Taking a screenshot on a Mac is a fundamental skill, whether you’re capturing a funny chat, preserving important information, or creating visual content. macOS offers several built-in tools and shortcuts to make screen capturing quick and easy. This guide will walk you through various methods to take screenshots on your Mac, from capturing the entire screen to selecting specific windows or portions.
Video tutorial on taking screenshots and screen recordings on Mac
Capture Your Entire Mac Screen
The simplest way to grab a snapshot of everything visible on your display is using a keyboard shortcut.
- Press and hold these three keys simultaneously: Shift, Command, and 3.
- You’ll hear a camera shutter sound, and a thumbnail of your screenshot will briefly appear in the corner of your screen.
- Click the thumbnail to immediately edit and annotate your screenshot. If you miss it, don’t worry – the screenshot is automatically saved to your desktop as a PNG file, named with the date and time.
Capture a Specific Portion of Your Mac Screen
Sometimes you only need to capture a part of your screen. macOS allows you to select a specific area for your screenshot.
Keyboard shortcut diagram for capturing a portion of the screen on Mac: Shift, Command, and 4 keys are highlighted
- Press and hold these three keys together: Shift, Command, and 4. Your cursor will transform into a crosshair.
- Click and drag the crosshair to select the rectangular area you wish to capture. As you drag, you’ll see a preview of the selected region’s dimensions.
- Release the mouse or trackpad button to take the screenshot.
- Need to reposition the selection? While dragging, press and hold the Space bar to move the entire selection area without changing its size.
- Changed your mind? Press the Esc (Escape) key to cancel the screenshot.
Screenshot of a portion of Safari browser window on macOS Big Sur
- Just like capturing the entire screen, a thumbnail will appear for quick editing, and the screenshot will be saved to your desktop.
Capture a Window or Menu on Mac
To focus your screenshot on a specific window or menu, macOS provides another handy shortcut.
- Open the window or menu you want to capture. Ensure it’s active and on top.
- Press and hold Shift, Command, and 4, then press the Space bar once. The crosshair cursor will change into a camera icon.
- Click on the window or menu you want to capture. The selected window will be highlighted as you hover over it.
- Want to capture the window without its shadow? Press and hold the Option key while clicking on the window.
Screenshot of a Safari browser window on macOS Big Sur, capturing only the window without the background
- Again, a thumbnail will appear for editing, and the screenshot saves to your desktop.
Recording Your Mac Screen
Beyond static images, macOS also lets you record videos of your screen. You can record the entire screen or a selected portion.
For detailed instructions on screen recording, refer to Apple’s guide on how to record the screen on your Mac. This will walk you through using the Screenshot app or QuickTime Player for video capture.
Finding and Managing Your Screenshots
By default, all screenshots and screen recordings are saved directly to your desktop. They are named sequentially, starting with “Screen Shot” or “Screen Recording” followed by the date and time.
If you can’t immediately locate your screenshots, the easiest way to find them is to use Finder.
- Open Finder.
- In the menu bar, click Go and select Desktop. Alternatively, click Desktop in the Finder sidebar. This will display all items on your desktop, including your recent screenshots.
Advanced Screenshot Options and Tips
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Save to Clipboard: For quick pasting into another application without saving a file, hold down the Control key while using any of the screenshot shortcuts (e.g., Control-Shift-Command-3). The screenshot will be copied to your clipboard instead of being saved as a file. You can also Control-click the thumbnail and choose “Save to Clipboard.”
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Screenshot App (Shift-Command-5): In macOS Mojave and later, pressing Shift-Command-5 opens the Screenshot app. This versatile tool provides a toolbar at the bottom of your screen with options to capture the entire screen, a window, or a selected portion, as well as record the entire screen or a selected portion. It also includes a timer and options to choose where screenshots are saved. Explore the Screenshot app for more advanced control.
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Thumbnail Interaction: If you let your mouse pointer hover over the screenshot thumbnail, it will remain visible longer, giving you more time to click and edit or drag and drop it to another location.
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App Restrictions: Be aware that some applications, particularly those displaying protected content like streaming services (e.g., Apple TV app), might prevent screenshots of their windows.
Mastering these screenshot techniques will significantly enhance your productivity and communication on your Mac. Practice these shortcuts, and you’ll be capturing your screen like a pro in no time!
