Preview is the unsung hero in macOS and I use it all the time, for multiple purposes, including basic image editing. Yet, I have experiences with PDF forms that would not even open in Preview and needs Acrobat Reader to be opened to fill the form. I don’t know why that is, but as Acrobat Reader is free, just have it and use it when needed. Preview is a little known jewel, and you could make several episodes documenting it.
It seems nice to me to just open pictures, PDFs, and any type of file, except HTML or CSS, unlike Windows, where you have to wait for Photos to come up & wait for Microsoft Edge to come up (PDF). However, if you download PowerToys, it’s fixed (a little) if you use Peek.
I've used Preview only for many years. One thing to note, Adobe is bad about attaching adware to their apps even when you download it from them. Some of it can be pretty invasive, too. Maybe if you are a professional you might be able to deal with it. But, for most; Preview is all you need.
I only use adobe when I need to use the adobe digital signatures. This is different than the preview signature images. Unfortunately my work uses it a lot.
Hello Gary. Thank you very much once again for an excellent video. I can attest to the fact that you have saved me $16 a month for Adobe Acrobat for at least a year now. I started using Preview instead of Reader when I saw your first video about it. Then I cancelled the Adobe subscription. I’ve never looked back, thanks to you! (Yes, I did take some of that money and applied it to your Patreon (well worth it!). One other thing that Preview works great at is providing a print preview, just before printing. In that case, when you get to the print dialog box, at the bottom in a drop down menu, it says “open in preview” (instead of printing). By opening your document in Preview from whatever source, you get a perfect representation of what it will look like printed. After reviewing it in Preview, you can then print as usual. Thanks again!
I'm agree with all you've said. I like using Apple Preview to open and edit PDF files. But I keep Adobe Acrobat Reader, because it have one useful tool: When I need to print PDF larger then my printer size (A4/US Legal). Acrobat Reader can divide those large files into a few A4 sheets - so later I can glue them together and have 100% size.
OMG I can’t thank you enough! I absolutely hate Adobe Reader and never use it on my iPad. To know that I don’t have to deal with it on my MacBook Air is truly wonderful. Thank you for posting this video.
Preview has been my go-to app for as long as I can remember. There is one very annoying feature of some websites - they won't let you open/read a PDF unless you're using Adobe (v8 or above). You'll end up with just an error message in your browser. Many Canadian government website do this to you and it is an awful pain ... because Preview otherwise works just fine for PDFs. Thanks, Gary. The stuff you deliver is very helpful and much appreciated.
@@macmost not alberta government forms. Even the dowload is just an error msg. If the form will open in the browser, sometimes you can print them to pdf. Not always.
Great video, as always, thank you! But I missed the hint, that preview is able to create multipage-pdf's. In thumbnail-mode you can easily drag other pdfs in the sidebar, which creates additional pages in the pdf.
the text boxes at 2:55 are magical tools. I use them all the time to write annotations over the PDF, and as Gary says, they are a great workaround for those annoying PDF forms which don't give you spaces to fill in.
Signing pdf just by clicking few buttons is supercool. However you should have touched how annotation will be saved and in which cases to use which annotations best.
Gary, thanks for bringing up the topic. I use Preview except when I need to sign certain documents using a digital signature, as some EU institutions require. No way to get around this at the moment. I have noticed that when installing Adobe Reader, it automatically installs specific auxiliary programs such as Adobe Synchronizer, which automatically launches at startup. One way to prevent this is to go into System Setting > Users & Group, disable this behavior, and free up your RAM.
The lack of eIDAS signature support is a dealbreaker for me and for a lot of professionals. Also, they added PDF/A export some time back, but they never exposed it to automator, which is a bummer :/
One of the most significant issues with the preview when it comes to working with PDF files is when you want to annotate or highlight the text; all the changes will disappear even after saving. This is a weird problem that has been mentioned in many forums, but it seems there is no solution.
Your videos are amazingly helpful to me. Yes, it's a fantastic application, and I exclusively use the preview feature, not any other PDF applications. However, a drawback I strongly sense is the absence of a feature to paste images. Since I'm creating a signature, I wish there was a provision to paste the company seal, which is in image format. Please let me know if there is any way to address this.
There's a weird way that works if you really want it. It involves opening the image in another window in Preview, then copying the image, then pasting the image in that same image document (on top of the image as a layer of sorts). Then selecting that image layer and copying that. Then pasting that into the PDF. You must be in markup mode for the PDF document. Not a great workflow.
I CAN"T BELIEVE THIS!! This was SO easy to fix! (Adobe would not let me uninstall, nor open anything unless I got Adobe pro). You just saved me a TON of time and money. Thank-you so much!!!
I have avoided Adobe like the plague for 15 or 20 years. I remember being new to Mac, figured I needed it and it completely gummed up my machine. Maybe it plays better with Mac now, but I've learned Preview is all I need.
In general, I don’t use many third party productivity apps on my Mac other than MS products. I used pages for a few years but found it to be a little cumbersome when having to convert to word documents. Formatting was never perfect converting from a pages doc to a word doc. However, if you create a form on word, either of a Max or Windows, can the form be exported to a PDF and retain the form field features? Can forms be made easily in pages? I am curious. Maybe you can do a video on creating forms using either MS word or pages.
Super useful. As a new Mac user I had no idea and have been struggling with the free version of Adobe for a while. Thanks so much for making my tech life easier!
Hey Gary. Your video was a revelation... feels like 1999 again, when the 'net' was more 'innocent / less dangerous' and was populated by folks with friendly / straightforward advice about "How To'. So naturally I subscribed... and will follow up regarding Patreon. Thank you!
Two page mode is so useful for music scores that are two pages long, especially when playing along to a backing track. It avoids having to stop playing in order to scroll down, - terrific!
How timely was this! I have been struggling with Adobe for sometime now. It keeps wanting me to sign up for Adobe for $19.99/mth. But I only need it for a pdf file. I had never heard of Preview app. Didn’t know it works for pdf files. I always considered asking you for help, but did not want to bother you. Thank you for doing this video. Nick
Have always used Preview to view and fill out PDF's but still learnt somethings, like using text to fill out forms that don't have fields that you can enter info on. Good job Gary 👍
Interesting video once again. Preview is great. You can even add or remove pages or merge pdf documents, from the thumbnails view! A feature I use quite often. I did not know that you could change the default pdf viewer from the information pane. I always go with open-with and then select the app in Applications then check Always.
Hi Gary, thanks for your your helpful videos! I am using Monterey also. With only a "save" button and no "save as" in Peview, how can I back up a pdf on a thumb drive, while leaving it in documents as well?
Thank you thank you. I spent 1/2 hour trying to print a pdf doc that said no pages were selected. My issue was that the doc did not open in preview. I opened it in Preview and it printed!!! Yeah!
Thank you for this. I have a new Macbook Air M2 2023 but my pdf files do not open in my original Adobe Acrobat intel applications. Whilst the Preview is excellent for most of my needs, I am unable to search the text in the document. Any suggestions?
What is preventing you from searching the text? Perhaps these are PDFs that contain scanned images, not text? Normal PDF documents can be easily searched.
I haven't used Adobe Reader on MacOS for decades, Preview is mostly superior and Adobe Reader is a classic example of Adobe muddled design. I do have to use it on my Chromebook, despite it is clumsy for what it does. There are constant changing bugs in Preview that make certain operations harder than they should be but it does the core functions of opening and reading PDFs and editing all image formats with easy direct UI/UX. It's the least worse choice.
A thousand thank yous to you! I as going mad trying to work out how to print from A4 to A3 in Adobe Reader - but now - my new favourite app - Preview! Yay for you and for Preview.
Thanks bunches. Because of an earlier tutorial, I use Preview all of the time and find it much easier to work. A great review which is always appreciated.
Only thing I cannot open in Preview is PDF Portfolio format (basically PDF index with included PDFs). Only Acrobat Reader supports it. It is quite usefull format, as you get all documents to certain software release bundled together, and you always know you have all the documents at hand and all for the same version. But Reader is slow BEHEMOTH! So there goes simple solution - I rename all those Portfolio documents to .pdfp and Reader is default application for it.
Im assuming preview would be able to open PDFs that have restrictions on what you can do with them (like editing/copy-paste/printing restrictions) Would preview be able to open password protected PDFs? (Ones where you need a password to open the PDF)
Is there a way to create a blank signature field in Preview that will enable a client that I send the PDF to fill in the signature block with their typed name? I would like to include /s/ in the field so that it meets industry standard for e signature.
No, but you can preview PDFs right in the Files app. You can't mark them up though. You'll need a third-party app for that. For reading PDFs, the Books app is a good alternative too.
the problem is pdf doesn't open in ibooks (which is named books now). so synced reading is not possible when reading a larger book/novel in pdf format. like i read a lot on my ipad but when i want to continue reading it on mac it's not possible. preview app opens the pdf from the beginning every time.
@@macmost yes I tried everything, figured out that ibooks can not open any pdf files, its only for epub format or books store. even though pdf works just fine in all of my iphones and ipads. you can give it a try on mac and you will understand, and pls let me know if you find any solution. thanks in advance.
I've been using Preview at home for basic things I do for school, but for more complicated things I need to do for school, personal research projects, and legal documents, I end up using Adobe Acrobat DC knockoffs. They enable me to add, delete, and rotate pages. Does Preview have buttons for editing in that manner? I'm just coming across your channel and videos, so I haven't seen but a couple videos so far I think.
Could you do a video about traveling and how to keep using your iMessage? Typically I loose the ability to use my number after a couple of days (I use the e-sim)
For using iMessage while traveling, there is nothing to do. It doesn't matter where in the world you are as iMessage is an Internet-based system through Apple. It isn't like SMS text messaging which relies on your mobile carrier.
@@macmost yup correct! It’s just that with WhatsApp for example, I’m able to message others through my phone number for a pronlonged period of time whereas with iMessage it signs me out of my number and I can only use my email whereas most of my iMessage conversations are started with my number not my email so that’s where my problems lay 😕
@@johnolin WhatsApp is also Internet-based, not mobile phone based. iMessage doesn't "sign you out" of your number because it isn't using your number at all. Don't confuse Apple's iMessage system with your mobile carrier's SMS. Keep in mind that the "Messages" app on your iPhone gives you access to both systems: iMessage and your carrier's SMS. So when you put in an e-sim, you aren't connected to your carrier anymore but iMessage will still work in Messages even though SMS will not (or it will be through your new carrier with the new number).
I always find your videos very valuable. One question I have is, every once in a while I need to turn a PDF into a text editable document. Can Preview perform a OCR of a PDF. If not, do you have a recommendation what to use to do that. Thanks for all your valuable advice.
You should be able to just select the text in the PDF, copy and paste. If the PDF is actually a collection of scanned images with no real text there, then you should now be able to use Live Text in macOS Monterey to grab the text and copy it anyway.
Preview makes it so simple to add, delete and swop pages around (something which is really a pain to do in Adobe). I can’t believe people don’t instinctively use it instead of Adobe. Without Adobe it’s how you have to open pdf’s in mac after all?! It makes so many things so easy to do. I use it to turn images to watermarks, annotate music scores, copy and paste bits of pdf’s into Pages and perform many other tasks.
Hello Gary. Thank you for all the great videos you make for us. I'm not sure what changed, but I used to be able to open two different pdfs in Preview, and drag thumbnails to combined them into one or the other pdf. But now, both thumbnails appear to the left, but up above, under the document name, it says "2 documents, total 2 pages". It will not allow me to combine both thumbnails into one pdf. Have you any idea why this apparently has changed, or perhaps, what I should now be doing differently?
@@macmost Thank you. I will. I'm also noticing that voices sound weird when playing back some videos in different websites, youtube, connectligonier, etc. I'm guessing something else is going. Hope it's a glitch that apple might fix soon.
@@workinprogress9613 If there is a problem on your Mac, it probably won't just go away until you take steps to fix it. Call Apple Support and work with them.
HI there, Some of the Preview highlights are disappearing after closing the PDF. whenever I close my pdf file after saving it, some highlights are randomly removed. Some times it happens and some time doesn't. Tried with different PDFs and Even different MacBooks but of no avail. I even tried to find solution in Apply community but there are many people with same problem and no solution. I am using Macbook M2 Air and Ventura 13.2, I faced same problem in previous version too. Please reply if there is any solution....
Fantastic info! I was wondering why all of my PDFs were opening in Adobe Reader. Now I know how to change that and I want nothing to do with Adobe. Thank you!
I have a PDF form that I have to print everyday. There are two A4 pages with two A5 size forms. I print on both sides of the sheet and then cut it in half because Acrobat Reader prints from the top. I can't parameterize this with Preview. The second sheet is printed in the middle of the page, so it is not possible to use both sides. I hope I'm not being too confusing in my explanation :)
Not sure what would work in your situation. Maybe copy and paste the contents of the pages into a regular-sized paper PDF? You'd need to experiment. Or just keep doing it the way you are doing it if it works for you.
Thanks again Gary. Super useful reminder of great capabilities of Preview. I work with and save loads of PDF documents. But I have to password protect them! So I use Preview to do all the reading, editing, etc. But I have to use a third party app to protect them. What a pity Preview does not incorporate this feature!! Or is it hidden and I haven't found it??
@@macmost Huh? You specifically mention Acrobat for needing to CREATE fillable forms at the timestamp provided. You can't create forms w/ Preview. I was asking if you had any input on alternatives to Acrobat?
@@asraiSOA Ah, so you want to create fillable forms and need an alternative to that. Most of this video deals with not needing Reader, but instead using Preview to VIEW documents. You didn't mention creating fillable forms in your comment. And just saying "Acrobat" I assumed you meant "Acrobat Reader," its official name. I don't know of a good alternative for that. I would just use Acrobat. I'm sure there are some, but creating fillable forms isn't something I do, so I am probably the wrong person to ask.
One feature that Adobe Reader has that Preview doesn’t is the ability to split-screen a document so that part of it stays frozen in place while you continue to scroll through the rest of the document. Unless you know how Preview *can* do that?
The Preview app is for Mac. On iPad, you can view PDFs in the Files app. You can use Books as a PDF reading app. For markup you'll need a third-party app.
100%!!!!!.... Thank you so much for your video. I started to walk into frustration mode until I came across your video. I can do what I need (taking notes, adding elements, etc.) with Preview. I had no idea this app existed! Oh, and I no longer have to upgrade Adobe to rotate my pdf. Preview does it for me....... for FREE! Thank you,, thank you!
@@macmost thanks for the reply, it’s a bit difficult to explain but basically floor plan pdfs are made in a scale like 1’ = 1” and on adobe you can use that scale to measure and get the proper measurements.
@@gildardomoreno6841 I'm not familiar with that function so I don't know if there is anything like it in Preview. Probably not. Sounds like a specialized function that maybe requires Reader?
As a Canadian using pdf forms from CRA or other government sources, it seems they can ONLY be viewed and edited using A Reader. It’s very annoying. Thanks for the tip though about going into get info and setting it to “open with”. I can set those specific pdfs to Adobe.
@@macmost this is what I get …. Please wait... If this message is not eventually replaced by the proper contents of the document, your PDF viewer may not be able to display this type of document. Even when viewed on my iPad.
@@Joebnx1 So searching using that message, it seems that document is not a standard PDF file but a "Dynamic XFA" file. You can search for that to learn more. Seems you can only open this with Adobe Reader on a Mac or PC. It is a shame that a government agency is forcing you to use software from a private company as the only way to work with their documents.
I will search for that file type. In Adobe reader you can’t even export it to a pdf. Even if I try to print then choose print to pdf it will not let you. It’s a real pain. I’ve printed the document then scanned it in as a jpeg. It’s a real pain. Thanks for the reply and all the vids you do!
Like a PDF, but assigning the pages to the left and right of both sides of a page? Probably. If your printer supports that then it should show up in the print settings when you go to print. But I'd imagine few printers do that.
Preview is probably one of the most overlooked apps on Mac! It's awesome!
Preview is the unsung hero in macOS and I use it all the time, for multiple purposes, including basic image editing. Yet, I have experiences with PDF forms that would not even open in Preview and needs Acrobat Reader to be opened to fill the form. I don’t know why that is, but as Acrobat Reader is free, just have it and use it when needed. Preview is a little known jewel, and you could make several episodes documenting it.
true
It seems nice to me to just open pictures, PDFs, and any type of file, except HTML or CSS, unlike Windows, where you have to wait for Photos to come up & wait for Microsoft Edge to come up (PDF). However, if you download PowerToys, it’s fixed (a little) if you use Peek.
I've used Preview only for many years. One thing to note, Adobe is bad about attaching adware to their apps even when you download it from them. Some of it can be pretty invasive, too. Maybe if you are a professional you might be able to deal with it. But, for most; Preview is all you need.
I only use adobe when I need to use the adobe digital signatures. This is different than the preview signature images. Unfortunately my work uses it a lot.
Hello Gary. Thank you very much once again for an excellent video. I can attest to the fact that you have saved me $16 a month for Adobe Acrobat for at least a year now. I started using Preview instead of Reader when I saw your first video about it. Then I cancelled the Adobe subscription. I’ve never looked back, thanks to you! (Yes, I did take some of that money and applied it to your Patreon (well worth it!). One other thing that Preview works great at is providing a print preview, just before printing. In that case, when you get to the print dialog box, at the bottom in a drop down menu, it says “open in preview” (instead of printing). By opening your document in Preview from whatever source, you get a perfect representation of what it will look like printed. After reviewing it in Preview, you can then print as usual. Thanks again!
Thanks for your support Howard!
I'm agree with all you've said. I like using Apple Preview to open and edit PDF files. But I keep Adobe Acrobat Reader, because it have one useful tool: When I need to print PDF larger then my printer size (A4/US Legal). Acrobat Reader can divide those large files into a few A4 sheets - so later I can glue them together and have 100% size.
OMG I can’t thank you enough! I absolutely hate Adobe Reader and never use it on my iPad. To know that I don’t have to deal with it on my MacBook Air is truly wonderful. Thank you for posting this video.
Preview has been my go-to app for as long as I can remember.
There is one very annoying feature of some websites - they won't let you open/read a PDF unless you're using Adobe (v8 or above). You'll end up with just an error message in your browser. Many Canadian government website do this to you and it is an awful pain ... because Preview otherwise works just fine for PDFs. Thanks, Gary. The stuff you deliver is very helpful and much appreciated.
I've never seen that. I assume you can just download the PDF and open it that way?
@@macmost You have to download it and print it to use those PDFs. Really annoying.
@@macmost not alberta government forms. Even the dowload is just an error msg. If the form will open in the browser, sometimes you can print them to pdf. Not always.
Great video, as always, thank you! But I missed the hint, that preview is able to create multipage-pdf's. In thumbnail-mode you can easily drag other pdfs in the sidebar, which creates additional pages in the pdf.
the text boxes at 2:55 are magical tools. I use them all the time to write annotations over the PDF, and as Gary says, they are a great workaround for those annoying PDF forms which don't give you spaces to fill in.
I can't make it small
@@ShantiDoss2000 you can. Just press command + I think
Signing pdf just by clicking few buttons is supercool. However you should have touched how annotation will be saved and in which cases to use which annotations best.
Gary, thanks for bringing up the topic. I use Preview except when I need to sign certain documents using a digital signature, as some EU institutions require. No way to get around this at the moment.
I have noticed that when installing Adobe Reader, it automatically installs specific auxiliary programs such as Adobe Synchronizer, which automatically launches at startup. One way to prevent this is to go into System Setting > Users & Group, disable this behavior, and free up your RAM.
The lack of eIDAS signature support is a dealbreaker for me and for a lot of professionals. Also, they added PDF/A export some time back, but they never exposed it to automator, which is a bummer :/
Very useful video. Adobe is sot smooth on macOS while Preview is really smooth. I've never used Preview tbh. Thanks.
One of the most significant issues with the preview when it comes to working with PDF files is when you want to annotate or highlight the text; all the changes will disappear even after saving. This is a weird problem that has been mentioned in many forums, but it seems there is no solution.
That shouldn't happen. The annotations should be saved. 100% for me. I'm wondering what could be different for you if you are experiencing that issue.
@@macmost I'm a big fan of native Apps on my mac but, unfortunately, haven't had a fair experience working with PDFs.
That happend to me too. If I buy adobe reader, that happen too?
Another very useful video, have changed my default reader to preview just now
Your videos are amazingly helpful to me. Yes, it's a fantastic application, and I exclusively use the preview feature, not any other PDF applications. However, a drawback I strongly sense is the absence of a feature to paste images. Since I'm creating a signature, I wish there was a provision to paste the company seal, which is in image format. Please let me know if there is any way to address this.
There's a weird way that works if you really want it. It involves opening the image in another window in Preview, then copying the image, then pasting the image in that same image document (on top of the image as a layer of sorts). Then selecting that image layer and copying that. Then pasting that into the PDF. You must be in markup mode for the PDF document. Not a great workflow.
I CAN"T BELIEVE THIS!! This was SO easy to fix! (Adobe would not let me uninstall, nor open anything unless I got Adobe pro). You just saved me a TON of time and money. Thank-you so much!!!
I have avoided Adobe like the plague for 15 or 20 years. I remember being new to Mac, figured I needed it and it completely gummed up my machine. Maybe it plays better with Mac now, but I've learned Preview is all I need.
In general, I don’t use many third party productivity apps on my Mac other than MS products. I used pages for a few years but found it to be a little cumbersome when having to convert to word documents. Formatting was never perfect converting from a pages doc to a word doc. However, if you create a form on word, either of a Max or Windows, can the form be exported to a PDF and retain the form field features? Can forms be made easily in pages? I am curious. Maybe you can do a video on creating forms using either MS word or pages.
Super useful. As a new Mac user I had no idea and have been struggling with the free version of Adobe for a while. Thanks so much for making my tech life easier!
Brother, this video has helped me so much. Thank you for saving my money!!
I would still have Acrobat Reader installed because there are some pdf forms especially the government type ones that are not compatible to Preview
Recently I had to use a Windows machine for a job and accessing PDFs was so clunky on Windows it was a drag! I'm glad that's over!
Hey Gary. Your video was a revelation... feels like 1999 again, when the 'net' was more 'innocent / less dangerous' and was populated by folks with friendly / straightforward advice about "How To'. So naturally I subscribed... and will follow up regarding Patreon. Thank you!
Thank you for this!! New to Mac and I was not seeing the value on Preview 😊
Two page mode is so useful for music scores that are two pages long, especially when playing along to a backing track. It avoids having to stop playing in order to scroll down, - terrific!
How timely was this! I have been struggling with Adobe for sometime now. It keeps wanting me to sign up for Adobe for $19.99/mth. But I only need it for a pdf file. I had never heard of Preview app. Didn’t know it works for pdf files. I always considered asking you for help, but did not want to bother you.
Thank you for doing this video.
Nick
Excellent video. Most people are probably not aware of preview. I wasn't.
Have always used Preview to view and fill out PDF's but still learnt somethings, like using text to fill out forms that don't have fields that you can enter info on. Good job Gary 👍
Interesting video once again. Preview is great. You can even add or remove pages or merge pdf documents, from the thumbnails view! A feature I use quite often.
I did not know that you could change the default pdf viewer from the information pane. I always go with open-with and then select the app in Applications then check Always.
Thank you for the information. I didn't think I had a choice and thought I had to use Adobe Reader to read a pdf file. Learned something today.
This was SO extremely helpful!!! Thank you for making this
Hi Gary, thanks for your your helpful videos! I am using Monterey also. With only a "save" button and no "save as" in Peview, how can I back up a pdf on a thumb drive, while leaving it in documents as well?
Lots of ways. In the Finder drag and drop the file. Since these are different drives, the default drag-and-drop action is to make a copy.
Great! Your vid perfectly answered my questions since buying a macbook this week!
Been using Preview for some PDF to add comments, but did not know you can do much more. Thanks!!!
Thank you thank you. I spent 1/2 hour trying to print a pdf doc that said no pages were selected. My issue was that the doc did not open in preview. I opened it in Preview and it printed!!! Yeah!
Thank you for this. I have a new Macbook Air M2 2023 but my pdf files do not open in my original Adobe Acrobat intel applications. Whilst the Preview is excellent for most of my needs, I am unable to search the text in the document. Any suggestions?
What is preventing you from searching the text? Perhaps these are PDFs that contain scanned images, not text? Normal PDF documents can be easily searched.
I haven't used Adobe Reader on MacOS for decades, Preview is mostly superior and Adobe Reader is a classic example of Adobe muddled design. I do have to use it on my Chromebook, despite it is clumsy for what it does.
There are constant changing bugs in Preview that make certain operations harder than they should be but it does the core functions of opening and reading PDFs and editing all image formats with easy direct UI/UX. It's the least worse choice.
A thousand thank yous to you! I as going mad trying to work out how to print from A4 to A3 in Adobe Reader - but now - my new favourite app - Preview! Yay for you and for Preview.
Thanks bunches. Because of an earlier tutorial, I use Preview all of the time and find it much easier to work. A great review which is always appreciated.
preview is perfect. the only reason i stoped using it is that it keeps loosing annotation that i add even after saving multiple times.
I agree that Preview can be used for the main PDF reader, but it does haven`t the Certificate feature.
Only thing I cannot open in Preview is PDF Portfolio format (basically PDF index with included PDFs). Only Acrobat Reader supports it.
It is quite usefull format, as you get all documents to certain software release bundled together, and you always know you have all the documents at hand and all for the same version.
But Reader is slow BEHEMOTH!
So there goes simple solution - I rename all those Portfolio documents to .pdfp and Reader is default application for it.
Im assuming preview would be able to open PDFs that have restrictions on what you can do with them (like editing/copy-paste/printing restrictions)
Would preview be able to open password protected PDFs? (Ones where you need a password to open the PDF)
Yes.
Is there a way to create a blank signature field in Preview that will enable a client that I send the PDF to fill in the signature block with their typed name? I would like to include /s/ in the field so that it meets industry standard for e signature.
No, not with Preview. You'd need a PDF authoring tool like Acrobat to build that.
Thank you! the Preview seems to offer everything I need for my home office use.
Thanks very much for this discovery. Words can't describe the kind of comfort and satisfaction you brought to me by this Preview on Mac Sir
Thanks Gary. I never realised Preview was so adaptable. 👍
One more question on this topic … is there a Preview app for iPad? If not, do you recommend something?
No, but you can preview PDFs right in the Files app. You can't mark them up though. You'll need a third-party app for that. For reading PDFs, the Books app is a good alternative too.
Thanks Gary, verry usefull!
What's the "safest" way to save an edited pdf by "preview" to make futher changes impossible for example the signature?
I would go to File, Set Permissions and lock it down that way.
My issue is in the Adobe PDF comes with the field pre-loaded to fill out. My text comes out vertically.
the problem is pdf doesn't open in ibooks (which is named books now). so synced reading is not possible when reading a larger book/novel in pdf format. like i read a lot on my ipad but when i want to continue reading it on mac it's not possible. preview app opens the pdf from the beginning every time.
Did you try importing it into the Books app?
@@macmost yes I tried everything, figured out that ibooks can not open any pdf files, its only for epub format or books store. even though pdf works just fine in all of my iphones and ipads. you can give it a try on mac and you will understand, and pls let me know if you find any solution. thanks in advance.
Hello, is there a app to preview epub books as well like this? Thank you for this video! Super helpful
Not that I know of. You can just open them in the Books app though.
@@macmost thank you!
New Mac owner here. Super helpful tip!
I've been using Preview at home for basic things I do for school, but for more complicated things I need to do for school, personal research projects, and legal documents, I end up using Adobe Acrobat DC knockoffs. They enable me to add, delete, and rotate pages. Does Preview have buttons for editing in that manner? I'm just coming across your channel and videos, so I haven't seen but a couple videos so far I think.
Yes. You can add, remove and rotate pages in Preview too.
Could you do a video about traveling and how to keep using your iMessage? Typically I loose the ability to use my number after a couple of days (I use the e-sim)
For using iMessage while traveling, there is nothing to do. It doesn't matter where in the world you are as iMessage is an Internet-based system through Apple. It isn't like SMS text messaging which relies on your mobile carrier.
@@macmost yup correct! It’s just that with WhatsApp for example, I’m able to message others through my phone number for a pronlonged period of time whereas with iMessage it signs me out of my number and I can only use my email whereas most of my iMessage conversations are started with my number not my email so that’s where my problems lay 😕
@@johnolin WhatsApp is also Internet-based, not mobile phone based. iMessage doesn't "sign you out" of your number because it isn't using your number at all. Don't confuse Apple's iMessage system with your mobile carrier's SMS. Keep in mind that the "Messages" app on your iPhone gives you access to both systems: iMessage and your carrier's SMS. So when you put in an e-sim, you aren't connected to your carrier anymore but iMessage will still work in Messages even though SMS will not (or it will be through your new carrier with the new number).
Thanks so much, Gary! I am guessing that Adobe Reader takes up space on the drive and that's why it's preferential to use Viewer?
Not necessarily. If you have enough space there's nothing wrong with having both.
I always find your videos very valuable. One question I have is, every once in a while I need to turn a PDF into a text editable document. Can Preview perform a OCR of a PDF. If not, do you have a recommendation what to use to do that. Thanks for all your valuable advice.
You should be able to just select the text in the PDF, copy and paste. If the PDF is actually a collection of scanned images with no real text there, then you should now be able to use Live Text in macOS Monterey to grab the text and copy it anyway.
Preview makes it so simple to add, delete and swop pages around (something which is really a pain to do in Adobe). I can’t believe people don’t instinctively use it instead of Adobe. Without Adobe it’s how you have to open pdf’s in mac after all?!
It makes so many things so easy to do. I use it to turn images to watermarks, annotate music scores, copy and paste bits of pdf’s into Pages and perform many other tasks.
Your vids are just blessings, thank you so much Gary.
Hello! Why is it that when I convert an image to pdf the resolution is lower?
This video is very helpful. Didn't know Preview can do that to PDF files. Thank you Gary!
I really appreciate this channel, really helpful for beginner mac user.
Thank you for useful information but how to print the page ?
Print a PDF from Preview? File, Print.
Hello Gary. Thank you for all the great videos you make for us. I'm not sure what changed, but I used to be able to open two different pdfs in Preview, and drag thumbnails to combined them into one or the other pdf. But now, both thumbnails appear to the left, but up above, under the document name, it says "2 documents, total 2 pages". It will not allow me to combine both thumbnails into one pdf. Have you any idea why this apparently has changed, or perhaps, what I should now be doing differently?
Are you using an older version of macOS?
@@macmost Ventura 13.3.1
@@workinprogress9613 Not sure why you are getting them like that. Try opening them at separate times, opening them separate ways, etc.
@@macmost Thank you. I will. I'm also noticing that voices sound weird when playing back some videos in different websites, youtube, connectligonier, etc. I'm guessing something else is going. Hope it's a glitch that apple might fix soon.
@@workinprogress9613 If there is a problem on your Mac, it probably won't just go away until you take steps to fix it. Call Apple Support and work with them.
HI there,
Some of the Preview highlights are disappearing after closing the PDF. whenever I close my pdf file after saving it, some highlights are randomly removed. Some times it happens and some time doesn't.
Tried with different PDFs and Even different MacBooks but of no avail.
I even tried to find solution in Apply community but there are many people with same problem and no solution.
I am using Macbook M2 Air and Ventura 13.2,
I faced same problem in previous version too.
Please reply if there is any solution....
Thank you! I am new Mac user and this was so helpful!
Never knew Previews could do this, Thank you so much for this video.
Can I use preview with a pdf book cover and can I download that onto my macbook air?
Use it in what way?
Thanks man! You have just saved me so much hassle you won't be believe it.
I wish i saw your this video earlier and save myself some money... another amazing tutorial . Thanks Gary
It's the Adobe PRINT dialog that drives me crazy! However, I cannot find a way to make the system print dialog the default.
Fantastic info! I was wondering why all of my PDFs were opening in Adobe Reader. Now I know how to change that and I want nothing to do with Adobe. Thank you!
I have a PDF form that I have to print everyday. There are two A4 pages with two A5 size forms. I print on both sides of the sheet and then cut it in half because Acrobat Reader prints from the top. I can't parameterize this with Preview. The second sheet is printed in the middle of the page, so it is not possible to use both sides. I hope I'm not being too confusing in my explanation :)
Not sure what would work in your situation. Maybe copy and paste the contents of the pages into a regular-sized paper PDF? You'd need to experiment. Or just keep doing it the way you are doing it if it works for you.
@@macmost Yes, in this case I probably have to continue using Acrobat Reader. Thanks!
Thanks again Gary. Super useful reminder of great capabilities of Preview. I work with and save loads of PDF documents. But I have to password protect them! So I use Preview to do all the reading, editing, etc. But I have to use a third party app to protect them. What a pity Preview does not incorporate this feature!! Or is it hidden and I haven't found it??
Preview does give you the ability to protect PDFs. It is File, Edit Permissions. Or, when you Save As there is a Permission button.
@@macmost wow! Can’t believe I missed that!! Thanks!!
4:30. Any thoughts on alts to Acrobat?
Preview. Watch the video.
@@macmost Huh? You specifically mention Acrobat for needing to CREATE fillable forms at the timestamp provided. You can't create forms w/ Preview. I was asking if you had any input on alternatives to Acrobat?
@@asraiSOA Ah, so you want to create fillable forms and need an alternative to that. Most of this video deals with not needing Reader, but instead using Preview to VIEW documents. You didn't mention creating fillable forms in your comment. And just saying "Acrobat" I assumed you meant "Acrobat Reader," its official name. I don't know of a good alternative for that. I would just use Acrobat. I'm sure there are some, but creating fillable forms isn't something I do, so I am probably the wrong person to ask.
One feature that Adobe Reader has that Preview doesn’t is the ability to split-screen a document so that part of it stays frozen in place while you continue to scroll through the rest of the document. Unless you know how Preview *can* do that?
No, Preview doesn't have that.
Yes I did restart but to no avail. When I click an image or pdf file it opens up as a folder in the sidebar under iCloud.
Sorry, I don't know what you are describing here, but it sounds very odd. You'll need to call Apple Support to get to the bottom of it.
I have Adobe Reader installed because come from Windows, the last version of Windows that I used was Windows XP back in 2009.
I looked through the comments and didn’t see anyone asking about this on the IPad Pro. Does it work there as well/
The Preview app is for Mac. On iPad, you can view PDFs in the Files app. You can use Books as a PDF reading app. For markup you'll need a third-party app.
Very clear and directly to the point explanation just subscribed. Thank you.
I keep Acrobat installed for the Poster print feature
It is impossible to remove background by pdfs.
coming from windows I'm glad to see a built in app that allows me to do everything I usually need to do with a pdf
100%!!!!!.... Thank you so much for your video. I started to walk into frustration mode until I came across your video. I can do what I need (taking notes, adding elements, etc.) with Preview. I had no idea this app existed! Oh, and I no longer have to upgrade Adobe to rotate my pdf. Preview does it for me....... for FREE! Thank you,, thank you!
Preview is not on my Mac (Ventura 13.2)
i use adobe to check the scale on floor plans, could i do this with preview?
Not sure. I've never used any PDF feature like "check the scale" so I'm not sure what you mean.
@@macmost thanks for the reply, it’s a bit difficult to explain but basically floor plan pdfs are made in a scale like 1’ = 1” and on adobe you can use that scale to measure and get the proper measurements.
@@gildardomoreno6841 I'm not familiar with that function so I don't know if there is anything like it in Preview. Probably not. Sounds like a specialized function that maybe requires Reader?
Gary, how to lock a PDF to send by email? I discovered your channel recently, really like your videos! Thank you.
Open the PDF in Preview, Choose File, Edit Permissions.
As a Canadian using pdf forms from CRA or other government sources, it seems they can ONLY be viewed and edited using A Reader. It’s very annoying. Thanks for the tip though about going into get info and setting it to “open with”. I can set those specific pdfs to Adobe.
What happens when you try to open them in Preview instead?
@@macmost this is what I get …. Please wait...
If this message is not eventually replaced by the proper contents of the document, your PDF
viewer may not be able to display this type of document. Even when viewed on my iPad.
@@Joebnx1 So searching using that message, it seems that document is not a standard PDF file but a "Dynamic XFA" file. You can search for that to learn more. Seems you can only open this with Adobe Reader on a Mac or PC. It is a shame that a government agency is forcing you to use software from a private company as the only way to work with their documents.
I will search for that file type. In Adobe reader you can’t even export it to a pdf. Even if I try to print then choose print to pdf it will not let you. It’s a real pain. I’ve printed the document then scanned it in as a jpeg. It’s a real pain. Thanks for the reply and all the vids you do!
Thanks again Gary for great advise.
i need measure preview doesnt have it
I was wondering how I can show the PDF content tables in Safari?
Do you mean the Table of Contents? Not sure I don't have a URL I can try. Can you see it in Preview? If not, maybe the PDF doesn't have one.
Preview is fantastic for dealing with pdfs.
Thank you! Your video was so helpful. Preview seems like a more pleasant experience. It seems to be easier to print out as well.
Hi, How can I increase my pdf resulation on MAC?
I didn’t know this!!! Thank you
I love all your videos! I’m new to my Mac so always trying to figure things out!! Thanks again!!! 🤛🏻
I have a problem with the acrobatic adobe reader the drop down menu does not work do you guys have a solution
What sort of problem, exactly?
Can we print a booklet in Preview?
Like a PDF, but assigning the pages to the left and right of both sides of a page? Probably. If your printer supports that then it should show up in the print settings when you go to print. But I'd imagine few printers do that.
Thank you Gary.
Anybody knows how to add bookmarks in PDFs if you open the file in iPad? Thanks in advance
Try adding the PDF to the Books app and viewing it in there.
@@macmost That works. Thanks, Gary
Thank you so much. I was struggling with this.