Preview is the default PDF-viewing and image-editing software in macOS, and it comes packed with many hidden features to help boost your productivity. We like to think of Preview as a Swiss army knife you can pop out to solve some of the tricky tasks you might face while working on a Mac.

In case you're not familiar with this piece of software, we've compiled a list of some of the not-so-obvious but incredibly useful tasks you can do with Preview so that you can get the hang of it quickly.

1. Open Documents, PDFs, Images, Photoshop, RAW, and More

Preview is a versatile macOS app for viewing different content. The sheer breadth of file formats Preview can open for viewing is surprising.

Got a PowerPoint file you want to see? Just Control-click and open it in Preview. It will open in this nice, easy-to-scroll interface. The same goes for Word documents. You can even view Photoshop and Illustrator files in Preview. That's why it's on our list of the best ways to a PSD file without Photoshop.

And, of course, Preview can work with various image files like PNG, JPEG, BMP, RAW, and GIF. So, you're covered in that regard as well.

2. Quickly Convert Files

Not only will Preview open files with the formats listed above, but it also helps you convert a file into different formats. For example, you can open a PNG image in Preview and export it as a JPEG without the need for a third-party file conversion app or website.

Preview in the Export menu with format options

What you'll probably end up using Preview most often is its file conversion to and from PDF. Open the file in question, click File > Export from the menu bar, choose your format, and hit Save. There's also an Export as PDF option under the File menu for those who demand a quicker workflow.

3. Create a New Image From Clipboard

One of the more useful image-editing Preview tools is its ability to create a new image from a part of the existing one. Here's how to do it:

  1. Open the original image in Preview.
  2. Use your cursor to draw out a rectangle of the part you want to copy out into a new image. You can also use the selection tool in Markup to choose more shapes.
  3. Once you have drawn your selection, hold Command + C to copy it.
  4. Go to File on the menu bar and choose New from Clipboard (or Command + N).
Laptop cropped out of an original image in Preview

A new window will appear with your selected part of the image. But remember that your selected and copied image will disappear if you copy something else without making a new image of it.

4. View an Image's Metadata

Preview's built-in Inspector tool will give you metadata information for your selected image. You can quickly learn about the image's resolution, format, size, color model, and more.

Preview showing metadata of an image using the General Info window

Go to the menu bar, choose Tools > Show Inspector, or use the keyboard shortcut Command + I to bring it up.

5. Sign Documents

You might be one of those who print out a document, signs it, scans it, and sends it back. This could make signing documents a long, arduous process. However, you could save yourself a lot of trouble by using Preview to add your signature to documents.

Affixing a signature to a form on Preview

All you have to do is open a form or document in Preview, click Markup, select Sign (represented by a signature icon), and hit Create Signature. Once you finish, you'll have a signature saved in Preview that you can affix to all your documents.

6. Basic Image Editing

Preview is no Photoshop, but if you ever need to quickly crop an image, remove backgrounds, and resize images, it can certainly get the job done. For example, you can use the shape tools in Preview to censor screenshots or other images,

7. Adjust Color or Auto-Enhance Image

While the Photos app is great for image editing, getting a picture into and out of the app is a big hassle. Preview's Adjust Color feature does basically the same without the hassle.

Adjust Color window open in Preview

With your image in Preview, click Tools > Adjust Color from the menu bar. You'll now get an option to adjust the exposure, contrast, saturation, and more. You can also directly adjust all levels.

You can click Auto Levels if you want to simulate the Photos app's Auto Enhance feature.

8. Export Individual Pages From PDFs and GIFs

It's a bit of a niche feature, but Preview lets you export individual PDF pages and individual picture frames that comprise GIFs. Once you open a PDF or GIF, you'll see all pages and frames in the sidebar.

Rick Roll GIF with all the frames on the left sidebar

Select the frame or page you want, and go to File > Export to export the individual piece of the file in whatever format Preview has available.

9. Add, Remove, and Merge PDF Pages

PDF editors could be tough to navigate, and that's what makes Preview even more of a lifesaver.

Want to delete a page? Select the page's thumbnail preview from the sidebar, press the Delete key, and it's gone. For a better view of all the pages, click View > Contact Sheet from the menu bar.

Contact Sheet view of PDF pages in Preview

To insert a page, click Edit > Insert from the menu bar and choose a file or a blank page. And if you want to move a page around, click and drag it to where you want it to be. You can also drag in a page from another PDF.

10. Annotate, Highlight, and Add Notes to Images and PDFs

Annotate menu opened in Preview

You can also get some basic image and PDF annotation done in Preview. You can highlight text using different colors, take notes and annotate PDFs pretty easily. Here are some pointers on how to get started:

  • Add notes to your PDFs and images by navigating to Tools > Annotate from the menu bar. Type into the text box.
  • You'll find options to strike through, underline, and more in the same Annotate menu.
  • You can also use the Highlight tool in the Preview app's title bar, which is easier than doing so from the menu bar.

You can change your annotation color and font by clicking the Aa button in the title bar.

11. Turn Image Backgrounds Transparent

Preview can help you remove the background in an image. This works best on images with white backgrounds. Click Markup and select the Instant Alpha button (which resembles an active magic wand).

Apple logo with white background on Preview

Now, drag your cursor over the part of the image that's white. The app will select the image, and it will turn red. Press Delete on your keyboard, and it will be gone (you will need to convert the image to PNG if it isn't already).

Apple logo in Preview with the background highlighted

While the feature is in no way a replacement for Photoshop's superior background removal tools, this Preview feature serves as a quick way to remove a white background in things like logo images.

12. Fill Forms

Preview in Form Filling mode, and displaying blank spaces in blue highlights

Preview is smart enough to recognize blank spaces even when a PDF isn't designed as a form. Once recognized, click on blank areas, and an empty text box will appear. Type away, and the text box will stay true to the blank space. But you'll have to manually change the text font, size, and color to match the rest of the form.

If the PDF is designed as a form, you should click the Form Filling toggle in the title bar so that Preview highlights the parts of the form that require your attention.

Preview Is a Deceitfully Powerful Mac App

Being a built-in app, Preview does what every good app should do. It supports Split View, has a sharing mode, works well with drag and drop, and has search functionality that lets you swiftly search through text in PDFs.

Don't be deceived by its name because Preview is more than just another app you use to view stuff; it's also a very powerful editor.