Touch typing

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Touch typing is a method for typing on a keyboard, where the keyboard is logically arranged into columns and each column is typed with not more than one finger. It is used in order to type without looking as well as to gain more speed.

Both the main keyboard and the numeric keypad can be touch-typed.

Columns

Alphabetic keys

Number row

There is some disagreement over how to properly touch type on the numeric row. In some schools, the '2' key is typed with the middle finger, while in other schools, it is typed by the ring finger.

Number pad

On the numeric keypad, the 8-5-2 column is typed with the middle finger.

Home position

The normal "home position" for each hand is to rest on the "home row", which is the middle-most row on a standard keyboard. On a standard keyboard with a QWERTY layout, the index fingers should rest on keys 'F' and 'J', respectively for each hand.

Homing bars

Most keyboards carry tactile indicators to help your fingers find the home position. On most keyboard, there is a raised "homing bar" near the bottom edge on the 'F' and 'J' keys, and a dot in the middle of the '5' key on the numeric keypad.

Homing dots

"Home dots" are raised dots in the middle of certain keys on the home row, like most keyboards have on the '5' key on the numeric key pad.

Vintage Apple Macintosh keyboards, from the Macintosh Plus keyboard onwards, have "home dots" on the 'D' and 'K' keys, for the middle fingers. From the first USB keyboard from Apple, indicators have instead been on the 'F' and 'J' keys, just as on PC keyboards. Chiclet keyboards have homing bars.

Some keyboards with home dots on the 'F' and 'J' keys are the SGI Granite and the Acer 6312.

Dished home keys

Dished F key on a Cherry G80-3000

The homing keys are more dished than other keys. In other words, the key surfaces are more curved and deeper in the middle than on other keys.

Cherry keyboards in the G80 series have dished 'F' and 'J' keys while other Cherry keyboards, such as the G81 series have homing bars. Dishes keys are therefore often looked for when trying to identify whether a keyboard has Cherry MX switches or not.