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    Mac Guides
    Beginner
    1 min read 6 stepsApril 2, 2026Verified April 2026

    Mac Preview: More Than Just a Viewer

    Edit PDFs, annotate images, sign documents, and more with Mac's built-in Preview app.

    At a Glance

    Category
    Mac Guides
    Difficulty
    Beginner
    Read Time
    1 min read
    Steps
    6
    Topics covered
    mac
    preview
    pdf
    images
    productivity

    In this guide (6 steps):

    1. 1.Annotate PDFs
    2. 2.Fill out PDF forms
    3. 3.Sign documents
    4. 4.Edit images
    5. 5.Merge PDFs
    6. 6.Convert between formats
    1

    Annotate PDFs

    ~15s
    Open a PDF in Preview. Click the markup toolbar icon (pen in circle). Add text, highlights, shapes, and notes. Your annotations save directly to the PDF.
    2

    Fill out PDF forms

    ~15s
    Open the form in Preview. Click on text fields to type. Check boxes by clicking them. Preview detects most form fields automatically. Save when done.
    3

    Sign documents

    ~15s
    Markup toolbar > Signature > Create Signature. Sign with your trackpad or hold a paper signature to the camera. Click to place the saved signature on any document.
    4

    Edit images

    ~15s
    Open an image in Preview. Use the markup toolbar to crop, resize, adjust colors, add text, and draw. Resize: Tools > Adjust Size. Change format: File > Export.
    5

    Merge PDFs

    ~15s
    Open a PDF. View > Thumbnails. Drag another PDF file onto the thumbnail sidebar to merge them. Rearrange pages by dragging thumbnails. Delete pages by selecting and pressing Delete.
    6

    Convert between formats

    ~15s
    File > Export. Change the format dropdown: JPEG, PNG, PDF, TIFF, and more. Preview handles most common image and document format conversions.

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    Official Resources

    Apple SupportHow-To Geek — MacApple Support YouTube

    Sources used to create and verify this guide. View all sources →

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    Mac Preview: More Than Just a Viewer — Step-by-Step Guide | TekSure