tested it again to be sure I wasn't imagining anything or experiencing an alternate reality, and I can zoom usng ⌘⇧1, though I couldn't fnd the combination to zoom out. Using just the '+' or '-' keys or even ⌘= and ⌘- had no effect at all. Although ⌘⇧- opened the Dictionary on my system.

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Answer 13

alexs77 Author

Level 1

5 points

Sep 27, 2009 7:00 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

Hi!

Tom Gewecke wrote:
It seems to be a bug in the keyboard layout. If you open Keyboard Viewer, you can see that Shift +1 shows a +, but Command + Shift + 1 shows a 1, so you get behavior of Show Top Sites instead of zoom.

Hm. I don't know if I'd call THAT a bug - at least, it's a pretty consistent one... For kicks and giggles, I enabled German, Austrian (Österreichisch), Australian (Aussie) and English keyboard layout.

With none of these layouts, when hitting ⌘ + ⇧ + 1 (or any number key in the first row) yields what ⇧ + 1 yields.

Perhaps you could change the zoom shortcut in system prefs/keyboard/keyboard shortcuts/application shortcuts

So you'd propose to create a new shortcut for Safari? Well, that works - I assigned ⌘⇧1 (IOW: ⌘+) and it zooms in.

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Answer 14

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

122,194 points

Sep 27, 2009 7:02 AM in response to Golden Shoes

I can zoom usng ⌘⇧1,

Weird that I can't. If you do that sequence with Keyboard Viewer visible and the Swiss German layout active, do you see a 1 or a + on Keyboard Viewer?

though I couldn't fnd the combination to zoom out.

With the Swiss German layout active, it should be ⌘ /

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Answer 15

alexs77 Author

Level 1

5 points

Sep 27, 2009 7:12 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

Tom Gewecke wrote:

I can zoom usng ⌘⇧1,

Weird that I can't.

I can't either 😉

Wonder what system he's using - Intel MacBook Pro like I'm, or something else?

If you do that sequence with Keyboard Viewer visible and the Swiss German layout active, do you see a 1 or a + on Keyboard Viewer?

For me, I see "1" - just like when English, German, … keyboard layout is active.

Or is that different for you?

Alexander

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