Using PNG or JPEG format instead of TIFF when copying to clipboard?

Talk about Pixelmator Pro, share tips & tricks, tutorials, and other resources.
User avatar

2022-11-17 18:10:18

Another vote for this. A preference or a "Copy As PNG" command would be much appreciated. I copy to Teams, to email programs, to Confluence, etc. None of them know what to do with TIFF content.
User avatar

2023-01-05 16:23:26

just bumping this thread now that it's 2023. Please add an option into preferences to select the format for copying out. nothing supports tiff. I love this program so much but it's pretty ridiculous that i have to export my image to the desktop just to get it into figma
User avatar

2023-01-25 14:18:15

Just joined to ask about this. Also using Figma and the lack of copy paste is a big point of friction and making me think there may be other apps to solve my needs if the basic stuff like this doesnt flow.
User avatar

2023-02-26 13:31:00

We can use Pixelmator scripting automation to copy JPEG or PNG to clipboard: https://www.pixelmator.com/tutorials/ad ... plescript/
I've made a simple script to copy a document as JPEG. Here is the code: https://gist.github.com/sorgel/98676034 ... a82d854e42



Easy way to test: just copy and run this shortcut: https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/70b72d ... af9f4b3e10.

Image

Hard way to test:
1. Open Apple Script Editor.
2. Choose JavaScript.
3. Paste code.
4. Run script.

Image

On the first run, the script may ask a permission to write a temporal file.

If script does work for you, you can assign script to a keyboard shortcut:
1. With apple shortcuts app: https://support.apple.com/en-il/guide/s ... d94a0e7c32
2. With Automator app:https://superuser.com/questions/153890/ ... pt-in-os-x

Never shared such scripts before. So, please, let me know if the script works for you.
User avatar

2023-03-06 00:52:06

+1, this software is great, but having to go through "export to web" to share literally ANYTHING is very 90s. Can we please get "Export to Clipboard" menu that would use PNG? I beg you please.
User avatar

2023-03-06 01:00:28

Also, is there a reason Copy Merged exports in TIFF, while dragging separate layers out does use PNG? Is it possible for copy merged to also use PNG?
User avatar

2023-04-29 18:06:01

by Aurelija The question about Copy Merged just gave me an idea. It might help those looking for PNG support — if you're working with apps that support drag and drop input, you can drag layers from Pixelmator Pro there. Layers will use PNG format instead of TIFF. So essentially, you'd need to Copy Merged and paste the copied image to your document. Then, drag the merged layer to the app or location you need.
@Aurelija I guess if we had a "Copy Merged", then that would work. Currently dragging multiple layers just creates multiple physical files.

Somebody earlier in the thread got it right, we need a special "Copy Merged" with a specialized keyboard shortcut that copies selected N layers as a *single* PNG file to the Clipboard. This is a relatively common workflow particularly when sharing things across our organization and having to Export to Web is a much slower process.

Every other paint program I've used had this ability including
Paint.NET:

Image

Krita:

Image

Photoshop:

Image


Note: I should mention that Pixelmator has a hidden "Copy Merged" (Accessible via the Help Menu), however it has the following shortcomings:
- Copies as a TIFF file
- Ignores selected layers and instead copies *ALL* visible layers
User avatar

2023-11-10 10:18:59

Well, it's been over two years since I made my original post... and it looks like there's been zero progress on this.

During this time, I've only grown more confident not just about the need for a setting that gives users a choice, but even about the fact that having TIFF as a default makes little to no sense:

- Every single image editing app I have tried so far uses PNG as the default copy format. If TIFF is so important for certain workflows, why doesn't a SINGLE app default to it? Pixelmator is completely alone on this.

- Almost none of the apps where I regularly paste snippets recognize TIFF files as pictures. Not Teams, not WhatsApp, not Telegram... I think the only one that picks them up is MS Outlook. Could we get some insights on what are those workflows that actually require TIFF, and how frequent they are within the Pixelmator userbase? Are you guys confident that you would break any existing workflows with this change? Or is it possible that 99% of your users are simply putting up with the same frustrations that we are, but without complaining about it in these forums? Is it possible that the change would actually be a relief to everyone?

I can't even begin to state how exhausting and outdated it's getting having to export a PNG file to my desktop every single time I need to share a small region of a picture on any messaging app, then having to cleanup after them at the end of the day.

Can the Pixelmator team please reconsider this?

Why not add a simple option in the settings that allows people to change the default copy format between JPEG, PNG and, if you REALLY think it's still needed in 2023... TIFF?
User avatar

2023-11-15 15:36:04

Omg, never expected to see this restriction in Pixelmator. A vote for a PNG as well! Or better an option in the settings.
User avatar

2023-11-16 18:41:34

by VMX Well, it's been over two years since I made my original post... and it looks like there's been zero progress on this.

During this time, I've only grown more confident not just about the need for a setting that gives users a choice, but even about the fact that having TIFF as a default makes little to no sense:

- Every single image editing app I have tried so far uses PNG as the default copy format. If TIFF is so important for certain workflows, why doesn't a SINGLE app default to it? Pixelmator is completely alone on this.

- Almost none of the apps where I regularly paste snippets recognize TIFF files as pictures. Not Teams, not WhatsApp, not Telegram... I think the only one that picks them up is MS Outlook. Could we get some insights on what are those workflows that actually require TIFF, and how frequent they are within the Pixelmator userbase? Are you guys confident that you would break any existing workflows with this change? Or is it possible that 99% of your users are simply putting up with the same frustrations that we are, but without complaining about it in these forums? Is it possible that the change would actually be a relief to everyone?

I can't even begin to state how exhausting and outdated it's getting having to export a PNG file to my desktop every single time I need to share a small region of a picture on any messaging app, then having to cleanup after them at the end of the day.

Can the Pixelmator team please reconsider this?

Why not add a simple option in the settings that allows people to change the default copy format between JPEG, PNG and, if you REALLY think it's still needed in 2023... TIFF?
While I totallly agree that a PNG option for the clipboard would be VERY useful and should be an option, I think you're mistaken that having TIFF as a format makes no sense. Most professional image editing apps are built for use amongst web, video and print users. It's not just a tool for web developers or casual I would imagine that the dev team for Pixelmator chose TIFF as a default clipboard format because:

- TIFF is an INTERCHANGE file format, not a delivery format. PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP etc are all delivery formats. ie. meant for viewing only and compressed as much as the human eye can tolerate... but not meant for editing.
- Clipboard data is ALSO meant to be in an interchange format ie. not damaged, compressed or otherwise missing any info when it's pasted into your next app. Interchange data needs to be pristine so that it doesn't fall apart when manipulated in the next editor you move it to.
- I'd guess partly they use TIFF because it is the same format used by macOS when copying image content to the System clipboard for transferring elsewhere. I imagine Pixelmator leans heavily on built-in libraries/code already available in macOS.
- TIFF as a format is way more extensible than PNG and is the generic interchange format between professional image editing applications. It's like the Swiss Army Knife of image formats. It can hold a lot of different information. The fact that it is "old" does little to damage its benefits or relevance to many people :)
- WhatsApp, Teams or Signal are not 'editors' in any meaningful way. They're messaging apps that only support formats that are ready for sending and bound to be of small file size for obvious reasons of bandwidth, quality be damned. Pixelmator is an image editing app that needs to have image fidelity as it's constant goal.
- TIFF supports premultiplied alpha channels, which PNG ('straight' alpha) does not - this could be important to you if you were compositing.
- TIFF supports layering, PNG does not (though I'm not sure if it carries multiple layers on the clipboard to Photoshop tbh)
- TIFF can support various compression schemes, including the same ones as PNG
- TIFF supports CMYK as well as RGB images - PNG only supports RGB

So - I think it totally still makes sense for TIFF to be the default, considering Pixelmator's goals and many markets (not just web dev or casual users)... HOWEVER - I'm not saying that this isn't a worthwhile request (I landed up here on a similar quest to get clipboard info from Photoshop as PNG instead of TIFF when pasting into Keynote), and I understand the pain of having to do manual exports... it sucks.
Would be great to have this as an option :) :smirk:
User avatar

2023-12-13 19:28:08

by chriscococo
While I totallly agree that a PNG option for the clipboard would be VERY useful and should be an option, I think you're mistaken that having TIFF as a format makes no sense. Most professional image editing apps are built for use amongst web, video and print users. It's not just a tool for web developers or casual I would imagine that the dev team for Pixelmator chose TIFF as a default clipboard format because:

- TIFF is an INTERCHANGE file format, not a delivery format. PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP etc are all delivery formats. ie. meant for viewing only and compressed as much as the human eye can tolerate... but not meant for editing.
- Clipboard data is ALSO meant to be in an interchange format ie. not damaged, compressed or otherwise missing any info when it's pasted into your next app. Interchange data needs to be pristine so that it doesn't fall apart when manipulated in the next editor you move it to.
- I'd guess partly they use TIFF because it is the same format used by macOS when copying image content to the System clipboard for transferring elsewhere. I imagine Pixelmator leans heavily on built-in libraries/code already available in macOS.
- TIFF as a format is way more extensible than PNG and is the generic interchange format between professional image editing applications. It's like the Swiss Army Knife of image formats. It can hold a lot of different information. The fact that it is "old" does little to damage its benefits or relevance to many people :)
- WhatsApp, Teams or Signal are not 'editors' in any meaningful way. They're messaging apps that only support formats that are ready for sending and bound to be of small file size for obvious reasons of bandwidth, quality be damned. Pixelmator is an image editing app that needs to have image fidelity as it's constant goal.
- TIFF supports premultiplied alpha channels, which PNG ('straight' alpha) does not - this could be important to you if you were compositing.
- TIFF supports layering, PNG does not (though I'm not sure if it carries multiple layers on the clipboard to Photoshop tbh)
- TIFF can support various compression schemes, including the same ones as PNG
- TIFF supports CMYK as well as RGB images - PNG only supports RGB

So - I think it totally still makes sense for TIFF to be the default, considering Pixelmator's goals and many markets (not just web dev or casual users)... HOWEVER - I'm not saying that this isn't a worthwhile request (I landed up here on a similar quest to get clipboard info from Photoshop as PNG instead of TIFF when pasting into Keynote), and I understand the pain of having to do manual exports... it sucks.
Would be great to have this as an option :) :smirk:
@chriscococo

Couple things to note:

- PNG is a delivery format --- this seems like a meaningless distinction
- PNG is a compressed format --- compressed != lossy, it is defacto lossless
- TIFF supports layers --- yes... but Pixelmator doesn't copy layers to the clipboard (test it yourself)
- TIFF supports multiple compression schemes --- for saving a TIFF this makes sense... but again Pixelmator doesn't support this anyway. Try "Export as TIFF". The only option for Compression is "ON" or "OFF". Also for copying to the clipboard you would *also* have zero control over this.
- Pixelmator uses the default copy clipboard API --- also untrue. Open any image using the MacOS built-in Preview program and then proceed to copy to clipboard. You'll see its copied as a PNG file. Hell just as a joke, I threw a TIFF into the MacOS Preview window and dragged a rectangle around it and copied to clipboard. Want to take a stab at what format it used? (Hint PNG)




I'm not saying we couldn't keep TIFF as an option in Pixelmator, but I'd argue PNG makes more sense as the default.