The basic way to copy an image on Mac

To copy an image on your Mac, right-click or Control-click the image and select Copy from the menu that appears. You can then paste it into another program by right-clicking in that program and selecting Paste, or by pressing Command+V. This works for images in web browsers, email, Messages, and most other programs.

The image stays in your clipboard until you copy something else. If you close the program where you copied the image, the image remains in your clipboard — closing an app does not clear what you copied.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click an image and select Copy, then right-click where you want it and select Paste, or press Command+V.
  • You can copy images from web browsers, email, Messages, and most other Mac programs using the same method.
  • Dragging an image directly into another program often works faster than copy and paste for moving images between apps.
  • If an image will not copy, try saving it to your computer first, then opening it in the program where you need it.
  • Your Mac stores only one copied item at a time, so copying something new replaces what was previously in your clipboard.

Copying images from web browsers

When you find an image in Safari, Chrome, or Firefox, right-click directly on the image itself — not on the page background. A menu will appear with the option Copy Image. Select it, then paste the image into your document, email, or other program using Command+V or the Paste option in the menu.

Some websites block right-click menus. If you cannot see a copy option, try a different approach: take a screenshot of the image instead using Command+Shift+4, then drag to select just the image area. The screenshot saves to your desktop and you can then open it and copy from there.

Dragging images instead of copying

For many tasks, dragging is faster than copy and paste. Click and hold on an image, then drag it directly into another program — into a document in Pages, a folder in Finder, an email in Mail, or a message in Messages. When you release the mouse, the image appears in that location.

Dragging works between most Mac programs. If dragging does not work, the program you are dragging into may not support it, and you will need to use copy and paste instead. You can also drag images from one Finder window to another to move or copy them between folders.

Copying images from email and Messages

In Mail, right-click an image attachment or an image in the email body and select Copy. In Messages, right-click an image someone sent you and select Copy. You can then paste it into any other program.

You can also drag images directly from Mail or Messages into a Finder window, a document, or another program. This is often the quickest way to save an image from a message into a folder on your computer.

When copy and paste does not work

Some programs do not support pasting images directly. If you paste and nothing happens, or if you see an error message, try saving the image to your computer first. Right-click the image, select Save Image As (or Save Image in some browsers), choose where to save it, and click Save. Then open that saved image file in the program where you need it.

Another reason copy and paste might fail is if the program you are pasting into does not support images at all — for example, some text editors only accept text. In that case, you will need to use a different program that handles images, like Preview, Photos, or a word processor.

Understanding your clipboard and what happens to copied images

Your Mac clipboard holds one item at a time. When you copy an image, it replaces whatever was previously in your clipboard. If you copy text, the image is gone. If you need to keep an image while copying other things, paste it into a document or folder first so it is saved in a location you can find it again.

Copied images stay in your clipboard even after you close the program where you copied them. They remain there until you copy something else or restart your Mac. If you restart and need the image again, you will have to copy it once more.

Copying images from your Mac's Photos or Preview app

Open the image in Photos or Preview, right-click it, and select Copy. You can then paste it anywhere. In Photos, you can also select an image and press Command+C to copy it without using the menu.

Preview is useful if you need to copy only part of an image. Open the image in Preview, use the selection tool to highlight the area you want, then right-click and select Copy. Only the selected portion will be copied to your clipboard.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I copy multiple images at once?

Your clipboard holds only one item at a time, so you cannot copy multiple images in a single copy action. You can select multiple images in Finder and drag them all into a folder or another program at once, which is faster than copying them one by one.

Why does my image paste as a file instead of showing the picture?

Some programs paste images as file references rather than as the actual image. Try dragging the image instead, or save the image to your computer and then open it in the program where you need it. Word processors and design programs usually paste the actual image, while some other programs may behave differently.

What if I accidentally copied something else and lost my image?

Once you copy something new, the previous image is gone from your clipboard. If you need it again, go back to where you found it and copy it once more. To avoid this, paste the image into a document or folder immediately after copying it, so you have a saved copy.

Can I copy an image from a PDF on my Mac?

Yes. Open the PDF in Preview or in your web browser, right-click the image, and select Copy Image. You can then paste it into another program. If right-click does not work, try taking a screenshot of the image instead.