XXI century - the era of computer technology. Today, the inability to type on the keyboard is comparable to the inability to use a ballpoint pen. At a time when every minute has value, slow typing is an impermissible luxury that limits human capabilities in the modern world.
Why print fast
More recently, blind typing has been a rarity. The ability to type any text, despite looking at the keyboard, was equated with magic. Only a few possessed such skill. Now everything has changed a lot, and high-speed printing is a frequently used, professionally valuable skill. Many employers, selecting employees whose activities will be connected with computers, as one of the main requirements for applicants indicate ownership of the method of blind typing.
Nowadays, fast typing should be done not only by computer typing operators in publishing houses, but also accountants, economists, office clerks - all whose work is connected with the creation of electronic documents.
What is the optimal keyboard typing speed ?
So, there are many services that help determine how fast you type. Just a minute you need to print at speed, and after that the treasured figure appears. But with what to compare it? What print speed is considered good?
Those who are not familiar with the blind printing method are likely to be unable to type in more than 150 characters in one minute. Looking at the keyboard and wielding with two fingers, it is difficult to achieve great speed. And even if you’ve already learned how to print using the ten-finger method, don’t expect high print speeds to appear right away. At first, it will be about 200 characters per minute, which is already good. The speed of typing is considered “comfortable,” keeping up with the usual speech. The more workouts, the faster it increases. Having reached an indicator of 300-400 characters per minute, start to be proud of yourself. This speed can boast professionals.
But even if you can do it, it’s too early to relax. The world record for print speed was set in 2005, and after ten years no one can beat it. It is 750 characters in one minute.
How can I increase print speed?
We set a goal - to learn how to quickly type texts on the keyboard. What will come of this is still unknown. Perhaps you’ll be praised by your boss and promoted, or a miracle may happen and a new name will appear in the Guinness Book of Records. In any case, such a valuable skill will not be superfluous, it will make working at the computer more efficient and help save time.
Often, beginners try to increase the speed by simply typing texts from the keyboard, and spend more than one hour doing such a monotonous exercise. Let’s say right away - it’s a waste of time if you do not use the correct typing technique.
Blind printing is what helps. This is the only correct way, giving maximum typing speed . Only after mastering the principles of this method, you can devote time to training. In this case, they will be effective, and the results will not be long in coming.
Blind printing - how is it?
This method of recruitment appeared in the late XVIII century. In those days, computers could not even be discussed, because the mass production of typewriters had just begun. Learning fast typing was not given any attention. Everyone was looking for convenient methods of working on keyboards. The most effective method turned out to be printing without peeping at the keyboard and with the distribution of keys for each finger.
This method began to be called the Ten-Finger because of the use of all ten fingers, and blind - because, when typing, you can not look at the buttons. Passing the training in touch typing, you will remember the location of each letter and each character on the keyboard. Does this sound complicated? Nothing like this! In just a few days of training, the fingers themselves will begin to look for buttons in the right place. In addition, each of the ten fingers has muscle memory and precisely remembers its area of work.
Two essential ten-finger principles
Users who have been using the blind printing method for a long time follow two basic rules without thinking about it. Beginners will need to try. So, if you decide to master the blind typing method on the keyboard, remember:
1. Each finger presses only certain, “its” buttons. This is clearly shown in the figure below.
The color of the finger corresponds to the color of the keys that it must press.
2. It is strictly forbidden to look at the keyboard while typing. This habit is a basic problem for beginners. Getting rid of her is not as easy as it seems. At the beginning of training, there will be many typos that will have to be corrected, but over time, tactile memory will begin to develop, and you will stop thinking about each movement. Fingers themselves will press the right buttons.
Only by adhering to these principles is it possible to quickly learn to type on the keyboard. Ignoring at least one of them, you will expect results for a very long time.
How long does it take to learn to type blindly?
The blind ten-finger printing method for everyday training can be mastered in a month. Do not be afraid, you do not have to type texts for 10-12 hours in 30 days. Three hours of classes are enough, but regular.
Often, newcomers, having a great desire, took possession of the blind seal in two to three weeks. This does not mean that after three weeks the print speed will be 300-400 characters per minute. To achieve this speed, further training is needed. It does not have to be purposeful work on training programs, you just need to apply the acquired skills when using a computer.
Perhaps at first it will seem that with a blind printing method you type the text more slowly than with the two-finger "sighted" method. In this case, the main thing is not to worry and not to refuse the further use of touch printing. A maximum in a couple of weeks will become a noticeable tendency to increase speed.
Blind Dialing Basics
The ten-finger printing method has several variations similar to one another in the main points.
Before you start typing, your fingers are in a strictly defined place. There they return in the pauses between entering words or sentences. Immediately we need to find the support row of the keyboard. This is the third row of keys below. The index finger of the left hand is placed on the letter A, and the right finger on O. The remaining fingers occupy places above adjacent buttons. To quickly determine the position of the support keys on any keyboard, they are marked with small relief projections. Improving your skills, you will learn to feel the correct position of the hands without touching the keys.
Significantly less common are recommendations to hold the position of the fingers on the letters “YVAM” and “TOLD”.
Each finger only presses the closest letter buttons to it, according to the color scheme.
Each function key is also pressed only with a specific finger. It’s more difficult to get used to the correct pressing of special buttons than to an alphabetic keyboard.
The [Backspace] key is used to delete mistakenly entered characters and is pressed with the little finger on the right hand.
To press the [Tab] key, use the little finger on the left hand.
[Enter] - a frequently used button, to use it we use the right little finger.
There are two [Shift] keys on the keyboard. If you need to change the case of the letter that is entered using any finger of the right hand, then [Shift] press the left little finger, and vice versa.
The [Alt] and [Space] keys are pressed with the thumb. Individually, everyone can use the left or right hand for this.
The [Ctrl] keys are pressed using the right or left little finger.
This method of printing does not create an unnecessary load on the joints of the hands and makes it possible for a long time to work productively on typing.
Literature to help
Recently, in addition to keyboard simulators, printed publications on the topic of speed dialing are also available. Books on this subject are published in the form of tutorials and, in addition to theory, also contain practical tasks.
- “Blind typing and hot keys” is a textbook for mastering blind typing by the author E. G. Avsharyan. It was published in 2008. The textbook will help in a short time to master the skill of high-speed printing using the ten-finger method and additionally introduce the “hot” buttons in MS Windows.
- "Self-instruction of the" blind "press." This book was released in 2013. The author is Vladimir Andrianov. The textbook introduces us to the history and types of keyboards, the theory of the touch typing method, offers typical exercises and reviews existing keyboard simulators.
- "Self-instruction of fast and correct typing on a computer" - express-course of the author N. Berezin. The book was published in 2006. The author promises by his methodology to teach blind typing at 120 characters per minute in 120 hours.
Training software
The theory, of course, is important, but only by studying the concepts, it is impossible to master the blind ten-finger printing method. The simulator is 80% of success in this matter. Special programs designed for speed printing training are not uncommon. The principle of training in different keyboard simulators may vary. But all of them are aimed at achieving one goal - to teach you to quickly print high-quality texts without looking at the computer keyboard.
The most popular keyboard simulators
What free programs can help you learn to type on your keyboard quickly? There are a lot of such applications. Consider the most popular programs that help to master the blind printing method:
- The Stamina simulator is an indispensable assistant for many beginners. It has several levels of training. If you already have some skills, then you can start not from the very basics, but from a comfortable level. The simulator can be used both for teaching the method and for increasing print speed. An interesting feature of the program is the ability to use your text for typing.
- VerseQ is another interesting program for touch typing. The simulator offers you to immediately type phrases and sentences. The developers claim that the method is very effective, but working on this principle is definitely more difficult, especially for beginners.
- “SOLO on the keyboard” is perhaps the most popular program, although it is provided for a fee. Consists of 100 tasks. In addition to the exercises itself, this simulator has a lot of additional functions. There are jokes that do not let you get bored, useful tips, detailed instructions.
This is only a small part of what can help those who want to master the blind ten-finger seal. The choice is huge, and if you do not like training on a particular simulator, do not give up your goal, but try something else. You will surely find that method that will be most effective and interesting for you at the same time.
Method Advantages
To conclude, let's flesh out the benefits of owning a blind recruitment method:
- Say what you like, but the first advantage will always be saving time. The typing speed on the keyboard is increased at least twice. The time required to work with documents is proportionally reduced.
- The possibility of concentration. If the gaze while typing is focused only on the document, it is easier to form thoughts, and at the same time the possibility of noticing an error in the text increases.
- The procedure for monotonous input of letters from the keyboard becomes more dynamic, which helps to avoid fatigue.
- The possibility of additional earnings. As already mentioned, the ability to quickly print using the ten-finger method is a valuable professional skill. In addition, there are a lot of areas where you can make money on it. For example: paid typing, copywriting, selling articles, etc.