Hidden_Preferences Log in to Edit
- Hidden Preferences
- Default Note Properties
- Notes Behavior
- Full Screen Behavior
- Apple Remote Behavior
- Automatically Open a .skim File
- Use Initial Settings From PDF
- Set Creator Code On Saved Files
- Skim notes saving
- Autosave Interval
- Auto Crop Margin
- Magnification Glass
- Preview Tool Tip
- History Highlights
- TOC Display
- Page Numbering
- Page History
- Zoom From Links
- Opening DVI and PostScript Files
- Reading Bar
- Pinch Zoom
- Page Background
- Tool Mode Cursors
- Animations
- Status Bar
- Title- and Toolbar
- Spotlight
- System Overrides
Hidden Preferences
Skim has a few advanced preferences that are not accessible through the UI. You can set these from the command line in Terminal.app (which can be found in the folder /Applications/Utilities). To change these preferences, make sure you quit Skim, open Terminal.app, type the defaults command with the appropriate arguments, and hit Enter. Typically, the command and arguments look like below, with the angles replaced by the appropriate value.
defaults write -app Skim <Key> -<type> <value>
If this fails with the message "Couldn't find an application named "Skim"; defaults unchanged", you can use
defaults write net.sourceforge.skim-app.skim <Key> -<type> <value>
To reset a preference to the default, you can use
defaults delete -app Skim <Key>
For example, if you want to disable the preview tool tips over contents or find tables, you type:
defaults write -app Skim SKDisableTableToolTips -boolean true
Booleans also accept values like -boolean yes and -boolean 1. Usually you can leave out -<type>, but for booleans you then need to use the values 0 or 1. Type man defaults in Terminal.app for more information.
Below is an overview of the hidden preferences. Remember that these can change or be removed at any time.
The following hidden preferences are only relevant for older Skim versions.
| Preference Key: | Type: | Default Value: |
|---|---|---|
| SKUseUserName | boolean | false |
| SKUserName | string | - |
| SKDisableUpdateContentsFromEnclosedText | integer | 0 |
| SKEnableCoreGraphicsTransitions | boolean | false |
| SKUseSettingsFromPDF | boolean | false |
| SKWriteSkimNotesAsPlist | boolean | false |
| SKSequentialPageNumbering | boolean | false |
| SKDisablePinchZoom | boolean | false |
| SKPageBackgroundColor | data | - |
| SKDisplayNoteBounds | boolean | false |
| SKDisplayPageBounds | boolean | false |
Default Note Properties
Key : SKAnchoredNoteIconType
Values : -integer, 0=comment, 1=key, 2=note, 3=help, 4=new paragraph, 5=paragraph, 6=insert
Explanation : The icon type used for new anchored notes.
Key : SKDefaultNoteWidth, SKDefaultNoteHeight
Values : -float, a positive number
Explanation : The default width and height of new note when no size is provided.
Key : SKUseUserName
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : If this is true, the user name of new notes is automatically set. Not hidden on 1.6.14 and later.
Key : SKUserName
Values : -string
Explanation : Override the user name to set when SKUSeUserName is set to true. Not hidden on 1.6.14 and later.
Key : SKDisableModificationDate
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : If this is false, the modification date of notes is set when they are created or modified.
Notes Behavior
Key : SKDisableUpdateContentsFromEnclosedText
Values : -integer, 0 = no, 1 = yes, 2 = yes including initally
Explanation : If this is 0, moving or resizing a circle or box note will automatically synchronize their contents with the enclosed text. If this is 0 or 1, the contents of the notes is initialized to the currently selected text. If this is 2, the text of the notes is never automatically filled. Not hidden on 1.7.4 and later.
Key : SKIncludeNewlinesFromEnclosedText
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : If this is false, note text filled from the text selection will remove newlines.
Key : SKKeepNoteWindowsOnTop
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : If this is true, the windows for anchored notes will float on top of the main window by default. This can be changed for individual note windows using the check button at the bottom.
Full Screen Behavior
Key : SKAutoHideToolbarInFullScreen
Values : -boolean
Explanation : When this is true, the toolbar only is visible in full screen when the mouse is near the top. (10.7 and higher).
Key : SKPresentationNavigationOption
Values : -integer, 0=none, 1=bottom, 2=everywhere
Explanation : When this is 0, no navigation buttons are shown in presentation mode. When this is 1 the navigation buttons are shown when you move the mouse to the bottom of the page. When this is 2 the navigation buttons show whenever the mouse moves.
Key : SKAutoHidePresentationContents
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : If true, the contents pane in presentation mode (called through 't' or Shift-Cmd-T) automatically hides when you make a selection.
Key : SKUseNormalLevelForPresentation
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : If true, the presentation is shown at normal window level, so it won't always cover other windows.
Key : SKResizablePresentation
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : If true, the window for the presentation can be resized.
Key : SKEnableCoreGraphicsTransitions
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : If true, some private system core graphics services transitions are available in the transition popup. These transitions don't work well on newer systems.
Apple Remote Behavior
Key : SKEnableAppleRemote
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : If true, you can use the Apple Remote to control Skim.
Key : SKAppleRemoteSwitchIndicationTimeout
Values : -float, a non-negative number
Explanation : The timeout for the little splash window that appears when you hit the Menu button on the Apple Remote. Set it to zero if you don't want it to appear.
Automatically Open a .skim File
Key : SKReadMissingNotesFromSkimFileOption
Values : -integer, 1=always, 0=never, -1=ask
Explanation : When a PDF file does not have notes, but there is a separate .skim file with the same name as the PDF, Skim can automatically read the notes from that Skim file. By default it shows a dialog for confirmation, but you can also force to always or never read the notes from the .skim file without asking.
Key : SKReadNonMissingNotesFromSkimFileOption
Values : -integer, 1=always, 0=never, -1=ask
Explanation : When a PDF file does have notes, but there is also a separate .skim file with the same name as the PDF, Skim can automatically read the notes from that Skim file instead. By default Skim will never do that, but you can show a dialog for confirmation or force to always read the notes from the .skim file without asking.
Use Initial Settings From PDF
Key : SKUseSettingsFromPDF
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : When this is true, the initial settings will respect some view settings from the PDF file, if available, overriding the default view settings. Not hidden on 1.6.10 and later.
Set Creator Code On Saved Files
Key : SKShouldSetCreatorCode
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : When Skim sets its creator code on a PDF file it saves, that file will open by default in Skim rather than your system default for PDF files, unless you override this on the file itself. Skim may only set its creator code for files saved as PDF, Skim Notes, or PDF Bundle.
Skim notes saving
Key : SKWriteSkimNotesAsArchive
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : Save Skim notes in an archived data format rather than property list.
Valid in 1.6.10 and later. Implied when saving legacy Skim notes.
Key : SKWriteSkimNotesAsPlist
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : Save Skim notes in a property list format rather than archived data.
Ignored on 1.6.10 and later.
Autosave Interval
Key : SKAutosaveInterval
Values : -float, a non-negative number
Explanation : The interval in seconds for which documents autosave a backup. Use 0 for no autosave.
Auto Crop Margin
Key : SKAutoCropBoxMarginWidth, SKAutoCropBoxMarginHeight
Values : -float, a non-negative number
Explanation : The horizontal and vertical margin around the page contents used to automatically determine the crop size, used for the Auto Crop functions and for the Crop functions when there is no selection.
Magnification Glass
Key : SKSmallMagnificationWidth, SKSmallMagnificationHeight
Values : -float, a non-negative number
Explanation : The width and height of the small magnification glass used for the Magnify Tool. This is used when you click once.
Key : SKLargeMagnificationWidth, SKLargeMagnificationHeight
Values : -float, a non-negative number
Explanation : The width and height of the large magnification glass used for the Magnify Tool. This is used when you click twice or hold the hold the Command key.
Key : SKMagnifyWithMousePressed
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : When this is set, the magnification tool is shown only while the mouse is pressed, rather than being toggled by a mouse click.
Preview Tool Tip
Key : SKToolTipWidth, SKToolTipHeight
Values : -float, a positive number
Explanation : The width and height of the preview tool tip, used over internal links.
Key : SKToolTipScale
Values : -float, any number
Explanation : The scale for the preview tool tip, used over internal links. Zero to match main area's scale. Negative to match the main area's scale with a maximum of the absolute value of this number. Before 1.7.8, negative values were not supported and the default was 0.
Key : SKDisableTableToolTips
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : Disable preview tool tips on various tables.
History Highlights
Key : SKDisableHistoryHighlights
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : Don't show highlights for the recent pages in the navigation tables.
TOC Display
Key : SKCollapseTOCSublevels
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : Only expand the primary level in the table of contents, rather than getting the initial expansion from the PDF.
Page Numbering
Key : SKSequentialPageNumbering
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : Use sequential page numbering rather than logical page numbering. Not hidden on 1.6.14 and later.
Page History
Key : SKMaximumDocumentPageHistoryCount
Values : -integer, a non-negative integer
Explanation : The maximum number of recent documents that are remembered for reopening documents at a previous page.
Zoom From Links
Key : SKNeverChangeZoomFromLinks
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : Set this to never let a link, from e.g. the table of contents, to change the zoom factor. Some links can prescribe an implicit or explicit zoom factor. Valid in 1.7.9 and later.
Opening DVI and PostScript Files
Key : SKDviConversionCommand
Values : -string, dvips, dvipdf, dvipdfm, dvipdfmx, or the full path to any of these tools
Explanation : When Skim opens DVI files it needs a tool to convert the DVI to PDF. Skim looks in several standard locations for the tool. This option lets you choose another conversion tool than the default dvipdfmx, or tell Skim the precise path to the tool to use. This can also be a custom script with the same name that passes extra options to the command.
Key : SKXdvConversionCommand
Values : -string, xdv2pdf, xdvipdfmx, or the full path to any of these tools
Explanation : When Skim opens XDV files it needs a tool to convert the XDV to PDF. Skim looks in several standard locations for the tool. This option lets you choose another conversion tool than the default xdvipdfmx, or tell Skim the precise path to the tool to use. This can also be a custom script with the same name that passes extra options to the command.
Key : SKPSConversionCommand
Values : -string, ps2pdf, pstopdf or the full path to any of these tools
Explanation : When Skim opens PostScript files on macOS 14 or later it needs a tool to convert the PostScript to PDF. Skim looks in several standard locations for the tool. This option lets you choose another conversion tool than the default ps2pdf, or tell Skim the precise path to the tool to use. This can also be a custom script with the same name that passes extra options to the command. On earlier versions of macOS this tells Skim to use this tool to convert instead of the built-in conversion facility.
Reading Bar
Key : SKMoveReadingBarModifiers, SKResizeReadingBarModifiers
Values : -integer, a modifier mask
Explanation : A mask for the modifiers of the keyboard shortcuts (using arrow keys) for moving and resizing the reading bar. The basic modifiers are Shift=131072, Control=262144, Option=524288, Command=1048576, and can be added for modifier combinations. The default values are Command and Shift+Command respectively. (On 1.7.9- they are Option and Option+Shift respectively).
Pinch Zoom
Key : SKDisablePinchZoom
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : Set this to disable pinch zoom in the PDF views.
Page Background
Key : SKWhitePoint
Values : an -array of -float, or -data, archived color,
Explanation : Set this to adjust the white point in the PDF display. This affects the white background color of pages. This can be an array of one to four floats between 0 and 1, or data for an archived color.
Key : SKSepiaTone
Values : -float, between 0.0 and 1.0
Explanation : When non-zero adds a sepia tone effect to the PDF content.
Key : SKPageBackgroundColor
Values : -data, archived color, or an -array of -float
Explanation : Set this to change the default white background color of pages. This can be an array of one to four floats between 0 and 1, or data for an archived color. Ignored on 1.6.7 and later and on macOS 10.12 and later.
Tool Mode Cursors
Key : SKUseToolModeCursors
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : Set this to use indicative cursors for the note tool modes.
Animations
Key : SKDisableAnimations
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : Set this to disable all animation effects.
Key : SKDisableSearchBarBlurring
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : Set this to disable the background blurring effect in search-, find-, title-, and tool-bars,
when scrolling with the find bar shown becomes sluggish.
Status Bar
Key : SKDisplayNoteBounds
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : Set this to display the position and size of the currently selected note in the status bar.
Key : SKDisplayPageBounds
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : Set this to display the position and size of the current page in the status bar.
Title- and Toolbar
Key : SKTitleAndToolbarStyle
Values : -integer, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7
Explanation : Determines the placement of the toolbar relative to the title. Basic options: 1 = compact, 2 = beside, 4 = replacing. Can be combined by adding. With 2+4 the title is hidden when the tab bar is shown. Valid on 1.7.9 and later and macOS 11.0 and later.
Spotlight
Key : SKDisableSearchAfterSpotlight
Values : -boolean, true or false
Explanation : Set this to disable the automatic search after opening a file through Spotlight.
System Overrides
Key : AppleWindowTabbingMode
Values : -string, always, fullscreen, manual
Explanation : Set this to override the default preference for opening documents in tabs on Sierra and later.
Key : AppleFontSmoothing
Values : -integer, 0=off, 1=light 2=medium, 3=strong
Explanation : Set this to override the level of LCD font smoothing from the system preferences. On Yosemite you may turn this off, as PDFKit badly messes up font smoothing.
