Some embodiments provide an image editing application that allows users to quickly preview images and to edit images. The image-editing application provides a quick preview tool for foregoing the loading of a particular image in the display area after the particular image has been selected. Specifically, for each particular image, the image-editing application maintains or generates a preview image for the particular image. In place of a particular image, the quick preview tool when selected causes the image editing application to only load the preview image of the particular image for full or partial display in the display area. When the quick preview tool is not selected, the image editing application loads each image in its entirety for full or partial display in the display area.