Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

How to save a picture in an email message?

  • 9 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 14 views
  • Last reply by Queenmab100

more options

I'm using TB 45.4.0 on a Macbook Air running El Capitan. Someone sent me pictures in an email (not as an attachment to an email) and I cannot figure out how to save them to my computer. When I right click the picture, I select 'save image as' but then nothing appears to happen. If the picture is being saved, I have no idea where it is. Anyone enlighten me? Thanks for your help!

I'm using TB 45.4.0 on a Macbook Air running El Capitan. Someone sent me pictures in an email (not as an attachment to an email) and I cannot figure out how to save them to my computer. When I right click the picture, I select 'save image as' but then nothing appears to happen. If the picture is being saved, I have no idea where it is. Anyone enlighten me? Thanks for your help!

Chosen solution

Can you right-click on a Mac these days?

Read this answer in context 👍 0

All Replies (9)

more options

Chosen Solution

Can you right-click on a Mac these days?

more options

If I put my cursor over the picture, and press the 'control' key, I get the menu in the attached screen shot.

more options

Dang, I'm not being allowed to edit that last post.

Can you select the image and do your equivalent of ctrl+c to copy it?

The Save Image As should launch a file picker so you can choose where to save and what to call it. It has no business going ahead without you being invited to enter this info, so I doubt that it has secretly saved the picture somewhere you can't see it.

more options

Copy Image - that should copy the image to the system clipboard and then you can paste it into whatever program you have for pictures, similar to Microsoft's Paint under Windows, or The Gimp on Linux.

But it's worrying why the "Save Image" isn't working. And I suspect it has to do with the interaction between Thunderbird and OSX, and I know absolutely nothing of any value about OSX. :-(

more options

Can you drag-and-drop the image to your graphics program?

more options

Yes, that's what I want to know - why doesn't the 'save image as' launch the file picker? That seems to be the glitch here.

As to the ctrl+c option, I have to say I'm ignorant of what to do with it after it's been copied, if that's even working. I'm working on a Mac and have *no* idea where to paste it once it's on the clipboard. Will see if I can figure that out. I did try pasting it into Word (which I have done successfully on a PC) and it did paste something there, but I couldn't see it.  :-

Really, I just want to launch the file picker, as that's the easiest way to handle this. But, I am mystified why that isn't working.

Thanks for your help.

more options

That was easy - I can just click and drag to my desktop. That will work! Thanks for the idea.

more options

I'm having trouble believing that the Mac doesn't have a native MSPaint-like application.

Paintbrush seems to be well thought of.

You can paste into a word processor, but it's not the best way to manage graphics.

I'm guessing your screenshot was taken with a camera or phone. The lack of a graphics application for working with pictures would explain now why people do this.

more options

I'm sure it does, I just don't know what it is! I only use this Mac occasionally when I travel, mostly I'm a PC person. But, the drag and drop to the desktop workaround that I found works.

Thanks for the tips!