How to manage the application different files open on our Mac

Most of this files we saved on our Mac can be opened with more than one application. For example we can open an image with Preview, Pixelmator or Photoshop. Whether we do it with one app or another will depend on what we're going to do with the file, we can also define a default app for each file type.

Temporary status: "Open with" menu

The situation is like this, with a file, for example image .png, which we usually open automatically with the preview application. Today, as we want to make tweaks beyond those allowed by this app and as an exception to the rule, we want to open the file in Pixelmator. We have two options:

1. Right-click on the file in question.
2. We put the mouse over the menu Open with …
3. We select an application in the submenu.

Done, we'll open the file with the application of our choice and only at this time.
We can also do this:

1. If the app is not in Dock we open it for installation.
2. We are dragging the file we want to open to the Dock app icon.

In both cases we get the same result, open a file with an app that we haven't opened in a while.

I would say that in my training programs I saw more than one time as a menu Open with can show from duplicate apps, for apps that are no longer in the system or that do not show the apps that should appear there.

Without being in a normal state it would be uncomfortable, fortunately we can ask the system to rename this menu. We will do so by following these steps:

1. When we open the Terminal app, we can use Spotlight (Command (⌘) + Spacebar) with it.
2. We will copy and paste the following command: /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Support/lsregister-kill-r-domain local-domain system -domain user
3. Press Enter (↩︎).
4. We wait several minutes until the last line of signal contains the signal % either $ which will indicate that the operation is complete.
5. We restart the computer.

Permanent status: default apps

Suppose the situation has changed, now whenever we open a .png image we want it to be opened with PixelmatorWell, we'll do the following:

1. We select the image in question.
2. Right-click it (right) on it.
3. In the menu we choose Get details.
4. It shows the category Open with: by clicking on the small triangle on your left.
5. In the dropdown we select the application from which we want to open the file.
6. Press Change everything …
7. Press Continue.

Put simply, from now on all files with the .png extension will open with the app we just created. As you may have seen, if we want to add a single concrete file, each time with a non-default application, we will be completing up to 5 steps. This way, only a particular file will open with the application of our choice.

Without a doubt, being able to open the files we need for the application we want to use, whether it is or occasionally, is an important factor in our comfort and performance and productivity. Now if we want to open files with specific apps, we'll know how to do it.