10 Effortless Ways to Download Image On Mac

Download Image On Mac

Downloading an image on a Mac is a simple process that can be completed in just a few steps. Whether you’re looking to save a photo from a website, social media platform, or email, there are several quick and easy ways to do so. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to download an image on Mac, ensuring you can easily store and access your favorite images.

The most straightforward method to download an image on Mac is through the Finder. When you come across an image you want to save, right-click on it and select the “Save Image” option. In the dialog box that appears, choose the location where you want to save the image and click “Save.” Alternatively, you can drag and drop the image directly from the web browser or email into the Finder window. This method is particularly convenient if you prefer to organize your images within specific folders.

If you’re using the Safari browser and want to quickly save an image, there’s a built-in shortcut. When you hover over an image, a small download icon will appear in the bottom-right corner. Simply click on this icon to save the image directly to your Downloads folder. Additionally, you can use the “File” menu in Safari to download images. Click on “File” > “Save Image As” and select the desired location and file name. This option provides more flexibility in choosing the save location and allows you to rename the image before saving.

Locate the Image

To successfully download an image on a Mac computer, you must first locate the image you wish to download. This can be done in several ways, depending on where the image is located.

From a Website

If the image is on a website, simply navigate to the webpage where the image is displayed. Once the webpage has loaded, right-click on the image and select “Save Image As.” This will open a dialog box where you can choose the location on your computer where you want to save the image.

From a File Explorer

If the image is stored on your computer, you can use a file explorer, such as Finder, to locate the image. Once you have found the image, right-click on it and select “Save Image As.” This will open a dialog box where you can choose the location on your computer where you want to save the image.

From an Email

If the image is attached to an email, open the email and locate the image attachment. Click on the image attachment to open it in a preview window. Once the image has loaded, right-click on it and select “Save Image As.” This will open a dialog box where you can choose the location on your computer where you want to save the image.

Right-Click and Choose “Save Image”

This is the most straightforward method to download an image on a Mac. Simply right-click on the image you want to save and select “Save Image” from the menu. You will then be prompted to choose a location to save the image and, if you wish, select a different resolution for the saved image.

1. Choosing a Location and File Resolution

When you click “Save Image,” a dialog box will appear. In the “Save As” field, enter the file name and choose the location where you want to save the image. You can also use the “Where” drop-down menu to quickly access frequently used folders like your desktop or downloads folder.

If you want to save the image in a different resolution, click on the “Options” button and select the desired resolution from the drop-down menu. You can choose from the original resolution, small, medium, large, or actual size. Once you have made your selections, click “Save” to download the image.

2. Using the “Download Image” Context Menu

If you are using Safari, you can also access the “Download Image” option from the context menu. To do this, right-click on the image and select “Download Image” from the menu. This option will automatically download the image without prompting you for a location or resolution.

Safari 15 introduced a new feature that allows you to download multiple images at once. To do this, hold down the “Command” key while clicking on each image you want to download. Once you have selected all the images, right-click on any of them and select “Download Linked Files” from the menu. All the selected images will be downloaded to your default download location.

Paste into a Document or Application

To paste an image into a document or application:

Open the document or application in which you want to paste the image.
For Mac users: Press Command + V (⌘+V) to paste the image.
For Windows users: Press Ctrl + V to paste the image.
The image will be pasted into the document or application at the current cursor location.
You can resize or move the image by clicking and dragging the handles that appear around the image.

Additional details for step 4: Resizing and moving the image

When you paste an image into a document or application, it will appear at the current cursor location. You can resize or move the image to fit your needs. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click on the image to select it.
2. A border will appear around the image with handles at each corner and midpoint.
3. To resize the image, click and drag any of the handles.
4. To move the image, click and drag the image itself.

Drag and Drop from Webpage

Step 1: Open the Image’s Page

Navigate to the website where the desired image is located and open the page in your preferred browser.

Step 2: Position the Image

Locate the image you want to download and position your mouse cursor over it. Make sure the cursor is directly on the image itself, not on any surrounding text or elements.

Step 3: Drag the Image

Click and hold the mouse button on the image. While holding down the button, drag the image out of the browser window.

Step 4: Drop the Image

Drag the image to the desired destination on your Mac, such as your desktop, a folder, or another application window.

Step 5: Choose Destination and Save

If you drag the image to the desktop:

The image will be saved as a PNG file.
If the file already exists with the same name, a number will be appended to the filename (e.g., "image (2).png").

If you drag the image to a folder:

By default, the image will be saved as a PNG file.
You can choose the file format by right-clicking the image and selecting "Save Image As…"
You can also rename the file by clicking on it once and typing the new name.

If you drag the image to another application window (e.g., Pages, Photoshop):

The image will be automatically imported into the application.
You may need to adjust the image position or size within the application.

Use a Screenshot Tool

MacBooks come equipped with a versatile screenshot tool, making it effortless to capture and save images. Here’s a step-by-step guide to using this tool:

1. Select a Capture Area:

Capture the entire screen: Press Command + Shift + 3
Capture a selected area: Press Command + Shift + 4, then drag the cursor to select the desired area
Capture a specific window: Press Command + Shift + 4 and hold Space, then click on the desired window

2. Set Output Format and Location:

Choose “PNG” or “JPEG” format from the “Options” menu
Specify the save location by clicking on the “Location” menu

3. Capture and Save:

Once you have configured the settings, click on “Capture” to save the image. By default, the captured images are saved on your Desktop, but you can change this location in the “Location” menu.

Shortcut	Description
Command + Shift + 3	Captures the entire screen
Command + Shift + 4	Captures a selected area
Command + Shift + 4 + Space	Captures a specific window

4. Edit and Annotate:

Click on the thumbnail that appears in the corner of your screen to open the screenshot in Preview. Here, you can edit, annotate, and perform other image tweaks before saving the final result.

5. Save & Share:

Click on “File” in the Preview menu and choose “Save” to save the edited image to your desired location. You can also share the screenshot directly from the Preview window by clicking on the “Share” button.

6. Use Additional Settings:

To access advanced settings, open Screenshot Tool by pressing Command + Shift + 5. Here, you can further customize the capture options:

Countdown Timer: Set a delay before the screenshot is taken
Save to: Choose a specific folder for all screenshots
Custom Cursor: Hide or show the mouse cursor in the screenshot
Annotate: Add annotations, sketches, and shapes before saving the screenshot
Screen Recording: Capture your screen as a video instead of an image

Download via Safari Extension

To download images using a Safari extension, follow these detailed steps:

1. Install an Image Download Extension

Visit the Safari Extension Gallery and search for an image download extension. Some popular options include Downie, Image Assistant, and SaveImage.

2. Enable the Extension

After installing the extension, go to the Safari menu bar and select “Extensions.” Find the installed extension and click the checkbox to enable it.

3. Configure Settings

Some extensions may have adjustable settings. Open the extension’s options menu to customize download preferences, such as default download folder and file format.

4. Download Individual Images

When viewing an image in Safari, click on the extension’s icon in the Safari toolbar. Select the “Download” or “Save” option to download the image to your specified folder.

5. Download Multiple Images Simultaneously

The extension may provide an option to download multiple selected images at once. Use your cursor to select the desired images, then click on the extension’s icon and choose the “Download Selected” option.

6. Set Automatic Downloading

Certain extensions allow you to automatically download images from specific websites or pages. Configure the extension’s settings to enable this feature and specify the desired download criteria.

7. Customize File Names

Some extensions offer the ability to customize the downloaded file names. Edit the file naming pattern in the extension’s options to ensure easy organization and retrieval.

8. Advanced Features

Batch Renaming: Extensions like Downie allow batch renaming of downloaded images, saving time and hassle.
Web Page Archiving: Some extensions, such as Image Assistant, enable you to download entire web pages, including images, CSS, and HTML files.
Format Conversion: Extensions may provide support for converting images to different formats during download, such as PNG to JPEG or GIF to PNG.
Image Editing: Advanced extensions like SaveImage offer basic image editing capabilities, allowing you to crop, rotate, or resize images before downloading.

Utilize Terminal Command

The Terminal application, pre-installed on macOS, offers a robust command-line interface. It allows you to execute commands directly to the operating system, providing a powerful way to download images.

To download an image using Terminal, follow these steps:

Open the Terminal application.
Navigate to the directory where you want to save the image.
Use the `curl` command followed by the image URL, as shown below:

“`
curl -O
“`

For example, to download an image from the URL “https://example.com/image.jpg”, you would run the following command:

“`
curl -O https://example.com/image.jpg
“`

The image will be downloaded and saved in the current directory with the original filename.

Here’s a table summarizing commonly used flags with the `curl` command:

By utilizing the Terminal command, you gain precise control over the download process. It allows you to download images from URLs that may not be accessible through a graphical user interface and provides advanced options for customizing the download behavior.

Employ Third-Party Applications

There are several third-party applications available that make it easy to download images from the web. Some of the most popular options include:

ImageDownloader

ImageDownloader is a free and open-source application that allows you to download images from the web with just a few clicks. It offers a variety of features, including the ability to download images in bulk, convert images to different formats, and rename images.

DownThemAll!

DownThemAll! is a free and open-source browser extension that allows you to download images, videos, and other files from the web. It offers a variety of features, including the ability to pause and resume downloads, set download limits, and filter files by type.

Chrono Download Manager

Chrono Download Manager is a commercial application that offers a variety of features for downloading images and other files from the web. It includes a built-in browser, a download scheduler, and a file converter.

Here is a table that summarizes some of the key features of these three applications:

Flag	Description
-O	Saves the image with its original filename.
-o	Saves the image with a specified filename.
-L	Follows redirects, ensuring you get the latest version of the image.
-k	Ignores SSL certificate errors, useful for downloading images from unsecured websites.

Feature	ImageDownloader	DownThemAll!	Chrono Download Manager
Free and open-source	Yes	Yes	No
Bulk downloading	Yes	Yes	Yes
Image conversion	Yes	No	Yes
Browser integration	No	Yes	Yes
Download scheduler	No	No	Yes
File filtering	No	Yes	Yes

How to Download an Image on a Mac

Downloading an image on a Mac is a simple process that can be completed in a few steps. Here’s how to do it:

Find the image you want to download. You can do this by searching for it online or by visiting a website that hosts images.
Once you have found the image, right-click on it and select “Save Image As…” from the menu.
Choose a location on your Mac where you want to save the image. You can also change the name of the file if you want.
Click on the “Save” button to download the image.