AppleScript – Detect Image Data in Clipboard

applescriptautomatorcommand linecopy/pasteimage capture

This started because I wanted to be able to paste screenshots or pictures copied from Safari into Finder folders. Here are the steps to get to where I am:

  1. Install pngpaste using brew install pngpaste.

  2. Make Automator Quick Action, and configure as:

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osascript -e 'set formattedDate to (do shell script "date +'%Y-%m-%dat%H-%M-%S%p'")' -e 'tell application "Finder" to set thePath to the quoted form of (POSIX path of (insertion location as alias) & formattedDate & ".png")' -e 'if ((clipboard info) as string) contains TIFF picture then do shell script "/usr/local/bin/pngpaste " & thePath' -e 'if ((clipboard info) as string) does not contain TIFF picture then tell application "System Events" to keystroke "v" using control down'
  1. Save and close.
  2. Remap default paste:

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  1. Assign default paste to trigger service:

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THE ISSUE: No matter what type of file I have in my clipboard, the script always detects it as a TIFF and pastes it as a PNG. How do I fix this?

Best Answer

Having to write and maintain an osascript command as you have is really not the best way to go in this use case IMO.

Using a Run AppleScript action, instead of a Run Shell Script action, the following example AppleScript code will resolve the issue you are currently having, and makes the code much easier to read and edit:

on run {input, parameters}
    
    set cbInfoAsString to (clipboard info) as string
    
    if cbInfoAsString does not contain "«class furl»" and ¬
        cbInfoAsString contains "TIFF picture" then
        
        set formattedDate to do shell script ¬
            "date -j '+%Y-%m-%d at %I.%M.%S %p'"
        
        tell application "Finder" to set thePath to ¬
            (insertion location as alias) & ¬
            formattedDate & ".png" as string
        
        do shell script "/usr/local/bin/pngpaste " & ¬
            the quoted form of the POSIX path of thePath
        
    else if cbInfoAsString contains "«class furl»" then
        
        tell application "System Events" to ¬
            keystroke "v" using control down
        
    end if
    
end run

Notes:

  • POSIX path is a part of Standard Additions not Finder, and should not be wrapped within a tell statement of Finder.
  • If not setting the date with the date command, use the -j option.
  • I modified your date command to use 12-Hour Time as typically 24-Hour Time does not use AM/PM and have added made additional modifications to make it more readable, and in line with the system default used with screen shots.
  • If you want 24-Hour Time then use e.g.: "date -j '+%Y-%m-%d at %H.%M.%S'"
  • As coded, if there is anything other than a file(s)/folder(s) or just an image, the script will not attempt to process text if that's what's on the clipboard.
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