Preview keyboard shortcuts for Mac
Navigate PDFs, compare images and distinguish document zoom from page navigation.
Documentation reviewed 2026-11-03 · 4 task guides · Mac bindings and focus notes
What do you want to do?
Copy from a Preview PDF and check the print context
Command-C copies the current text or area selection in Preview. Command-P prints the current PDF or image, so confirm the selected document first.
Steps, keys and context ↗Fit several Preview images or inspect their actual size
Option-Command-9 fits all images in the window; Option-Command-0 shows them at actual size. These are view changes, not file resizing.
Steps, keys and context ↗Move a Preview PDF by page or by screenful
Option-Down Arrow and Option-Up Arrow change Preview pages. Page Down and Page Up scroll a screenful, so the movements are not equivalent.
Steps, keys and context ↗Switch Preview tabs and documents without confusing them
Control-Tab changes tabs in Preview. Option-Page Down and Option-Page Up move among documents in the current window.
Steps, keys and context ↗
Quick reference
Selected bindings from the linked task guides. Check the context before pressing a key: the focused control, app version and your custom settings can change what it does. This is a documentation reference, not an exhaustive live menu reading.
| Action | Keys | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Copy the current selection | Command-C | Can copy selected text or an area depending on Preview’s active tool and selection. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Fit all images in the window | Option-Command-9 | Useful for returning to an overview of the open image set. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Go to the next page | Option-Down Arrow | Changes the current page in Preview. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Move to the next tab | Control-Tab | Acts on Preview’s tab context. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Open print options | Command-P | Inspect the document, page range and destination before confirming. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Show all images at actual size | Option-Command-0 | May require scrolling when an image exceeds the window. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Go to the previous page | Option-Up Arrow | Useful for a controlled page-by-page comparison. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Move to the previous tab | Control-Shift-Tab | Reverses tab navigation. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Save the open file | Command-S | Save any intended changes separately from copying a selection. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Adjust all image views | Option-Command-Plus / Option-Command-Minus | Changes viewing scale rather than resampling the source files. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Scroll by a screenful | Page Down / Page Up | On compact keyboards the key may be accessed through Fn; inspect the hardware layout. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Move among window documents | Option-Page Down / Option-Page Up | Navigates documents rather than PDF pages. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
When a shortcut behaves differently
- Confirm you are using the Mac binding, and check whether the guide describes a desktop app or its web version.
- Put focus in the control named in the guide. Editing text, selecting an object and navigating a sidebar can use different keys.
- Look up the command in the app's menu or shortcut settings. Customized keys and non-US keyboard layouts can differ from documented defaults.
The cited documentation was checked for these guides; a documentation review is separate from testing your particular running app. How we verify and update guides →
Official sources
- Keyboard shortcuts in Preview — Apple Support — checked 2026-11-03