Install and Open Proof
Download for Mac, open the DMG, drag Proof into Applications, and open it. The signed and notarized universal app supports macOS 11 or later on Apple Silicon and Intel.
If macOS reports a damaged app, download a fresh copy from this site and contact support if the problem continues.
Create or Open a Catalog
A catalog is Proof's local database for your library. It stores folder references, thumbnails, previews, ratings, flags, color labels, keywords, collections, and edit metadata.
Your original files stay where they are. Proof references photos in place. Catalog work is separate from the originals unless you explicitly move, rename, export, or move files to Trash.
On first launch, create a new .proof catalog or open an existing one. Later, use the catalog menu in the top-left toolbar to switch catalogs, create another catalog, or reopen a recent catalog.
Add and Sync Folders
Click Add Folder and choose a folder of photos. Proof scans the folder and subfolders, reads metadata, creates thumbnails, and shows the folder in the left sidebar.
- All Photographs shows every indexed photo in the catalog.
- Added root folders can include expandable subfolders.
- Offline and missing states appear when source folders or files are unavailable.
Use Rescan after files change outside Proof. A rescan adds new photos, refreshes changed metadata, marks missing files, and preserves existing ratings, flags, keywords, collections, and edit metadata.
Right-click a folder to reveal it in Finder, rescan it, reconnect an offline folder, rebuild thumbnails, remove missing catalog rows, or remove the folder from the catalog. Removing a folder from the catalog does not delete files from disk.
Review and Develop Views
| View | Key | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Grid | G | Browse, select, filter, sort, organize, and cull thumbnails. |
| Loupe | E | Inspect one photo large, zoom, pan, review metadata, and add keywords. |
| Survey | N | Compare selected photos side by side. |
| Develop | D | Make non-destructive adjustments on Mac. |
Press F to enter an immersive full-screen photo view. Press F again or Esc to exit.
Cull With Flags, Ratings, and Labels
Culling works from Grid, Loupe, and Survey. Navigate through the shoot, then mark the current photo or current selection.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Pick | P |
| Reject | X |
| Clear flag | U |
| Set rating | 0 to 5 |
| Red, yellow, green, blue labels | 6, 7, 8, 9 |
Enable Auto-advance in the filter bar or Preferences to jump to the next photo after flagging, rating, or labeling. Auto-advance is disabled for batch selection operations so the selected set remains stable.
Compare and Inspect
Loupe
Open a single photo with E, double-click, or Enter. Use fit through 400% zoom, the magnifier, the hand tool, and the metadata bar.
Survey
Select two or more photos, press N, and compare frames side by side with synced zoom and pan for focus checks and keeper selection.
Use Shift+F for Survey Focus Mode and the remove control on a Survey image to take it out of the comparison. Customize Info overlays in Preferences. Keywords are edited in the metadata inspector. Add a keyword, press Enter, then use the filter bar to narrow the grid by keyword later.
Import from a Camera or SD Card
Choose Import in the toolbar, select the source, and follow progress through copying and catalog preparation. Use Add Folder for photographs already on a drive. Keep the source connected until import finishes.
Fuji X-Raw and Camera Recipes
Select a RAF and choose Fuji-X-Raw with a supported Fujifilm camera connected in the appropriate USB RAW-conversion mode. Choose film simulation and recipe settings, render a preview, then convert. Available settings depend on the camera and source photograph.
Import or export recipe text to reuse a look. Compare becomes useful after a successful render; changing settings does not itself produce a new camera-rendered result.
Develop on Mac
Open Develop beside Grid, Loupe, and Survey. Adjust exposure, white balance, tone, and colour without overwriting the original. Saved adjustments stay in the catalog. Develop is in beta; rendering and advanced tools such as curves and masks are still being refined.
RAW and camera-rendered companions stay together for review and camera-match previews. Use the capture’s context menu to decouple a pair when you need to work with separate files. Check the exported result before final delivery, especially for HEIF sources that rely on an embedded browsing preview.
Publish Selected Photographs
Connect a supported service in Preferences → Publishing, then select photos and choose Publish. Publishing uploads those photographs to your chosen destination; it is optional and separate from your local catalog.
Export, Delete, and Stay Safe
Export writes adjusted copies without changing originals. Use File → Export Originals when you want unchanged source files. Select one or more photos, choose Export, pick JPEG, PNG, TIFF, or WebP, and choose a destination file or folder.
Press Delete or Backspace to move selected photo files to the macOS Trash. Use Delete N Rejects after marking rejects with X to clear a batch. Trash moves are recoverable until the Trash is emptied.
Most Proof actions are non-destructive. The commands that intentionally affect files on disk are moving photos, renaming photos, moving photos to Trash, and Fuji .HIF to .HEIC extension normalization during indexing or rescan.
Essential Shortcuts
GENFCommand-AF2Command-,EscFor the complete reference, including filtering, collections, cache maintenance, and troubleshooting, read the User Manual.