Copying and Pasting Numbers Tables.

In digging in with ClipboardViewer.app (part of the Xcode developer tools), it's clear that Numbers v14.2 puts no image version of the copied data on the clipboard in Sequoia (15.2).

Numbers does copy the data in multiple formats, namely plain-text, RTF, and HTML (which you might expect), as well as PDF and WebArchive (which I didn't).

Oddly, the clipboard contains markers for PNG and TIFF data, but these are empty.

Clearly, when you paste the data, the target app gets to choose which version of the data they want to accept, which is why some applications (e.g. Preview, Pages) show a formatted table (from either the RTF or PDF formats?). However, WhatsApp appears unable to process these formats and falls back to the plaintext version.

What I don't have is an older OS version to compare to. I suspect the OP is correct that previous versions used to include JPG and/or TIFF versions of the table, but no longer. Whether that's by design or fault I cannot tell.

Right now screenshot-to-clipboard is probably the shortest path.

Feedback - Numbers - Apple is probably the long-term solution, asking Apple to restore this functionality.

The result does seem to vary depending on the app. I'm not sure which apps paste as an image, or when/why it changed.

The short version is when you copy data (such as a table in Numbers), the application can put multiple formats on the clipboard (such as 'image', 'rich text', and 'plain text'), and when you paste it's up to the target application which format it takes - some will accept the rich text version, others the plain text, etc.). You have very little control over this. Maybe Numbers used to include an Image version and it no longer does... I don't have an older version to test.

However, if an image is what you want, then a screenshot is probably the best way to go right now. If you use Ctrl-Shift-Command-4 you can grab an area of the screen and it's copied to the clipboard as an image, where you can then paste it wherever you like (command-shift-4 is the classic screenshot key-combo... adding Ctrl saves to the clipboard rather than to a file on disk)

What does it do when you create a new Preview app document from it?

Copy the cells/table, go to Preview app, command N to create new from clipboard.

It used to, and hopefully still does, create a scalable image that can be enlarged without getting pixelated like a screenshot would. If it still does this, I think it is safe to say the data you want is being copied to the clipboard.

Assuming the above worked, a clunky workaround ubtil something better comes along could be to use Preview as a go-between. Create a new Preview document from the clipboard (which you will discard later, not save) then drag the thumbnail from Preview to your messaging app. Mine always defaults to not showing the thumbnails so you might have to do View/ Thumbnails to see the thumbnail.

I don't notice any change in behavior with Sequoia 15.1.

Going through Preview still works here.

You can also try this: make your selection in Numbers and choose Edit > Copy Snapshot and paste the results of that.

These all work well with Mac apps on my machine. I don't have WhatsApp or Messenger If none of these approaches is working for you, then it might be because of changes in WhatsApp and Messenger?

Also, to clear out any mysterious gremlins you could try restarting your Mac.

SG

kashif_aulakh wrote:

Apple should bring this function back.

What function? Things are working as expected on my machine. Have you tried Edit > Copy Snapshot? Have you restarted your Mac?

BTW, going through Preview (if you need to do that) is much quicker and easier than it sounds.

SG

kashif_aulakh wrote:

brief video

The video seems to show you selecting the entire table as an object and copy-pasting that.

Have you instead tried selecting cells within the table, copying, and pasting?

And, as asked above, have you tried Edit > Copy Snapshot?

Also, if you happen to have any third-party clipboard managers installed you may need to disable those as they can interfere with the "normal" behavior.

SG

kashif_aulakh wrote:

... thrid party clip manager doesn't interefere with normal behavior

... I think Apple should keep this text editing choice everywhere.

I've seen a number of reports here that a third party clip manager has caused unexpected behavior.

As I understand it different apps interact differently with the clipboard. In its own apps Apple can control the behavior on the "receiving" end. But it can't control that behavior in third-party apps. So some will work as you want, but there may be many that don't.

Copy-pasting an image should work pretty much universally, however, in any app that accepts images

Creating a high-quality image by going through Preview with shift-command-4 and command-n in Preview as described above is quicker and easier than it sounds.

But Camelots's shift-control-command-4 to place the image directly on the clipboard is even easier. Upvote to Camelot for pointing that out!

SG

I still don't see what exactly you think Apple needs to "resolve" here.

The behavior on my machine (maxOS Sequoia 15.1, Numbers 14.2) is identical to what I observed in previous versions.

Easy to copy-paste high-quality, scalable images from Numbers into another app.

SG

kashif_aulakh wrote:

SG, Have you gone through this video https://youtu.be/0g-_Fu-aKSQ

? This is what I described and what I want.

Yes I saw the video and already made a comment on it above. I also went through your original post, which makes this statement.

"Back on MacOS Ventura & Sonoma, I used to copy Tables or Selected Rows/Columns and paste them into other apps like WhatsApp and Messenger, and it used to be pasted as an Image"

As numerous people, including me, have replied earlier in the thread, you can still easily copy-paste as image. On my machine the behavior seems to be exactly the same as before in Sonoma, and I think Ventura as well.

If your goal is as you stated is to paste an image of part of a Numbers document into WhatsApp or Messenger (or wherever) then you already have that capability. Just one keyboard shortcut. Quick and easy. No bug.

Good luck with your project.

SG

I don’t know how this worked before macOS Sequoia but you could take screenshots (shift + command + 4) of the data and drag the screenshot into the messaging apps.