Preview settings no working - High Sierra

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Preview settings no working - High Sierra

I am trying to open several PDF files using Preview in one window (i.e., I want the files to show up in one preview pane with the side bar showing the thumbnails for all the files).

I have already adjusted the settings under Preview > Preferences > Images to be "Open all files in one window" but this makes no difference. I have quit the application and restarted it, but to no avail.

The answer for Re: Preview opening files in separate windows - High Sierra does not answer another users similar issue. In fact, the suggested steps are precisely what the OP said they already tried.

I also do not want tabs preferred because I often open hundreds of files at once (e.g., lots of plots against which to cross compare), which would be a nightmare in tab-form.

Hardware:

- 2016 MacBook Pro 15" with Retina display

- 2.9 GHz Intel Core i7

- 16 GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3

OS X: 10.13.6

MacBook Pro with Retina display, macOS High Sierra (10.13.6)

Posted on Sep 14, 2018 7:51 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

dialabrain

Level 10

122,549 points

Sep 14, 2018 8:05 AM in response to honeste_vivere

honeste_vivere wrote:

I am trying to open several PDF files using Preview in one window (i.e., I want the files to show up in one preview pane with the side bar showing the thumbnails for all the files).

I have already adjusted the settings under Preview > Preferences > Images to be "Open all files in one window" but this makes no difference. I have quit the application and restarted it, but to no avail.

That's because the Images Preferenceas apply to images and not PDFs.

If you open one PDF in Preview, then select a group of PDFs, copy them, then you can paste the group into the first and all the pages will be in one window.

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Answer 2

Sep 14, 2018 8:04 AM in response to dialabrain

dialabrain,

Why did this change in 10.13? It used to be that opening single-page PDFs worked like images (e.g., PNGs) in Preview, i.e., I could open >3 in one window just by selecting and then "command+o".

As an aside, by "paste" I assume you mean drag the files into the sidebar of the first opened PDF? If so, that seemed to work. There is no way to copy+paste files into an open Preview file though using the command line (at least it did not work for me here).

Thanks...

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Answer 3

dialabrain

Level 10

122,549 points

Sep 14, 2018 8:19 AM in response to honeste_vivere

Bad wording on my part but yes, dragging into the sidebar.

As far as why the change? Only Apple knows for sure but if I had to guess it has to do with supporting tabs. That's only a guess.

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Preview settings no working - High Sierra

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