Add images to existing PDF with Preview

Do as follows:

  • Open the image you want to paste in Preview.app
  • Select All (Command-A)
  • Copy (Command-C)
  • Paste (Command-V)

Now you have a copy of your image pasted above your old image. This is apparently meaningless, but the new copy is not just an image, but an object.

  • Click on the new image (round blue corners appear, no marching ants)
  • Copy (Command-C)
  • Paste on your PDF document. The image is an object, moveable and resizable. The original PDF is still a PDF, editable and all.

This is not a solution but still a work around.

  1. Convert the PDF document to an image with File » Export .. Choose PNG as the format and change the resolution as desired.

  2. Open the image file and select the whole image with Edit » Select All (or select just a part of it with the mouse if you wish).

  3. Copy the selection Edit » Copy.
  4. Go back to the document (which is now a PNG image) and paste the selection with Edit » Paste and resize it as you wish.
  5. Save the file as a PDF with File » Export as PDF (and rename it if the original PDF needs to be preserved).

Note a PDF made from an image is not searchable, so that is a drawback to this procedure.


I spend a lot of time reading the "solutions" and no one was able to do what I want: Paste an image or photo in the middle of the content PDF pdf. Not just add a new page in the pdf with an image. And also don't use another app or software.

So here is the solution:

  1. Open your PDF where you want to add the image with Preview.
  2. Export it as a JPG with the highest resolution (That's what I did, not sure if it works with lower resolution)
  3. Open the image you want to add with Preview
  4. Open the exported file from PDF which at this moment is in JPG(is that clear?)
  5. Select the image cmd+a and copy the image cmd+c

At this moment you have 3 files open the original PDF(1), the exported JPG(2) and the image file (3) all of them with Preview.

  1. Paste the image cmd+v in the exported file JPG

Note: The image is pasted and has a square surrounding the image with dots y the borders to re-size the image.

  1. From the exported file JPG select (click over the image) and copy the image cmd+c

Here is where the magic happens:

  1. Go to the original PDF and paste cmd+v

Now you can erase the exported file.