Taking a screenshot, often referred to as “print screen” on other operating systems, is a fundamental skill for any Mac user. Whether you need to capture proof of online transactions, save a memorable moment from a video call, or simply share what’s on your screen, macOS offers a range of built-in tools to get the job done efficiently. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about Print Screen For A Mac, ensuring you can capture your screen exactly as needed.
Capture the Entire Screen on Your Mac
The quickest way to take a “print screen” of your entire Mac display is using a simple keyboard shortcut. This method captures everything visible on your screen in one go.
- Press and hold these three keys simultaneously: Shift, Command (⌘), and 3.
- You will hear a camera shutter sound, and a thumbnail of your screenshot will briefly appear in the corner of your screen.
- By default, the screenshot is automatically saved as a PNG file to your Desktop, named something like “Screen Shot [date] at [time].png”.
- If you click the thumbnail before it disappears, you can quickly edit the screenshot using Markup tools, allowing you to crop, annotate, and share it instantly. If you miss the thumbnail, don’t worry, the file is already saved on your desktop.
Capture a Portion of Your Mac Screen
Sometimes, you only need to capture a specific area of your screen, not the entire display. macOS provides an easy way to “print screen” just a selected portion.
Diagram showing the Shift, Command, and 4 keys to capture a portion of the screen on a Mac
- Press and hold these three keys together: Shift, Command (⌘), and 4.
- Your cursor will transform into a crosshair pointer.
- Click and drag the crosshair to select the rectangular area you wish to capture. As you drag, you’ll see a preview of the selection size in pixels.
- To take the screenshot: Release the mouse or trackpad button. The screenshot of the selected portion will be saved to your Desktop.
- To cancel: Press the Esc (Escape) key before releasing the mouse button.
- To move the selection while maintaining size: Press and hold the Space bar while dragging. This is useful if you’ve drawn the right size selection but it’s not positioned correctly.
Screenshot of a portion of a Safari window captured on macOS Big Sur
Similar to capturing the entire screen, a thumbnail will appear for quick editing, and the screenshot file will be saved to your Desktop.
Capture a Window or Menu on Mac
macOS also allows you to “print screen” a specific window or even a menu, which is incredibly useful for capturing application interfaces or dropdown menus without extra clutter.
- First, ensure the window or menu you want to capture is active and visible on your screen.
- Press and hold these three keys: Shift, Command (⌘), and 4, then immediately press the Space bar.
- The crosshair pointer will change into a camera icon.
- Move the camera icon over the window or menu you want to capture. macOS will highlight the window in blue to indicate it’s selected.
- To capture with shadow: Simply click on the window or menu.
- To capture without shadow: Press and hold the Option (⌥) key while clicking. This is perfect for cleaner screenshots of application interfaces.
- To cancel: Press the Esc (Escape) key at any point before clicking.
Screenshot of a Safari window captured on macOS Big Sur, demonstrating window capture
Again, a thumbnail preview will appear for immediate editing, and the final “print screen” will be saved to your Desktop.
Discover the Screenshot App: Shift-Command-5
For more advanced options and control, macOS provides a dedicated Screenshot app. Introduced in macOS Mojave and later, this app is a powerhouse for screen capture and screen recording.
To open the Screenshot app, press Shift, Command (⌘), and 5.
A small toolbar will appear at the bottom of your screen, offering various options:
- Capture Entire Screen: Similar to Shift-Command-3.
- Capture Selected Window: Similar to Shift-Command-4 + Spacebar.
- Capture Selected Portion: Similar to Shift-Command-4.
- Record Entire Screen: Starts a screen recording of your entire display.
- Record Selected Portion: Allows you to select an area to record.
- Options: This dropdown menu allows you to:
- Choose where to save screenshots and recordings (Desktop, Documents, Clipboard, etc.).
- Set a timer for screenshots (None, 5 seconds, 10 seconds).
- Remember last selection.
- Show Floating Thumbnail.
- Show Mouse Clicks in screen recordings.
The Screenshot app provides a centralized interface for all your “print screen” and screen recording needs on a Mac, offering greater flexibility and customization.
Finding Your Screenshots and Recordings
By default, all screenshots and screen recordings are saved to your Desktop. The files are named starting with “Screen Shot” or “Screen Recording,” followed by the date and time they were taken, and saved as PNG image files or MOV video files respectively.
If you can’t immediately see your screenshots, they might be hidden behind other windows. A quick way to find them is to use Finder. In the Finder menu bar, click Go and then select Desktop, or simply click Desktop in the Finder sidebar. This will bring your Desktop files into view.
You can also change the default save location using the Options menu in the Screenshot app (Shift-Command-5), allowing you to organize your captures more effectively.
Advanced “Print Screen” Tips for Mac
- Save to Clipboard: To save a screenshot directly to your clipboard instead of saving a file, hold down the Control key while using any of the screenshot shortcuts (e.g., Control-Shift-Command-3 for full screen to clipboard). You can then paste the screenshot directly into applications like Messages, Mail, or image editors.
- Screenshot App Customization: Explore the Options in the Screenshot app to tailor the screenshot experience to your workflow. Setting a timer can be useful for capturing menus or tooltips that disappear when you interact with the keyboard.
- Troubleshooting: Some applications, particularly video playback software or DRM-protected content, might prevent screenshots. This is usually due to copyright protection measures implemented by the application.
Mastering “print screen” on your Mac is essential for effective communication and productivity. With these versatile methods and tools, you can easily capture and share anything on your screen. Experiment with the different shortcuts and the Screenshot app to find the workflow that best suits your needs and make the most of your macOS experience.
