Draw on pictures and sketch on your Mac with built-in apps
Quick answer
Your Mac doesn't include Paint, but Preview does the same jobs: open a picture, click the Markup button (a pen tip) and draw, add shapes or type text. For a blank page, use Freeform.
Why it happens
On a Mac, the drawing tools live in apps you already have. Preview opens pictures and PDFs and has Markup tools built in. Freeform, which also comes with your Mac, gives you an open canvas for sketches, notes and diagrams.
How to fix it
Double-click your picture in Finder. It opens in Preview unless you've set another app for that kind of file.
Click the Markup button, the pen tip in the toolbar. A row of drawing tools appears under the toolbar.
Preview›Markup
Use the pen tools to draw freehand, the shapes button for arrows, boxes and circles, and the text tool to type on the picture. Colour and line thickness are on the same row.
Preview saves your changes into the picture by itself. To keep the original, choose File > Duplicate before you start drawing and work on the copy.
Preview›File›Duplicate
For a blank canvas, press Command-Space, type Freeform and press Return. Start a new board and add shapes, lines, sticky notes and text.
Still not fixed?
Don't see the Markup button? In Preview, choose View > Show Markup Toolbar.
Preview›View›Show Markup Toolbar
Need to resize a picture? In Preview, choose Tools > Adjust Size… and type the new width or height.
Preview›Tools›Adjust Size…
Screenshots are quick to mark up: press Shift-Command-4, drag over what you want, then click the small preview that appears in the corner of the screen.
If Preview won't open a picture or closes while you draw, restart your Mac and try again. If it keeps happening with every picture, contact Apple Support.
Questions people ask
Does a Mac have a Paint app?
Not one called Paint. Preview and Freeform come with every Mac and cover drawing on pictures and sketching.
How do I draw on a picture on a Mac?
Open it in Preview, click the Markup button (the pen tip) and use the pen tools. Preview saves the changes into the picture, so duplicate it first if you want to keep the original.
How do I add arrows or text to a photo on a Mac?
In Preview's Markup tools, use the shapes button for arrows and the text tool for words, then drag them into place.
Related fixes
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