What do you use to view PDF files on your MacBook? One of the best PDF viewers you can use is Preview. The app offers MacBook users a simple way to view a wide range of file formats. Moreover, you can also use the app to edit PDF files.
However, sometimes you may face some difficulties when using the Preview and wonder what is wrong. There are times that your Preview will not respond and hence fail to open your PDF files. It might open your PDF files in some other cases but cannot select text in your PDF. Therefore when this happens, you have to find solutions to try and fix the problem.
Preview offers many exciting features to MacBook users. Preview allows users to crop documents, rotate texts, highlight PDFS, add signatures to documents, annotate documents, and many other things. Therefore you should equip yourself with the necessary skills to perform such tasks.
How To Rotate Text In Preview
One of the tasks that Preview helps users to perform is rotating texts. You can even rotate pages in a PDF. The rotation process is the same for pages and wordings. You will use your touch bar to rotate a text or sheet to the left or the right. You can also press and hold the option key and click on the rotating icon until you finish rotating.
How To Update Preview On Your Macbook
If you want your Preview to work without having many problems, it is best to update it on your MacBook. There are two ways that you can use to update your Preview. They include:
Using Mac App Store
You can update your Preview using your MacBook App store, which is a simple task. You will go to the App Store on your MacBook and click open. You will then click on updates located in the toolbar. You can either update the apps individually or update all the apps at once. If you want to upgrade it rather than update it, you will use “search” in your windows’ upper-right corner.
Using Software Updates
If your MacBook lacks the App Store, you can use software updates to update your Preview. You can find the option of “system updates” on the Apple menu. You will then follow the step-by-step guidelines to update your Preview.
How To Use Preview On Your Macbook
Using Preview on your Macbook is simple. Preview allows users to perform many tasks on their PDF documents. The following are some of the things you can do with Preview on your MacBook.
View Images And PDF Files
In many MacBooks, Preview is the default app for viewing images and PDF files. If you have not set Preview as your default PDF viewer app, it might have problems responding. Therefore ensure it is the default app. If your default app is Preview, your PDF files will automatically open in Preview once you double-click on them.
How To Change Your Default Image Viewer To Preview
The first thing is to click on the image or file that you want to open. Once you have selected the file or the image, right-click on it and choose the Get Info option, and it will take you to the info panel. Once you are in the info panel, you will see various details about your selected file.
You will click on the open with menu and select the application you want to use as your default app viewer. You will put Preview as your default app and click on “Change all” to open all your files or images in Preview. A pop-up message will get displayed asking you to confirm the change. You will click continue to confirm the change.
Adding Signatures To Your Documents
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you have to sign digital contracts? Nowadays, you can find businesses or companies handing contracts in PDF. Therefore you will need Preview to make it possible to add signatures to your document.
How To Add A Signature In Preview
The first thing to do is open the file in Preview and sign your name on a piece of paper. You will then click on the Show Markup Toolbar located at the top-right of the file. On the Show Markup Toolbar, click on the sign button.
You will then click on the camera and hold the paper with your sign up to the camera. Ensure that the view is clear. Once the camera captures a clear picture of your signed form, click done. The signature will get added to your document. Click on the signature on your file and reposition and resize it to your liking.
Password-Protecting Your PDF File
Do you have a PDF file that you would like to protect? If you do, then you should make Preview your default app viewer for your MacBook. You can use Preview to put a password on your file to protect it. Therefore no one else would be able to access it if they do not have the password.
How To Password-Protect Your PDF File In Preview
You will first open the file and click on it, then select Export from the menu bar. You will then search for the encrypted box. Once you find it, you will put the password you want to open your file and verify the password. Once you have your verified password, you will click save to password-protect your PDF file.
Rotating Texts And Pages On Your File
Another way you can use Preview is to rotate pages and texts on your files. You can turn them to the left or the right. Rotating both texts and pages uses the same procedure.
How To Rotate Texts And Pages In Preview
Open your PDF file and go to the toolbar and select the rotate icon. A Rotate pages dialogue box will appear to choose the direction you want to rotate your pages using the provided drop-down menu. If you select clockwise and counterclockwise rotation, your sheet or text will rotate by 90 degrees. On the other hand, if you choose to invert-rotate, the text or page will rotate by 180 degrees.
You will use the radio buttons to select the texts or the ages you would want to rotate. After you finish making your selections, you will click OK to view the changes.
Cropping Documents
Did you know you can change the shapes and sizes of your documents to your liking? Preview allows users to crop their documents to their preferred shapes and sizes. Before you crop in Preview, you should first ensure you understand how to use the rectangular selection tool.
How To Crop Documents In Preview
Before cropping, you should ensure that the rectangular selection tool is the default when viewing images. Moreover, you can find it on the far left of the markup toolbar. You do not have to worry since using the rectangular selection tool is simple.
You will first open the file that you want to crop in Preview. Once you open it, click on the Show Markup Toolbar. Afterward, you will click and drag your file to create a selection box. When you place the cursor inside the box, it will look like a hand.
Therefore you can position your selection box by placing the cursor inside the box and click and drag to move the box. You can adjust the size of the box by clicking and dragging the blue circles. The box’s pixels will get displayed as you continue to adjust the size of the box. You will then crop the image by clicking the Command-K keyboard shortcut button.
Merging Documents
Do you have more than one file, and would you like to merge all of them? If you do, Preview is here to assist you. You can choose to join specific pages of a document or combine the entire PDF file.
How To Merge Pages Of A PDF
The first step is to open each PDF file in Preview. You will then click view and then thumbnails in all Previews windows for the files. The next thing is to choose a thumbnail in the sidebar of one PDF file and drag it to the sidebar of the other file. After finishing the process, you would have merged the pages.
What Are Some Of The Preview Supported Formats?
When you use Preview as your default viewer app, you will be able to edit, view, convert and even share PDF documents. Preview’s supported formats include TIFF, PNG, JPEG, GIF, BMP, and PDF. These are a few of the formats that Preview can support. You can use Preview to convert the above formats from one format to another.
Can You Share Documents From Preview On Your Mac?
Yes, you can share the documents from Preview. Sharing documents from Preview is a simple process. You will open the file you want to share and click the share button. You will then select how you send your file, either by mail, messages, notes, or airdrop, and send it.
Conclusion
You have seen how Preview is a crucial tool for viewing, editing, rotating, and doing a lot more with your PDF file. Therefore ensure you make it your default viewer app and try it. If you want to have a smooth time using Preview, ensure that you update it. The good thing about Preview is that you can even share documents from Preview.
