Image Capture, perhaps the most underestimated OS X application

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Many users do not know it, but OS X hides small applications that can meet many more functions than we think. Already demonstrated with TextEdit, which can replace Word or Pages for users who do not require a processor too complicated texts. Today, following the experienced with my students in classes that give training in Valencia, I will defend another application unjustly ignored: Image Capture. 

First, avoid confusion: I'm not talking action or capture screen in OS X or the Grab application: I speak of the Image Capture application that hides within the Other folder Launchpad. And never fails: whenever I reveal its capabilities to anyone, it is shocked.

Image Capture serves two major functions, so let's see them one by one. 


Import and manage images from external devices

What opens when you connect a camera to the Mac? iPhoto to import the photos to our photo library. What if we do not use iPhoto? In that case we can do transferring raw files with the Finder, or we can use Image Capture.

The application is able to recognize digital cameras and memory cards, showing a list or a mosaic all the images and giving us the option to import or delete the device comfortably. It also works with video, so we will not be reviewing any content.

A key feature of this is that Image Capture also recognizes iOS devices, making it a very useful program when we remove our entire photo roll for cleaning, importing all or part of your computer without complications and releasing space in our iCloud backups.

In this part, Image Capture is what clears me all doubts about these discs or USB flash drives with programs and utilities that bring compact cameras: no more install all that crap of applications will not use rarely and only take up space our Launchpad: OS X has everything you need for basic operations importing photos.

Scan images and documents

The other role played perfectly Image Capture is the scanning of documents. Here one can also say the same thing with importing pictures: we can completely dispense with all the host of utilities that usually come included with multifunction printers which always say "should" be installed to take advantage of all the capabilities of the scanner and / or printer. 


Nothing could be further from the truth: 99% of users just want to scan documents without complications, and Image Capture is able to do that without installing any add-on. Start the program and our scanner appear on the right sidebar of devices.

We have options to choose the resolution of the images, their size, rotation angle, we apply corrections to images and even if we are scanning a document can import it directly into PDF format without additional steps. I have not seen any manufacturers software or multifunction scanners do the same so simply.