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Using iWork as an image editor

by Sang Tang Sep 19th 2009 at 1:30PM

I recently noted the image-editing functionality of Preview.app, which can act as a "good enough" image editor for many that don't have access to Photoshop. While it's difficult to argue with the free price tag, Preview is not without its limitations. Fortunately, many of these limitations are unlocked if you happen to own Apple's iWork suite, which in its own right can serve as an image editor for the budget-minded.Read on to see how to use iWork in this unconventional way.

The three components of iWork -- Pages, Keynote and Numbers -- each serve different purposes. Pages is an alternative to Microsoft Word, and Keynote and Numbers can be seen as respective alternatives to Microsoft's PowerPoint and Excel. Despite their respective core competencies, each app has page layout functionality. And this page layout capability serves as canvas of sorts, providing you a space to edit your images. Among these editing features are the ability to add or manipulate:

  • Text Boxes
  • Shapes
  • Shadows
  • Angle-based image rotation
  • Reflections
  • Opacity
  • Instant Alpha

Although Pages, Keynote and Numbers are separate apps, the image editing functionality within each is nearly identical; in fact, I haven't been able to spot the differences, if indeed they do exist. For the purpose of this demo, I'm going to choose the Page Layout template in Pages. However, if you choose Keynote, you'll want to delete the preset text boxes that will accompany the first slide. Likewise, if you choose Numbers, choose the blank spreadsheet, and then delete the table in the first spreadsheet.


Here I am in Pages's page layout view with a stock photo of Apple's MacBook Pro line taken from Apple's website. I'd like to add some copy to accompany the image. To do this, I'll need to click on the Text Box button on the menu bar; alternatively, I could add text within a shape via the Shapes button.

Perhaps this image would look a bit nicer with a shadow and reflection. To do this, I just need to select the image and enable Shadow and Reflection on the menu bar. But if I want more granular control of shadows and reflections, as well as other attributes (such as image opacity and the angle of the image), I can get to them by clicking on the Inspector button and clicking on the Graphic Inspector pane within it.


That's more like it. I think I'm done.

Like Preview and iPhoto, you can adjust other image attributes (such as saturation, contrast and exposure) via the Adjust Image palette. this is accessible on the menu via View > Adjust Image.

Now that I'm complete with my editing, I'll need to save it as an image. Since selecting Save within Pages, Keynote, or Numbers will result in the image getting saved in the respective native file formats of those apps, I'll need to move this image over to Preview. To do this, select all of the elements in the newly edited picture and click on copy. Then launch Preview and select New from Clipboard from the FIle menu. This will bring all of the elements over to Preview as a flattened image. Alternatively, one can choose to export the document as a PDF, cropping it in Preview, and saving it as your desired image format.


As with many Apple products, the UI plays a major role in making for a more pleasurable experience. This ethos is certainly evident across the iWork suite, resulting in a very similar and seamless workflow within all three apps. Hence, I was able to illustrate the image editing features just using Pages.

By no means is iWork a replacement for Photoshop, Photoshop Elements or Pixelmator. But for the $79 price tag of iWork, you certainly get much more than just an office productivity suite.



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I recently noted the image-editing functionality of Preview.app, which can act as a "good enough" image editor for many that don't have...
 

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matheteis

I like the creative solution this article points out for editing and saving images through Pages and the other iWork programs.

Have you noticed, however, the unfortunate result that any Alpha transparency edits you make in the iWork program do not carry over to the saved graphic (even as a .PNG). Sad.

Is there any work around for this? I so wish I could take out that white backdrop to so many of those graphic images I edit.

October 09 2009 at 8:11 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to matheteis's comment
kp

Regarding the “alpha transparency”… that seems to be an issue with Preview’s “New from Clipboard” functionality.

If you were to use Pixelmator and create a new image and paste in the clipboard contents the alpha transparency is carried over.

I also found a way to do this with Preview… but you need an existing blank/transparent png image to start with. Open the transparent png with preview and then do a “paste” and… tada.. what you paste in from iWork has transparency.

I think the problem is that Preview’s “New from Clipboard” create’s PDFs and I haven’t found a way to change that— I know you can do “save as” but by that time it is too late to preserve any alpha channel transparency.

The added benefit of pasting in an existing png in Preview is that you can resize what you paste in. So just create a large fully transparent png once, and use that as a basis to paste in your iWork creativity — resize, crop, and annotate to your heart’s content in Preview.

October 11 2009 at 6:52 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Patrick McMahon

When I copy out of Keynote and into Preview, the image always appears to be bigger and the "Adjust Size" is greyed out. Anybody? Bueller?

October 05 2009 at 8:45 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
pascal

Thank you, I was beginning to think I was the only one that did this terrible deed. I have designed sites, logos, icons and more using Pages and Keynote and do so on the quiet. I only come unstuck when they ask for psds or illustrator files. But I have learnt something here. I usually export an image as a pdf from Pages and then used Pixelmator to remove the background - long winded and not perfect so yes I'm feeling a little silly now. The cut & paste into Preview sounds genius. Cheers, Pascal.

September 21 2009 at 1:26 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
ari

iPhoto really does kick MS Paints arse when doing photo manipulations/fixes. Heck, I'm a relatively advanced Photoshop user and for regular photo fixes on my own photos I vastly prefer iPhoto.
Keynote is also very, very nice. I've sold a few Macs just by showing people the iLife and iWork bundles. One hardcore windows user described what he saw as "sci-fi like".

Paint..... useful only when you need to crop a screenshot. Useless for most other functions.

As for the .odt issue. Apple, do something about that!

September 20 2009 at 10:17 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
tdowling

Depends on your line of work I guess, but I'm also perplexed at Windows' lack of a PDF reader. That's a much bigger "bunlded software sin" in my book. Preview, especially since the 10.6 update, has a phenomenal engine. I simple can't stand using Acrobat Reader anymore.

September 20 2009 at 9:05 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Khalil Amar

I wish there would be an update where we could open .odt .ods files in Pages and Numbers or Keynotes ( .odp ? )

There is no reason why would Apple stay out of the openDocument club :)

Do you copy Cupertino ?

September 20 2009 at 8:23 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Khalil Amar's comment
HandyMac

Although Apple is not known for responding to petitions, there is one on the iWork / OpenDocument issue:
http://www.petitiononline.com/appleodf/petition.html

Probably a better bet is Apple's own feedback channel:
http://www.apple.com/feedback

Scroll down to find separate feedback forms for Keynote, Numbers and Pages.

September 20 2009 at 10:42 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
TVWeatherGuy

Joanna D,
I have several comments to add. One, Why the emphasis on "instantly"? My preview on 10.6.1 starts just as quickly as Paint does on my Windows 7 machine, and this is on two computers that have near similar specifications. Even if it was slow, does a couple seconds ruin my schedule? No. The last comment is in regards to what Rob said that you should consider, Preview functions far better then Paint and doesn't need the editing capabilities that Paint has, Why? I can hear you asking, because it's called "Preview"! That being said, I wouldn't want Apple to add an image editor to OS X. I have Photoshop CS4 and wouldn't ask for anything else. On Windows, I use Office Picture Manager for viewing photos.

September 20 2009 at 3:43 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
alansky

"It never ceases to amaze me that it is 2009 and the latest version of OS X still lacks basic image editing features which have been standard in other operating systems for years." --Joanna D

Say what? Aren't you forgetting iPhoto, which ships as part of the iLife suite with every new Mac?

September 20 2009 at 1:30 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Rob

It is true that OS X really lacks ANY image editing software, but Apple ships out iLife with macs, which is better than what most people will ever need for editing photos. More puzzling is Microsoft's omission of a PDF viewer from Windows. My guess is antitrust fears, although having a fantastic PDF viewer (preview) preinstalled is a feature I miss from migrating to Windows, and not having a PDF printer is a feature I really miss. As to the OP, paint is basically worthless as an image editor, although it is less worthless than preview as an image editor, but that really isn't saying anything. Also, paint doesn't do anything well, but preview is a great (I'd say the best) PDF viewer and an OK image viewer; the Windows image viewer is better at viewing image files, but lacks PDF reading and any editing features.

September 19 2009 at 8:06 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
macuser

Please answer this question!

"Why do you visit TUAW?"

I have never seen a productive comment from you. They are all hate comments. I mean OS X has it's flaws just like every other operating system, but would it kill you to say something nice. Face it, Microsoft Paint is not that great, and neither are these work around editing features. If they were then Adobe would be a lot less rich.

September 19 2009 at 5:21 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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