Open Image Externally

An Obsidian plugin that opens images in external programs directly from your notes.

Features

• Command palette: "Open image at cursor in external program"
• Context menu: Right-click on an image reference in the editor
• Ctrl+Click: Click images in reading mode while holding Ctrl
• Ribbon icon: Click the image icon in the left sidebar
• Supports WikiLink (![[image.png]]) and Markdown (![alt](url)) image formats
• Optionally specify a custom image viewer (e.g., IrfanView, GIMP, Photoshop)
• Falls back to system default application when no custom program is set
• UI displayed in Japanese or English based on your Obsidian language setting

Installation

1. Download main.js and manifest.json from the latest release
2. Create a folder: <vault>/.obsidian/plugins/open-image-externally/
3. Copy the downloaded files into that folder
4. Restart Obsidian and enable the plugin in Settings > Community plugins

Usage

Open from Editor (Source / Live Preview)

1. Place the cursor on an image reference:
   • ![[photo.png]]
   • ![description](path/to/image.jpg)
2. Run the command "Open image at cursor in external program" from the command palette, or right-click and select "Open image externally" from the context menu.

Open from Reading Mode

Hold Ctrl and click on any image in reading mode.

Ribbon Icon

Click the image icon in the left sidebar to open the image at the current cursor position.

Settings

Setting	Description
External program path	Absolute path to your preferred image viewer. Leave empty to use the system default application.

Example paths:

• Windows: C:\Program Files\IrfanView\i_view64.exe
• macOS: /Applications/Preview.app/Contents/MacOS/Preview
• Linux: /usr/bin/gimp

Supported Image Formats

png, jpg, jpeg, gif, webp, svg, bmp, tiff, tif, ico, avif

Requirements

• Obsidian v1.8.7 or later
• Desktop only (not available on mobile)

License

MIT