This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Advantages of Notes
Whenever you need to take notes and write down important ideas or information, you’ll find the Notes app helpful. You can use it as a note-taking, organizational, and brainstorming tool. The Notes app window simulates the familiar yellow notepad. On the surface, the app is a basic text editor. For example, you can use the computer keyboard to enter text-based information. However, you can also create bulleted and numbered lists.
As you’re entering text, you can format it; the app enables you to choose a font, type style, and font size. In addition, you can left-, right-, or center-justify the text on the page as you’re typing. If you don’t need a full-featured word processor, Notes offers a simple way to manage text-based information.
The Notes app offers a handful of advantages, including the following:
- Each note you create can be stored on a virtual page of the notepad. A listing for each note is displayed on the left side of the app window (within the sidebar), along with the date it was created. You can then search through your various notes using the app’s Search field to quickly find exactly what you’re looking for.
- You can store groups of notes in separate and custom-labeled folders.
TIP
As you create each note, the app automatically keeps track of the time and date it was created or last updated. This information displays in the upper-right corner of each note page.
- You can store an unlimited number of separate notes within the Notes app. Each can be as long as you desire and have a separate title associated.
- The Notes app works seamlessly with iCloud to automatically back up and sync your notes as long as the computer is connected to the Internet.
- Once your Notes data is synced with iCloud, it can automatically be shared with your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch (which also has the Notes app preinstalled).
TIP
Using the Select, Copy, Cut, and Paste commands or the drag-and-drop process, you can insert photos or graphics into the Notes app (shown in Figure 6.1). However, once a photo is imported into a note, you cannot resize or position text to the right or left of it. You can, however, placed text above or below an imported photo or graphic.
Figure 6.1. You can drag a photo (for example, from iPhoto or your Pictures folder) into a note within the Notes app.
- The Notes app utilizes the OS X Share feature, enabling you to share individual notes with anyone via email or message.
- Instead of manually typing notes, you can use the OS X Dictation feature. Then, when you’re ready to read back the text, you can activate the app’s Speech feature and have the text read aloud to you by a computerized voice.
- You can print notes using any printer connected to your computer or transformed them into PDF files from within the app.
)
TIP
To create a PDF file from a note, select File, Print from the menu bar. Alternatively, press the 
-P keyboard short, and then from the Print window click the PDF button in the lower-left corner. Choose Save as PDF (or one of the other options from the menu that enable you to create and share a PDF).