The Preview app on Mac is often underutilized, despite its numerous features that make it an excellent free PDF editor. Initially, users may only encounter Preview when opening images or PDFs, but the app has much more to offer. Exploring its advanced features can reveal a wealth of functionalities that can enhance productivity and efficiency.
One of the most useful Preview hacks is avoiding the need to open the app altogether. By selecting a file and pressing the spacebar, users can activate Quick Look, which allows them to view the file without opening it. This feature is particularly useful for quickly viewing images, PDFs, or checking the contents of a folder. To close the preview, simply press the spacebar again.
Preview also offers a hidden PDF dark mode feature, which can be enabled by opening a PDF, selecting View in the menu bar, and clicking Use Dark Appearance for PDF. This switches the PDF to a dark background with white text, and the app remembers the preference for all future PDF openings. This feature is also available on iPhone and iPad, where users can open a PDF, tap the three dots, and select Dark Background.
For image editing, Preview allows users to open images directly from the clipboard, eliminating the need to save them to the Mac first. By copying an image and opening Preview, users can press Command + N to open the image for editing. Alternatively, they can select File > New from Clipboard to achieve the same result.
Preview also boasts a feature that removes image backgrounds, which can be accessed by opening an image and pressing Command + Shift + K. This feature can also be found in the Tools menu or by selecting the camera icon with diagonal lines in the toolbar. Additionally, Preview makes it easy to copy text from images and PDFs, including scanned documents, by simply selecting the text and copying it.
The app also allows users to turn their iPhone into a dedicated document scanner. By opening Preview on Mac, selecting File > Import from iPhone > Scan Documents, and pointing the iPhone camera at a page, users can automatically identify borders and scan the page. The document is then imported into Preview for editing and saving.
Furthermore, Preview enables users to view an image's metadata, including EXIF data, by opening the image and tapping or clicking the i button. This reveals important details about the photo, such as when it was captured, which camera and lens were used, and where it was shot. Users can also review and remove sensitive metadata before sharing the image.
Preview is also a capable PDF editor, allowing users to combine multiple PDF pages into a single document or remove pages from a PDF file. On Mac, users can open a PDF, click the sidebar button, select Thumbnails, and click the + button to insert pages from another PDF. On iPhone and iPad, users can open a PDF, swipe right to show page thumbnails, and tap the three dots to insert or delete pages.
The app also features a digital signature function, which enables users to sign documents electronically. By opening a file in Preview, clicking the Form Filling Toolbar, and selecting Add Signature, users can create a digital signature and sign the document quickly. This eliminates the need to print, sign, and scan documents.
Finally, Preview allows users to add or remove passwords from PDFs, providing an extra layer of security for sensitive documents. By opening a PDF, selecting File > Export, and clicking Permissions, users can add a password to open the document or set an owner password to restrict editing, printing, or copying. Users can also remove passwords from PDF files by opening the document, entering the owner password, and selecting Edit to modify the permissions.
