Two Keynote tips that everyone should know

As a frequent speaker, I hook my laptop up to strange projectors that my laptop has never seen before. I also need to get my presentation working quickly as any delay or perceived technical problems set a poor tone for the presentation and stress me out.

Through my speaking career, I’ve learned two tricks that everyone who gives presentations in Keynote should know. Once you’ve mastered them (they’re incredibly easy) you can eliminate any initial laptop setup stress and jump in, knowing that the audience sees you as a presentation pro.

The F1 Mirror Flip

All too often, for whatever reason, your laptop will decide that it should mirror its display with the projector. Caught in this scenario, you might be tempted to open up System Preferences, go to the Displays page, and try to find the mirroring checkbox. Instead, to quickly switch mirroring on and off, simply press: Cmd-F1.

The Presenter Notes/Slides Exchange

The other trick resolves a similar issue: your presenter notes are up on the projector, and your slides appear on your laptop’s screen. This is a quick fix. Simply press x.

With these two tips in your back pocket, you can set up your laptop and get oriented on stage in no time.

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