View and Edit files on your Mac

Desired Outcome

Open a quick preview of any file without opening it
Annotate, crop, or rotate images or PDFs

Step-by-Step Guide

Quick Look

Quick Look offers a fast, full-size preview of nearly any kind of file without opening the file.

To use Quick Look, press the Space bar to rotate photos, trim audio and video clips, and use Markup to crop photos and annotate images or PDFs.

An image in the Quick Look window with buttons to rotate or mark-up the image, open it in the Preview app, or share it.

On your Mac in a Finder window or on the desktop, select one or more items, then press the Space bar.
In the Quick Look window, do any of the following:
- Resize the window: Drag the corners of the window.
  
  You can also use Quick Look full screen. Click the Full Screen button in the Quick Look window. To stop using it full screen, move the pointer to the bottom of the window, then click the Exit Full Screen button that appears.
- Browse items (if you selected multiple items): Click the arrows near the top-left of the window or press the Left Arrow and Right Arrow keys. In full screen, click the Play button to view the items as a slide show.
- Show items in a grid (if you selected multiple items): Click the Index Sheet button or press Command-Return.
- Zoom in and out of an item: Press Command-Plus (+) to make the image bigger or Command-Minus (–) to make it smaller.
- Rotate an item: Click the Rotate Left button or press and hold the Option key, then click the Rotate Right button. Keep clicking to continue rotating the item.
- Mark up an item: Click the Markup button . See Mark-up files on Mac below.
- Trim an audio or video item: Click the Trim button , then drag the yellow handles in the trimming bar. To test your changes, click Play. You can start over by clicking Revert. When you’re ready to save your changes, click Done, then choose to replace the original file or create a new one.
- Open an item: Click Open with [App].
- Share an item: Click the Share button .
When you’re done, press the Space bar or click the Close button to close the Quick Look window.

When you open a Live Photo in the Quick Look window, the video portion of the photo plays automatically. To view it again, click Live Photo in the bottom-left corner of the photo.

Mark up files on Mac

You can use Markup in Quick Look and Quick Actions to write, sign, draw on, crop, and rotate images and PDFs.

An image in the Markup window showing the toolbar of Markup tools and the Share button at the top right, next to the Done button.

When using Quick Look on your Mac, click the Markup tool . Or when using Quick Actions, choose Markup.
Use the tools to mark up an image or a PDF. The tools that are available vary depending on the type of file.

To duplicate any shape, text or signature, press and hold the Option key while you drag an item; use the yellow guides to align the items. If you don’t like your changes and want to start over, click Revert.
When you’re finished, click Done.