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Quick image editing without having to save the image to a file first?

Is there a way to just drop an image (e.g., a screenshot) that's been copied to the Clipboard into Preview (or another image editing Mac app) for quick editing -- e.g., just to blur some text and/or image -- without first saving the image to a file?  


Posted on Sep 11, 2023 1:08 PM

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Posted on Sep 11, 2023 1:20 PM

You can take a screen shot and send it directly to the clipboard. Open Preview and from its file menu, select new from Clipboard. These will be 72 dpi images unless your capture format is PDF. Use the appropriate screen shot shortcut from the following to send to the clipboard:



The last one opens a panel in the lower-left of your screen. It has an options menu where you can select the Clipboard (if desired). The esc key quits this panel.

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Sep 11, 2023 1:20 PM in response to dymar

You can take a screen shot and send it directly to the clipboard. Open Preview and from its file menu, select new from Clipboard. These will be 72 dpi images unless your capture format is PDF. Use the appropriate screen shot shortcut from the following to send to the clipboard:



The last one opens a panel in the lower-left of your screen. It has an options menu where you can select the Clipboard (if desired). The esc key quits this panel.

Sep 11, 2023 1:46 PM in response to VikingOSX

Thanks. I already had the screenshot in the Clipboard but had missed the 'open from Clipboard' option in Preview.


Now all I need is the 'blur' tool. But I am seeing statements that Preview doesn't have a 'blur' tool.


Skitch apparently does, but I don't see a 'New from Clipboard' option in that app.


Meaning, I assume, that I would have to create a file of the Clipboard screenshot.


I want to be able to go directly to the blur tool with the Clipboard image and then put it back in the Clipboard and insert it in an email, etc.


Sep 14, 2023 6:02 PM in response to BDAqua

BDAqua wrote:

I use GraphicConverter to do exactly that, after capture click on GC & use GMD+J key to open a new image from Clipboard

Thanks. Did you mean "use CMD+J" (not "GMD")?


Pressing CMD+J displays the following:


NOTE: Screenshot image didn't display when I posted this reply -- are images from the Clipboard not allowed in posts here? -- so I'll just describe it:


A dialog box that says: "The image contains an alpha channel. GraphicConverter displays the alpha channel by default as a checkerboard pattern." It has "Open and Remove" and "Open and Retain" buttons to click on.


Where to next? (i.e., what is that dialog box is trying to tell me?)


I don't know what 'image' it's referring to. Has it already 'seen' the image in the Clipboard from the CMD-J keypress and is referring to that?





Sep 14, 2023 6:10 PM in response to dymar

@BDAqua

UPDATE:


I just accepted the default in the dialog box. (There was no way to get rid of it except by choosing one or the other option.)


The 'blur' tool itself has many different options. Which is the best one to use to just 'erase' text in the screenshot?


Also, how does one save the altered screenshot back to the Clipboard in GC?


Thanks.


Sep 14, 2023 6:17 PM in response to dymar

Correct this site doesn't allow graphics that way, you need to save it & use the little mountain pic with moon icon in a reply. But you can like paste it into an eMail or Text Edit document or many other ways. Might have to do with what format/extension you save screen shots in, in the first place


Generally, for posting you wouldn't want an alpha channel, which like allows transparent backgrounds.


Oh my, my poor vision, yes CMD+j ! :)

Quick image editing without having to save the image to a file first?

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