Preview files on your Mac
The Preview app is a full Mac app for reading, annotating, signing, and editing PDFs and images. When you just need a quick glance at a file, Quick Look lets you preview almost anything instantly — just press the Space bar.
Preview app Open PDFs, images, and more in a full app with tools for reading and editing. | Quick Look Preview any file instantly without opening an app. | Fill in a form Click on any PDF form field and type directly — no printing required. | Markup files Mark up images and PDFs directly from the menu bar. |
Preview app
The Preview app opens PDFs, images, and many other file types, with tools for reading and editing. To open a file in Preview, double-click the file in the Finder, or right-click it and choose Open With > Preview.
Annotate a document Use the Markup toolbar to add highlights, notes, shapes, and text. Click the Markup button in the toolbar to show it. | Sign a PDF Click the Markup button, then click the Signature button to create a signature using your trackpad, camera, or iPhone, and place it in the document. |
Fill in a form Click on any PDF form field and type directly. Preview automatically detects fillable fields — no printing or separate app needed. | Merge or rearrange pages Choose View > Thumbnails to show the page sidebar, then drag pages to reorder them. To merge two PDFs, drag pages from one PDF’s sidebar into another. |
Quick Look
Quick Look gives you a full-size preview of almost any file — documents, images, PDFs, videos, and more — without opening an app. To preview a file, click the file in the Finder to select it, then press the Space bar. Press the Space bar again, or press Escape, to close the preview.
Preview multiple files Select several files, then press the Space bar. Use the arrow keys to move between them, or click the arrows in the Quick Look window. | Open from Quick Look To open the file in its default app, double-click anywhere in the Quick Look window, or click Open in [app name] in the toolbar. |
Markup files from the menu bar
You can mark up images and PDFs without opening them in Preview first. To mark up a file from the Finder, select the file, then click the Markup button in the Finder toolbar. A markup window opens where you can draw, add text, shapes, and highlights, then save or share the result.
You can also mark up a file from Quick Look. Select the file and press the Space bar to open Quick Look, then click the Markup button in the Quick Look toolbar to open the markup tools.
Sketch and draw Use the Sketch tool to draw freehand shapes and lines directly on a document or image. | Add text and shapes Insert a text box, speech bubble, arrow, or other shape to highlight or call out parts of a document. |
Want to learn more?
Take a screenshot Capture your screen or a selected area with a keyboard shortcut. | Print documents Print or save any file as a PDF from the Preview app. | Organize your files Use the Finder to keep your files and folders tidy. |
Or if you’re ready for something new, learn how to share files, work with app windows, or organize files on your Mac desktop.