I can''t believe that there''s no "Go to Page [n]" command, let alone a keyboard shortcut for it, in the Layout menu where all the other page navigation commands are listed. If I have a short document, using the shortcuts for "Go to Next/Previous Page" is doable, but for long files, they''re virtually useless.
The keyboard shortcut you''re looking for is the same as it is in QuarkXPress: Command-J/Ctrl-J (think: "Jump to Page"). It''s right there in Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts: choose the "Views, Navigation" Product Area, and then find "Access Page Number Box." With such an obscure title, it''s not surprising you didn''t notice it.
When you use the shortcut, the current page number at the lower left of the document window becomes selected. Type the page number you want to "jump" to and hit Return/Enter to go to that page.
TIP
The Command-J/Ctrl-J feature is great for jumping from one page in your document to another, but most people don''t realize it also works to jump to a master page. If you want to go to master page "A," just type A into the page field and press Return/Enter.
I''ve been using InDesign for months and find the Hand tool indispensable for dragging the page around my window without having to use the scroll bars. But why didn''t they give it a shortcut I can use all the time? If I''m not editing text, then I use the spacebarlogical, as that''s what Photoshop and Illustrator use. But if I have some text selected, then I have to hold down the Option/Alt key to get Mr. Grabby!
Aaaugh!
Let''s use the belt-and-suspenders method. From now on, every time you want to access the temporary Hand tool to scroll your document around, regardless of what you''re doing in the program, hold down both keys, the option/Alt key and the Spacebar. Make sure to press Option/Alt slightly before you add the Spacebar. It works every time.
TIP
If you''ve got a mouse with a scroll wheel, you already know that you can use it to scroll up and down through your pages. Did you know you could also use it to scroll left and right? Keep the Shift key held down when you scroll the wheel: Shift-wheel up scrolls the window to the left; Shift-wheel down scrolls the window to the right. Oh yeah baby, work it.
I know that InDesign''s keyboard shortcut for the temporary Zoom tool is Command-Spacebar/Ctrl-Spacebar (adding the Option/Alt key to that for Zoom Out). Normally it works fine, but sometimes it leaves a trail of empty spaces in my text. What''s going on?
You need to hold down the Command/Ctrl key at least a nanosecond before you add the Spacebar. If you''re editing text, that tells InDesign "ignore what''s happening with the Spacebar, it doesn''t concern you." If you''re not editing text, it actually makes no difference which one you press first, but why torture yourself. Get in the "Command/Ctrl first" habit and move on to more interesting things.
You might also consider using an alternate keyboard shortcut. For example, Command/Ctrl-+ (plus sign) and (minus sign) zoom in and out just as nicely.