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{{short description|Image and PDF viewer software by Apple}}
Apple Preview describes the software application in Mac OS X, but originated essentially from [[NeXT's]] [[OPENSTEP]] software.
{{redirect|Preview (software)|the term used in software release cycles|Technical preview}}
Preview employs Apple's partial implementation of Adobe's [[PDF]] (Portable Document Format) specification.
{{More citations needed|date=February 2010}}
Being a very simplistic yet elegant program, Preview contains only a few lines of [[software]] code, with the bulk of it's functionality being a part of Apple's "[[Cocoa]]" GUI ([[Graphical User Interface]]), Core Graphics ([[Quartz]]) and [[Quicktime]] software libraries.
{{Infobox software
| name = Preview
| logo = Preview icon.png
| logo_size =
| logo alt = photograph and loupe
| screenshot = Preview (macOS).png
| screenshot_size = 250px
| caption = Preview 11.0 running on [[macOS Big Sur|Big Sur]]
| genre = [[Image viewer|Image]] and [[PDF viewer]]
| developer = [[Apple Inc.|Apple]]
| latest release version = 11.0
| operating system = [[macOS]]
| website = {{ url | support.apple.com/guide/preview }}
}}
{{macOS topics}}


'''Preview''' is the built-in [[image viewer]] and [[PDF viewer]] of the [[macOS]] operating system. In addition to viewing and printing [[digital image]]s and [[Portable Document Format]] (PDF) files, it can also edit these media types. It employs the [[Aqua (user interface)|Aqua graphical user interface]], the [[Quartz (graphics layer)|Quartz]] graphics layer, and the ImageIO and [[Core Image]] frameworks.
Following September 11, 2001, Apple Computer began firing and facilitating the racially motivated deportation of dozens of segregated ethnic minorities, including the author of Preview. Shortly thereafter, the "Closed" Preview project was handed over to unqualified employees with no relevant [[Computer Science]], or otherwise technical qualifications. Preview has since changed very little, as with Apple's Mac OS X software and remains as a historical remnant of Apple Computer's purchase of [[NeXT]].


==History==
Like macOS, Preview originated in the [[NeXTSTEP]] operating system by [[NeXT]],<ref>[https://www.levenez.com/NeXTSTEP/NeXTSTEP.pdf "NEXTSTEP"] (Brochure). Redwood City: Next Computer. February 1995. Retrieved 2021-05-19.</ref> where it was part of every release since 1989. Between 2003 and 2005, [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] claimed Preview was the "fastest PDF viewer on the planet."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mac OS X Panther|url=http://www.apple.com:80/macosx|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050111015225/http://www.apple.com:80/macosx/|archive-date=2005-01-11|publisher=Apple Computer}}</ref>


==Supported file types==
[[Category:Apple software]]
Preview can open the following file types.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Snider|first=Lesa|date=2014-12-30|title=The many superpowers of Apple's Preview app: Part 1|language=en|work=Macworld|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|url=http://www.macworld.com/article/2863923/the-many-superpowers-of-apples-preview-app-part-1.html|access-date=2017-11-18}}</ref>
[[Category:Mac OS-only software]]
{{div col}}
* [[Adobe Illustrator Artwork|AI]] – Adobe Illustrator artwork files (if PDF content included in file)
* [[BMP file format|BMP]] – Windows bitmap files
* [[Raw image format|CR2]] – Raw image file used by Canon cameras
* [[COLLADA|DAE]] – Collada 3D files
* [[Digital Negative (file format)|DNG]] – Digital negative files
* [[Fax|FAX]] – Faxes
* [[FlashPix|FPX]] – FlashPix files
* [[Graphics Interchange Format|GIF]] – Graphics Interchange Format files
* [[High-dynamic-range imaging|HDR]] – High-dynamic-range image files
* [[Apple Icon Image|ICNS]] – Apple Icon Image files
* [[ICO (icon image file format)|ICO]] – Windows icon files
* [[JPEG]] – Joint Photographic Experts Group files
* [[JPEG 2000]] – JPEG 2000 files
* [[Wavefront .obj file|OBJ]] – Wavefront 3D file
* [[OpenEXR]] – OpenEXR files
* [[Portable Document Format|PDF]] – Portable Document Format version 1.5 + some additional features
* [[PICT]] – [[QuickDraw]] image files
* [[Portable Network Graphics|PNG]] – Portable Network Graphics files
* [[Netpbm format|PPM]] – Netpbm Color Image files
* [[MacPaint|PNTG]] – MacPaint Bitmap Graphic files
* [[Microsoft PowerPoint|PPT]] – PowerPoint files
* [[Adobe Photoshop|PSD]] – Adobe Photoshop files
* [[QuickTime|QTIF]] – QuickTime image files
* [[Radiance (software)|RAD]] – Radiance 3D Scene Description files
* [[Raw image format|RAW]] – Raw image files
* [[Silicon Graphics Image|SGI]] – Silicon Graphics Image files
* [[STL (file format)|STL]] – STereoLithography 3D format
* [[Truevision TGA|TGA]] – TARGA image files
* [[Tagged Image File Format|TIF]] (TIFF) – Tagged Image File Format files
* [[X BitMap|XBM]] – X BitMap files
{{div col end}}

In [[macOS Monterey]] and earlier, Preview supported the display of [[Encapsulated PostScript|EPS]] and [[PostScript]] documents using on-the-fly conversion to PDF format. However, this functionality was removed in [[macOS Ventura]], although users can continue to print {{mono|.eps}} and {{mono|.ps}} files by dragging them into the printer queue.<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213250
| title = View .ps and .eps files on Mac
| date = 2022-10-24
| website = Apple Support
| publisher = Apple
| quote = The Preview app included with your Mac supports PostScript (.ps) and Encapsulated PostScript (.eps) files in macOS Monterey or earlier. Starting with macOS Ventura, Preview no longer supports these files.
| access-date = 2022-11-25
}}</ref>

The version of Preview included with [[Mac OS X Panther|OS X 10.3]] (''Panther'') could play animated GIF images, for which an optional button could be added to the toolbar.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20030406072752940 |title=Use Preview to play animated GIFs |website=Mac OS X Hints |publisher=IDG |date=2003-04-08 |access-date=2021-05-19 |archive-date=2020-08-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806114641/http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20030406072752940}}</ref> As of [[Mac OS X Tiger|OS X 10.4]] (''Tiger''), Preview lost playback functionality and animated GIF files are displayed as individual frames in a numbered sequence.<ref>[https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/preview/prvw1016/10.1/mac/10.13 "View an animated GIF's frames"]. ''Preview Help.'' Apple. Retrieved 2021-05-19.</ref>

==Features==
===Editing PDF documents===
[[File:Preview 7.0.png|thumb|Preview 7.0 screenshot]]
Preview can encrypt PDF documents, and restrict their use; for example, it is possible to save an encrypted PDF so that a password is required to copy data from the document, or to print it. However, encrypted PDFs cannot be edited further, so the original author should always keep an unencrypted version. A new "edit button" where the picture can be edited is introduced in Version 7. The "edit button" allows options to insert shapes, lines, do cropping, and among other things.

Some features which are otherwise only available in professional PDF editing software are provided by Preview: It is possible to extract single pages out of multi-page documents (e.g. PDF files), sort pages, and drag & drop single or multiple pages between several opened multi-page documents, or into other applications, such as attaching to an opened email message.

===Editing images===
Preview offers basic [[Image editing|image correction]] tools using [[Core Image]] processing technology implemented in macOS, and other features like shape extraction, color extraction, cropping, and rotation tools. When annotating images, Preview uses vector shapes and text until the image is rasterized to JPEG, PNG or another bitmap format. [[PDF]] and image documents can also be supplied with keywords, and are then automatically indexed using macOS's system-wide [[Spotlight (software)|Spotlight]] search engine.

===Import and export===
Preview can directly access image scanners supported by macOS and import images from the scanner. Preview can convert between [[image format]]s; it can export to BMP, JP2, JPEG, PDF, PICT, PNG, SGI, TGA, and TIFF. Using macOS's print engine (based on [[CUPS]]) it is also possible to "print into" a Postscript file, a PDF-X file or directly save the file in [[iPhoto]], for example scanned photos.

Beginning with Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, Preview restricts the Format option popup menu in the Save As dialog to commonly used types. It is possible to access the full format list by holding down the Option key when clicking the Format popup menu.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2010-01-24|title=Convert Images in Mac OS X: JPG to GIF, PSD to JPG, GIF to JPG, BMP to JPG, PNG to PDF, and more|url=http://osxdaily.com/2010/01/24/convert-images-in-mac-os-x-jpg-to-gif-psd-to-jpg-gif-to-jpg-bmp-to-jpg-png-to-pdf-and-more/|access-date=2017-01-08|website=OS X Daily}}</ref> (GIF, ICNS, JPEG, JPEG-2000, Microsoft BMP, Microsoft Icon, OpenEXR, PDF, Photoshop, PNG, SGI, TGA, TIFF.)

==See also==
* [[List of PDF software]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201740 'Mac Basics: Preview app views and edits images and PDFs']
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20030828185617/http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=135 AppleInsider review] from 2003
*MacProNews article: {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20040819232900/http://www.macpronews.com/2004/0722.html PDF and Panther: The Hidden Role of PDF in Mac OS X 10.3]}} from July 2004
*Sams Publishing [http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=169576&seqNum=4 sample chapter on Preview] from ''Mac OS X Panther Applications and Utilities''. Includes some instructions for use, with screenshots.

{{PDF readers}}
{{macOS}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Preview (Software)}}
[[Category:Image viewers]]
[[Category:PDF readers]]
[[Category:MacOS]]

Latest revision as of 20:30, 9 March 2025

"Preview (software)" redirects here. For the term used in software release cycles, see Technical preview.
Preview
Developer(s)Apple
Stable release
11.0
Operating systemmacOS
TypeImage and PDF viewer
Websitesupport.apple.com/guide/preview
Part of a series on
macOS
History and architecture
Versions
Applications
Utilities
Related operating systems

Preview is the built-in image viewer and PDF viewer of the macOS operating system. In addition to viewing and printing digital images and Portable Document Format (PDF) files, it can also edit these media types. It employs the Aqua graphical user interface, the Quartz graphics layer, and the ImageIO and Core Image frameworks.

History

[edit]

Like macOS, Preview originated in the NeXTSTEP operating system by NeXT,[1] where it was part of every release since 1989. Between 2003 and 2005, Apple claimed Preview was the "fastest PDF viewer on the planet."[2]

Supported file types

[edit]

Preview can open the following file types.[3]

  • AI – Adobe Illustrator artwork files (if PDF content included in file)
  • BMP – Windows bitmap files
  • CR2 – Raw image file used by Canon cameras
  • DAE – Collada 3D files
  • DNG – Digital negative files
  • FAX – Faxes
  • FPX – FlashPix files
  • GIF – Graphics Interchange Format files
  • HDR – High-dynamic-range image files
  • ICNS – Apple Icon Image files
  • ICO – Windows icon files
  • JPEG – Joint Photographic Experts Group files
  • JPEG 2000 – JPEG 2000 files
  • OBJ – Wavefront 3D file
  • OpenEXR – OpenEXR files
  • PDF – Portable Document Format version 1.5 + some additional features
  • PICT – QuickDraw image files
  • PNG – Portable Network Graphics files
  • PPM – Netpbm Color Image files
  • PNTG – MacPaint Bitmap Graphic files
  • PPT – PowerPoint files
  • PSD – Adobe Photoshop files
  • QTIF – QuickTime image files
  • RAD – Radiance 3D Scene Description files
  • RAW – Raw image files
  • SGI – Silicon Graphics Image files
  • STL – STereoLithography 3D format
  • TGA – TARGA image files
  • TIF (TIFF) – Tagged Image File Format files
  • XBM – X BitMap files

In macOS Monterey and earlier, Preview supported the display of EPS and PostScript documents using on-the-fly conversion to PDF format. However, this functionality was removed in macOS Ventura, although users can continue to print .eps and .ps files by dragging them into the printer queue.[4]

The version of Preview included with OS X 10.3 (Panther) could play animated GIF images, for which an optional button could be added to the toolbar.[5] As of OS X 10.4 (Tiger), Preview lost playback functionality and animated GIF files are displayed as individual frames in a numbered sequence.[6]

Features

[edit]

Editing PDF documents

[edit]
Preview 7.0 screenshot

Preview can encrypt PDF documents, and restrict their use; for example, it is possible to save an encrypted PDF so that a password is required to copy data from the document, or to print it. However, encrypted PDFs cannot be edited further, so the original author should always keep an unencrypted version. A new "edit button" where the picture can be edited is introduced in Version 7. The "edit button" allows options to insert shapes, lines, do cropping, and among other things.

Some features which are otherwise only available in professional PDF editing software are provided by Preview: It is possible to extract single pages out of multi-page documents (e.g. PDF files), sort pages, and drag & drop single or multiple pages between several opened multi-page documents, or into other applications, such as attaching to an opened email message.

Editing images

[edit]

Preview offers basic image correction tools using Core Image processing technology implemented in macOS, and other features like shape extraction, color extraction, cropping, and rotation tools. When annotating images, Preview uses vector shapes and text until the image is rasterized to JPEG, PNG or another bitmap format. PDF and image documents can also be supplied with keywords, and are then automatically indexed using macOS's system-wide Spotlight search engine.

Import and export

[edit]

Preview can directly access image scanners supported by macOS and import images from the scanner. Preview can convert between image formats; it can export to BMP, JP2, JPEG, PDF, PICT, PNG, SGI, TGA, and TIFF. Using macOS's print engine (based on CUPS) it is also possible to "print into" a Postscript file, a PDF-X file or directly save the file in iPhoto, for example scanned photos.

Beginning with Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, Preview restricts the Format option popup menu in the Save As dialog to commonly used types. It is possible to access the full format list by holding down the Option key when clicking the Format popup menu.[7] (GIF, ICNS, JPEG, JPEG-2000, Microsoft BMP, Microsoft Icon, OpenEXR, PDF, Photoshop, PNG, SGI, TGA, TIFF.)

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "NEXTSTEP" (Brochure). Redwood City: Next Computer. February 1995. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
  2. ^ "Mac OS X Panther". Apple Computer. Archived from the original on 2005-01-11.
  3. ^ Snider, Lesa (2014-12-30). "The many superpowers of Apple's Preview app: Part 1". Macworld. IDG. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
  4. ^ "View .ps and .eps files on Mac". Apple Support. Apple. 2022-10-24. Retrieved 2022-11-25. The Preview app included with your Mac supports PostScript (.ps) and Encapsulated PostScript (.eps) files in macOS Monterey or earlier. Starting with macOS Ventura, Preview no longer supports these files.
  5. ^ "Use Preview to play animated GIFs". Mac OS X Hints. IDG. 2003-04-08. Archived from the original on 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
  6. ^ "View an animated GIF's frames". Preview Help. Apple. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
  7. ^ "Convert Images in Mac OS X: JPG to GIF, PSD to JPG, GIF to JPG, BMP to JPG, PNG to PDF, and more". OS X Daily. 2010-01-24. Retrieved 2017-01-08.
[edit]
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