install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install pngpaste

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install pngpaste

MacPorts ports tree · sysutils/pngpaste/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#pngpaste

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/pn/pngpaste/package.nix · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Paste PNG into files

Project links

Commands and aliases

pngpaste

history

Project history and usage

pngpaste is a macOS command-line utility that writes image data from the clipboard to a file.

Project history

pngpaste was created as a small Objective-C macOS utility motivated by the lack of a simple command-line counterpart to `pbpaste` for images. The official repository maintains the implementation, README, and changelog.

Adoption history

The project is distributed from source and through Homebrew, with additional packaging recorded for MacPorts and Nix in source_facts.package-manager. Its deliberately small interface has made it useful in macOS terminal and automation workflows.

How it is used

Invoke `pngpaste output.png` after copying an image. The filename extension selects the output format, with PNG as the fallback; the README documents PNG, GIF, JPEG, and TIFF output and several accepted clipboard input formats.

Why package nerds care

pngpaste fills a characteristic Unix-tooling gap in macOS: `pbpaste` handles text, while pngpaste turns image clipboard contents into a named file without sending binary data to the terminal.

Timeline

Project established as a macOS image-oriented counterpart to `pbpaste`.
Homebrew installation became an officially documented distribution method.

Related projects

pbpaste: the macOS text-clipboard command whose workflow inspired pngpaste.
macOS Pasteboard APIs: the platform facilities used to read clipboard image data.

Sources

https://github.com/jcsalterego/pngpaste

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 10 platform targets.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`pngpaste`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-09-19

manager version0.2.3

manager updated2026-09-16

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detected0.2.3

https://github.com/jcsalterego/pngpaste

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:pngpaste
Version	0.2.3
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/pngpaste
Homepage	https://github.com/jcsalterego/pngpaste
Repository	https://github.com/jcsalterego/pngpaste
License	BSD-2-Clause
Source archive	https://github.com/jcsalterego/pngpaste/archive/refs/tags/0.2.3.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-09-16T16:10:17Z
Pulse	updated
Bottle	available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, monterey, sonoma, ventura)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	pngpaste
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Requirements	macos
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Nix95%

pngpaste

nix profile install nixpkgs#pngpaste

normalized package name match
Matched by: Pngpaste

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/pn/pngpaste/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

MacPorts95%

pngpaste

sudo port install pngpaste

normalized package name match
Matched by: Pngpaste

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/pngpaste/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/pngpaste.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment
pkg.so package database
pkgdb category and tag curation

Install pngpaste with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix