Making a Long Dash on Mac: A Step-by-Step Guide

Have you ever been typing away on your Mac and realized you needed to insert a long dash? Maybe you’re writing a sentence like “The lazy dog — who loves napping all day — finally stood up to stretch.” In regular typing, you’d use two hyphens together to create a long dash. However, on a Mac, this shortcut doesn’t work. Don’t worry though, inserting a long dash is still a simple process!

The long dash, also known as an em dash, is a punctuation mark that is longer than a hyphen. It’s often used to show a break in thought or to create a separation between phrases in a sentence. In this article, we’ll guide you through the steps to make a long dash on your Mac, so you can add this grammatical tool to your writing arsenal.

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Make a Long Dash on a Mac

Making a long dash on a Mac is crucial when you want to add needed pauses and emphasis to your writing. Whether you’re a writer, educator, or simply someone who wants to level up their writing game, knowing how to make a long dash on a Mac is a valuable skill. In this guide, we’ll give you a step-by-step tutorial on how to make a long dash on a Mac using different methods.

Using the Hyphen Key to Create a Long Dash

The easiest and most straightforward way to make a long dash on a Mac is by using the hyphen key. Here are the steps you should follow:

1. Open any writing application on your Mac, such as Pages, TextEdit, or Microsoft Word.
2. Type the word(s) preceding the long dash.
3. Type two hyphens (–) immediately after the last word but without any space between them and the previous word.
4. Type the word(s) following the long dash immediately after — without any space.

The two hyphens will automatically convert to a long dash.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts

Another method you can use to create a long dash on a Mac is by using keyboard shortcuts. Here are the steps:

1. Position your cursor where you want to create the long dash.
2. Press and hold the Shift, Option, and Minus (-) keys simultaneously.
3. Release the keys, and a long dash will appear on your screen.

Using the Character Viewer

If you have trouble remembering keyboard shortcuts, you can use the character viewer to create a long dash. Here’s how:

1. Click on the Apple icon on the top left corner of your Mac’s screen.
2. Select “System Preferences” from the drop-down menu.
3. Click on “Keyboard,” then select “Input Sources.”
4. Scroll down the list of input sources and tick the “Show Input menu in menu bar” box.
5. Click on the “Menu Bar” tab.
6. Click on the “Input Sources” icon at the top right corner of your menu bar.
7. Click on “Show Character Viewer.”
8. Select “Punctuation” from the left-hand side menu.
9. Click on “Em Dash” to select it and click “Insert.”
10. The long dash will appear in your document.

Using Auto-Correct

If you’re a frequent user of a long dash, you can save time by making it an auto-correct feature. Here are the steps:

1. Open any writing application on your Mac, such as Pages, TextEdit, or Microsoft Word.
2. Type the word(s) preceding the long dash.
3. Type two hyphens with no spaces immediately after the last word.
4. Continue with the word(s) following the long dash without leaving any space.
5. Select the two hyphens, and right-click.
6. A drop-down menu appears. Click on “Add to Auto-Correct.”
7. The next time you type two hyphens together, it’ll automatically convert into a long dash.

Using Microsoft Office Shortcuts

If you’re a frequent Microsoft Office user, you can use a specific shortcut to create a long dash. Here’s how:

1. Open any Microsoft Office application on your Mac, such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.
2. Position your cursor where you want to insert the long dash.
3. Press “Option” + “Shift” + “Minus(-).”

The long dash will appear on your page.

Using TextExpander

TextExpander is a productivity tool that allows you to quickly generate often-used phrases and snippets. Here’s how you can use TextExpander to create a long dash:

1. Download and install TextExpander on your Mac.
2. Open TextExpander and select “Add a New Snippet.”
3. In the “Content” field, type two hyphens with no spaces.
4. In the “Expansion” field, type the long dash.
5. Save the snippet.
6. Whenever you want to use the long dash, type the two hyphens and TextExpander will auto-expand it to a long dash.

Using Copy and Paste

If all else fails, you can resort to copying and pasting a long dash. Here’s how:

1. Open your web browser and look for a website with a long dash you want to copy.
2. Highlight the long dash and press “Command + C.”
3. Go back to your Word document or text editor and position the cursor where you want the long dash.
4. Press “Command + V” to paste the long dash.

Conclusion

There you have it, folks! We’ve given you different methods on how to make a long dash on a Mac. Choose the one that works best for you. With a little practice, you’ll be able to add a professional touch to your writing. Happy typing!

10 Simple Steps to Make a Long Dash on Mac

Are you struggling with how to create a long dash on your Mac keyboard? With a few simple steps, you can easily make the long dash you need for your document. This article will walk you through the process step-by-step, so you can produce professional-looking documents with ease.

1. Go to your document: Open your document on your Mac, where you need to add a long dash.

2. Move the Cursor: Click the location on the document where you want to add the long dash.

3. Click on the “Edit” option: Once you have placed the cursor, click the “Edit” option from the menu bar and scroll down to “Special Characters” and then click on “Em dash…”.

4. Find and click on em dash: Once you select the “Em dash” option from the Special Characters window, you will see the symbol appear in the text field.

5. Do not click the “Insert” button yet: Avoid clicking the “Insert” button yet. Instead, take note of the shortcut key provided at the bottom of the window.

6. Memorize the keyboard shortcut: Make sure to note the keyboard shortcut for the em dash. In most cases, you will use “Option + Shift + Minus (-)”.

7. Close the Special Characters window: Now you can close the Special Characters window.

8. Use the shortcut key: To add a long dash, simply press the shortcut key for the em dash you memorized earlier.

9. Verify the content: Make sure to verify the text and check if the long dash is in place and working properly.

10. Save the document: Once you’re satisfied with your document, save it.

These simple steps are all you need to create a long dash on your Mac. You can now produce polished and professional-looking documents for work or personal use. With practice, using this keyboard shortcut will become effortless and save you a lot of time formatting your documents. You’re now ready to become a long dash champion.

Ways to Make a Long Dash on a Mac

If you are using a Mac for your work or personal tasks and need a long dash in your document or email, then you are in the right place. Making a long dash on a Mac can be a bit tricky, but with a few easy steps, it can be done in no time. In this section, we will be discussing different ways to make a long dash on your Mac computer.

Using the Keyboard Shortcut

The simplest and quickest way to create a long dash on your Mac is by using the keyboard shortcut. Here’s how:

Using the Character Viewer

Another easy way to make a long dash on your Mac is by using the built-in Character Viewer tool. Here are the steps to do it:

Using AutoCorrect

If you frequently use long dashes in your work, you can save time by creating an AutoCorrect shortcut for it. Here’s how:

Using Character Code

Mac also allows you to use a character code to insert a long dash. Here’s how:

Using Copy & Paste

Lastly, you can simply copy and paste a long dash from a text editor or a website. Here are the steps:

In conclusion, creating a long dash on a Mac can be done in a few different ways, whether it is through keyboard shortcuts, Character Viewer, AutoCorrect, character codes, or copy & paste. Choose the one that fits best with your workflow and use it to your advantage.

So, That’s It!

Now, that you know how to make a long dash on Mac, you can easily make your articles, documents, and emails much more professional and easier to read. We hope that this guide helped you out and you found the tips and tricks useful. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to come back for more helpful tips and tricks!