Posted on by Mac User

How to get EPS Preview from Catalina working on Newer macOS (Monterey and Later)

This has been tested on up to Ventura. macOS running later versions of macOS won’t work.

EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) files are a legacy vector graphics format that some applications still use. Unfortunately, starting with macOS Catalina, Apple removed native support for previewing EPS files in the Preview app. If you rely on EPS files and want to preview them in Finder or Quick Look, here’s how to get it working again.

Why EPS Previews Don’t Work in Newer macOS

Preview in macOS Catalina and later versions no longer includes the EPS importer plugin. This means that when you try to open an EPS file in Preview, you might see an error or a blank screen. The same issue affects Quick Look in Finder—you won’t see a preview thumbnail for EPS files.

This broke thumbnails and spacebar previews that worked reliably in Catalina and earlier. Fortunately, many users restore this functionality by tweaking Apple’s own Illustrator.qlgenerator.

Important Notes

  • This workaround works on Ventura, Sonoma, and often Sequoia, but success may vary with future updates.
  • You need admin rights.
  • The change is reversible.
  • Always back up files before editing system components.

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Copy the QuickLook Generator Go to: /System/Library/QuickLook/ Copy Illustrator.qlgenerator to your Desktop (or another writable folder).
  2. Show Package Contents Right-click the copied Illustrator.qlgenerator → Show Package Contents.
  3. Edit Info.plist Navigate to Contents/ and open Info.plist with TextEdit (or a better editor like BBEdit).
  4. Add the EPS Support Line Search for this line: <string>com.adobe.illustrator.ai-image</string>Add the following line directly below it (same indentation): <string>com.adobe.encapsulated-postscript</string>
  5. Save and Replace Save the Info.plist file. Copy the modified Illustrator.qlgenerator to: /Library/QuickLook/ (Create the folder if it doesn’t exist.)
  6. Reset Quick Look Cache Open Terminal and run:textqlmanage -r qlmanage -r cache
  7. Restart Finder Hold Option, right-click the Finder icon in the Dock → Relaunch.
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Your .eps files should now show previews and Quick Look thumbnails like they did in Catalina.

Drag the file to the quick look folder

Alternative: Using EPS.qlgenerator (Catalina Method)

Some users prefer copying the old EPS.qlgenerator from a Catalina installation (or backup) and placing it in /Library/QuickLook/. However, the Illustrator method is more reliable on modern macOS since Apple removed the dedicated EPS generator.

If It Stops Working

  • macOS updates may overwrite the change — repeat the process.
  • Third-party solutions like EPS Preview apps exist if the plist method fails.

This simple plist edit brings back a very useful feature that graphic designers and print professionals miss. Let me know your macOS version if you run into issues!