macOS: View and Grab GIF Frames with the Preview App

Save frames from a GIF as new images with Preview in macOS

Did you know you can use Preview on the Mac to view a GIF’s separate frames? You can use this method to save a frame as a separate image. Preview is the most common method to view GIFs and watch them animate, but you can go a step further and capture frames. This tip comes courtesy of The Mac Observer’s Jeff Gamet.

Export As…

  1. First, open the GIF image in Preview. Bonus tip: You can use macOS’s Quick Look feature to open the image. Just click the GIF’s icon, then press the spacebar. Now click Open with Preview in the upper right of the Quick Look window.
  2. In the sidebar, scroll to the frame that you want to save. Control- or Right-click and select Export As.
  3. You can then export it in certain file formats, like JPEG, PNG or PDF.
editing GIF in preview in macOS
Previewing a GIF

With this tip you can quickly view and edit GIF files if you need to save a frame as a separate image.

One thought on “macOS: View and Grab GIF Frames with the Preview App

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.