Want to save screen real estate or act on a bunch of images in one go? Find out here how to open multiple images in one window in Preview on a Mac.
First, Let Me Suggest a Shape
I want to suggest a shape to you today for your pasta.
Cavatappi are named for corkscrews and look the part. The little screws are not only a delight to look at and pick up with a fork, but they also cook evenly and, most importantly, pick up sauce and pesto like few noodles can.
If you cannot find cavatappi, look for spirali, cellentani (for Adriano Celentano), succhietti, (most lovely) amorosi, tortiglioni, or scoobie doo instead. Any of those should be the same or similar enough.
Now, want to pick up more than one image at a time in one Mac Preview window? Here’s a metaphorical levatappi:
How to Open Multiple Images in the Same Window in Mac Preview
Time needed: 2 minutes
To open more than one image in the same window in macOS Preview on a Mac (so you can combine them in a PDF, for instance, or bulk export them):
- Collect the images in a folder, tag, or search results in Mac Finder.
- Highlight all the pictures you want to open in the same Preview window.
Here’s how: You can use the mouse to draw an outline around the images and hold down the Command key while you click any image (or other file) to add it to or remove it from the selection.
Select all: Press Command A to select all files in the current window with a Mac keyboard shortcut. - Select Open With | Preview from the context menu that has appeared.
Not all files: Note that opening images side by side in the same window does not work for all file formats Preview can open; PDF files notably will always open in their own window.
How to Open Multiple Images in the Same Window in Mac Preview: FAQ
Can I consolidate images that are open in separate windows into one?
Yes.
To collect images that are open in Preview, but in separate windows, into a single window for bulk action:
- Open Thumbnails for each Preview window.
Here’s how: Select View | Thumbnails from the menu in Preview or press Command Option 2. - Drag and drop image thumbnails from their respective sidebars into one (consolidated) sidebar.
Can I remove an image from a consolidated Preview window?
Yes.
To promote an image from a Preview window that has multiple images in its sidebar:
- Click on the image you want to remove from the collective window.
Only one: You can always only promote one image at a time; even with multiple pictures highlighted in the sidebar, only the images on which you right-click will be exported to a new window. - Select Open in New Window from the menu that has appeared.
Can I open multiple PDF files in one Preview window?
No.
PDF files will always open in separate windows with Preview. You can, however, combine multiple PDF files into one file and window.
(How to open multiple images in the same macOS Preview window on a Mac tested with macOS Sonoma 14.3 and Ventura 13.1; updated February 2024)