Preview is a handy built-in Mac app for quick edits and tweaks, but you may find it fighting other applications to open your files. Let‘s explore why that happens, and how to configure Preview as your reliable default image and PDF handler.
The Preview App and Why It‘s Useful
First, let‘s examine what exactly Preview provides in more detail…
| Feature | Preview | Photos |
|---|---|---|
| View/edit images | ✅ | ✅ |
| Organize photo library | ✅ | |
| Import media | ✅ | |
| Sync with iCloud | ✅ |
As you can see, while there is some overlap in functionality between Preview and Photos, their overall focus differs significantly. Photos excels at centralized media management across devices – think of it like your master image database.
Preview on the other hand is better suited for nimble viewing and tweaks. As a slim and responsive standalone app, it makes an ideal default viewer to complement Photos media organization strengths.
Why Set Default Apps in the First Place?
Choosing your preferred default apps may seem trivial initially. But cementing these file associations provides meaningful quality of life improvements down the road.
Let‘s examine the perks of proactive default app management a bit closer…
Eliminates Confusion
Without consciously setting defaults, you risk inconsistent behavior like:
- Some file types opening in random apps unrelated to that media
- Photo previews sometimes launching Photos, other times Preview randomly
- Remembering which app last opened a file to continue working on it
Locking in app preferences avoids this guesswork entirely!
Boosts Efficiency
Opening frequently used documents in your favored apps allows you to skip tedious manual selection and accelerate access to required tools.
Over a year, properly configured defaults can save hours wasted clicking around unintuitively.
Setting Preview as Default Photo Viewer
Let‘s start with images first and redirect all photo previews straight into our slim yet powerful Preview toolbox!
On any JPEG, HEIF or other common image file:
- Right-click and select Get Info
- Expand the Open With menu
- Choose Preview as the new default app
- Click Change All to apply globally
- Confirm updates worked by opening other sample image files!
With Preview now set for all photo file previews, you‘ll have quick access to handy viewing and editing powers. More on that later!
First up though, let‘s also wrangle those PDFs over to Preview…
Redirect PDFs to Preview Too
Repeat the same process to make Preview the default handler for PDF documents:
- Right-click any PDF file
- Change the default app to Preview
- Confirm updates applied successfully
And with that, BOTH images and PDF goodness will now redirect to Preview reliably from the get go!
Preview‘s Hidden Superpowers
With Preview taking its rightful place as default viewer, let‘s unpack some of the versatility it brings to the table:
Working with Images
Preview empowers you to:
- Zoom/pan to inspect fine details
- Crop, resize or tweak orientation
- Adjust color, lighting and more
- Add shapes, text captions and watermarks
- Export edits into alternate formats
Wrangling PDFs
Take control of documents by:
- Filling out, saving and resetting PDF forms
- Drawing, highlighting and annotating
- Reordering, deleting or extracting pages
- Creating legally binding e-signatures
What other gem features have you uncovered? Preview‘s toolbox punches above its weight class!
Now your files automatically open in the right app to access these features instantly. But for more intricate or niche cases…
Opening Single Files in Alternate Apps
What if advanced editing in Photoshop or exporting complex PDFs is needed? No worries – you can override the default on individual files without system-wide changes:
- Right-click the file and select Open With > Other
- Pick the specialty app just for this document
- Preview remains set globally as your go-to!
Pretty slick right? Default app associations AND one-off app flexibility!
Closing Thoughts
In summary my friend, you‘re now equipped to:
- Designate Preview as default viewer for images/PDFs
- Open any file once in specialized apps when needed
- Leverage Preview‘s powerful features for quick edits
Take control of file types to remove frustration while accelerating common workflows! Preview is likely more capable than you realized – now accessible instantly thanks to those handy defaults!
Let me know if you have any other questions!
