Open a File with an alternate application

You can load your documents in your favorite applications by specifying which application will automatically launch for a particular file type. When you double-click a file in the Finder, an application usually launches that can handle that type of file. This works fine for most day-to-day tasks, but sometimes it is not what you want.

Suppose, for example, that you have a JPEG file that you downloaded from the Internet using Safari. Perhaps all your JPEG icons display an icon based on the Preview application. When you want to edit the image that you downloaded with another application such as Adobe Photoshop CE or Photoshop Elements, you usually have to jump through some hoops to make the image open in the other application.

Fortunately, Tiger takes away some of the guesswork. You can instantly change which application will open a specific type of file. You can also tell your Mac to open all files of that type with the application of your choosing.

CHOOSING AN APPLICATION FROM THE CONTEXTUAL MENU

1. Click the Finder icon in the Dock. Tiger opens a new Finder window; if you already have a Finder window open, it becomes active.
   
   
2. Control click the desired file to open a contextual menu.
   
   
3. Position your mouse over Open With. Tiger displays a submenu with all of the applications that are capable of opening that type of document.
   
   
4. Click the desired application. Tiger launches the application and automatically loads the document.
   

CHOOSING AN ALTERNATIVE APPLICATION

1. Click the Finder icon in the Dock. Tiger opens a new Finder window; if you already have a Finder window open, it becomes active.
   
   
2. Control click the desired file to open a contextual menu.
   
   
3. Position your mouse over Open With.
   
   
4. Click Other. The Choose Application dialog opens.
   
   
5. Select an application.
   
   
6. Click Open.
   

TIPS

Did You Know?
The steps outlined in this task may not be necessary for some file types. That is because an application that you have installed has already done the job of associating itself with the file type for you during the installation process. Double-clicking any file of that type will now launch the third-party application instead of the Tiger default application.

Did You Know?
If you are certain that you want a specific application to always open this type of file, click the Always Open With check box, in the Choose Application dialog, to enable it ( changes to ). Tiger will now launch with the application you selected every time you open a file of that type.

Reprinted from Mac OS X Tiger: Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks, copyright 2005, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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