clipboard-image.nvim
Neovim Lua plugin to paste images from clipboard directly into markdown, asciidoc, or any text file.
What is clipboard-image.nvim?
Clipboard Image is a Neovim plugin that simplifies inserting images from your system clipboard into documents. It automatically saves images to a configurable directory and inserts the appropriate file path with formatting. It solves the problem of manually saving clipboard images and writing markdown or asciidoc image syntax.
Neovim users who write documents with embedded images, such as technical writers, bloggers, or developers maintaining documentation in markdown or asciidoc.
Developers choose this plugin for its zero-config setup with sensible defaults for markdown and asciidoc, cross-platform clipboard support, and extensive Lua-based customization for advanced workflows like dynamic naming and post-paste image processing.
Overview
Neovim Lua plugin to paste image from clipboard.
Use Cases
Best For
- Quickly pasting screenshots into markdown documentation without leaving Neovim.
- Writing blog posts or notes in asciidoc format with embedded images from the clipboard.
- Automating image organization with custom directory structures and timestamp-based naming.
- Integrating custom post-paste scripts, such as image compression or optimization, directly into the paste workflow.
- Maintaining different image handling configurations for different filetypes (e.g., markdown vs. asciidoc) within a single plugin.
- Users on mixed OS environments (Linux/X11/Wayland, macOS, Windows/WSL) needing consistent clipboard image pasting in Neovim.
Not Ideal For
- Systems without the required clipboard tools (xclip, wl-clipboard, pngpaste) installed or accessible.
- Workflows that involve embedding non-image content (e.g., PDFs, text files) directly from the clipboard.
- Teams using editors other than Neovim, such as standard Vim or graphical IDEs with built-in media handling.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Works on Linux (X11/Wayland), macOS, and Windows/WSL with appropriate system tools, as evidenced by the README's badges and dependency list for each OS.
Allows per-filetype configuration with sensible defaults for markdown and asciidoc, enabling tailored image handling for different document types without global overrides.
Supports dynamic image naming (e.g., timestamp-based) and nested directory structures via Lua config, as shown in the example with `img_dir` as a table and custom `img_name` functions.
Enables custom Lua handlers after pasting, such as running compression scripts, demonstrated in the markdown config with the `img_handler` function calling external tools.
Cons
Relies on system-specific clipboard tools (xclip, wl-clipboard, pngpaste) that must be installed separately, adding complexity and potential failure points on minimal or restricted environments.
Advanced features require writing Lua functions for options like `img_name` and `img_handler`, which can be a barrier for users unfamiliar with Neovim's Lua ecosystem or scripting.
Only markdown and asciidoc have out-of-the-box configurations; other filetypes need manual setup, as admitted in the README with guidance to check `vim.bo.filetype` for customization.
Frequently Asked Questions
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