Capturing a screen, taking a screenshot, or in PC talk, printscreening are different terms for the same desired outcome. macOS and OS X both allow for at least 13 ways to take a screenshot. In the guide below, we’ll cover the most common ways to do so on a Mac. Whether you have an iMac, iMac Pro, MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro, the process is essentially the same as long as you’re running macOS or older OS X operating system.
Easiest Ways to Take Screenshots on Mac
Here are the full steps for capturing a partial Mac screenshot: Like capturing the full screen, press and hold the command and shift buttons, and then press 4. On the screen, you will notice that your cursor has transformed into a small circle with a vertical and horizontal line through the centre. Apple calls this a crosshair pointer. The simplest way to take a full page screenshot of your current browser window. Partition hard drive mac. Click on the extension icon (or press Alt+Shift+P), watch the extension capture each part of the page, and be.
Hold Command (⌘) + Shift then press 3 to take a screenshot on a Mac of the whole screen. This will save a screenshot on your desktop (by default) saved as a.png file. Taking a screenshot of a. How to Take a Screen Shot on Mac: 7 Ways to Snap Screenshots. You can use any of the following keyboard shortcuts to capture and take screenshots directly in Mac OS, you can snap screenshots of the desktop, Finder, or any running and open applications. Whatever is on the screen of the Mac will be captured as an image file.
1) Full Screen Selection Screenshot
If you want to capture the whole screen, the following command is the easiest way to do so.
Hold down Shift + Command and press 3.
In case you run two or more monitors, you need to be working on the screen you want to capture.
2) Window Selection Screenshot
If you want to capture a certain window, the following command is the easiest way to do so. Mac zip archive utility.
Hold down Shift + Command and press 4
Hit spacebar and select window you want to screenshot.
3) Custom Selection Screenshot with Variable Dimensions
If you want to capture a custom size square or rectangle, the following command is the easiest way to do so. Remote desktop para mac.
Hold down Shift + Command and press 4
Make a custom selection with your mouse or trackpad.
Overview
Take a Screenshot with Grab
Using Grab has advantages. Grab is a default application on macOS that allows for taking four different kinds of screenshots. All four types of screen grabs can be done without using your keyboard at all. Your mouse or trackpad is all you need. Furthermore, you’ll be able to chose the format of the output file as well as it’s location destination on your hard drive.
4) Capture Custom Selection
Open Grab by locating the application on your Mac or by hitting command + space bar and typing “grab”
Navigate to a screen you want to screenshot
Right-click on the Grab icon in your dock and select “Capture Selection” so a prompt appears
Make a custom selection by using your mouse or trackpad
Save the screenshot by selecting the format, destination, and name of the file
5) Capture a Full Screen
Open Grab by locating the application on your Mac or by hitting command + space bar and typing “grab”
Navigate to a screen you want to screenshot
Right-click on the Grab icon in your dock and select “Capture Screen” so a prompt appears
Click outside the prompt to select screen you want to capture
Click “X” to close the screenshot window
Chose to delete or save by selecting the format, destination, and name of the file
How To Take A Screenshot On Mac
6) Capture a Desired Window
Open Grab by locating the application on your Mac or by hitting command + space bar and typing “grab”
Right-click on the Grab icon in your dock and select “Capture Window” so a prompt appears
Click the “Select Window” button
Click the window you want to screenshot
Click “X” to close the screenshot window
Chose to delete or save by selecting the format, destination, and name of the file
7) Capture Timed Screen
Open Grab by locating the application on your Mac or by hitting command + space bar and typing “grab”
Navigate to a screen you want to screenshot
Right-click on the Grab icon in your dock and select “Capture Screen” so a prompt appears
Click the “Start Timer” button
Time will go by and after 10 seconds grab takes a screenshot
Click “X” to close the screenshot window
Chose to delete or save by selecting the format, destination, and name of the file
Take a Screenshot with Preview
Using the native Preview application is yet another way to take screenshots on your Mac. Preview, just like Grab, comes with the basic installation of macOS or OS X.
8) Screenshot From Custom Selection
Open Preview by locating it on your Mac. Alternatively, hit Command + Space Bar and type in “Preview.”
While in Preview, click on File in the upper-left of the top menu bar.
In the drop-down menu, select Take Screenshot.
Click on From Selection.
9) Screenshot From a Desired Window
Open Preview by locating it on your Mac. Alternatively, hit Command + Space Bar and type in “Preview.”
While in Preview, click on File in the upper-left of the top menu bar.
In the drop-down menu, select Take Screenshot.
Click on From Window.
10) Screenshot from the Entire Screen
Open Preview by locating it on your Mac. Alternatively, hit Command + Space Bar and type in “Preview.”
While in Preview, click on File in the upper-left of the top menu bar.
In the drop-down menu, select Take Screenshot.
Click on From Entire Screen.
Take a Screenshot of Your Touch Bar
This will only apply to some Mac users, but it’s still worth mentioning. If you have a newer MacBook model with a Touch Bar, you can take a screenshot of the actual “Touch Bar” itself. You can also use the Touch Bar to easily take screenshots by customizing it.
11) Screenshot Your Touch Bar
Press Shift-Command-6
This will screenshot your Touch Bar in its current state
12) Set up a Screenshot Button on the Touch Bar
Click on View in the top menu bar.
Select Customize Touch Bar.
A new menu will appear. Simply drag the Screenshot button into the Touch Bar.
When you tap on this Touch Bar button, you will get a set of options for the type of screenshots and where they will be saved.
13) Save a Screenshot into the Clipboard Rather Than a File
To save a screenshot to your clipboard rather than as a file, you can simply add the Control key to any keyboard shortcut.
For example Shift + Command + 3 would become Control + Shift + Command + 3
How to Edit Your Screenshot Options
Now that you know how to take screenshots, it’s worth learning other ways to edit them.
For example, using the Terminal, you can change where screenshots are saved and the file format they’re saved as.
On a related note, there’s no way to change the default resolution or output for all screenshots (since they’re in the highest quality they can be already).
You can also save a screenshot to your Clipboard, rather than as a file, for easy pasting.
Where Screenshots Go By Default
By default, screenshots will end up on your desktop.
You can find screenshots on your actual desktop, or by opening a Finder window and clicking on Desktop.
Change Location of Screenshots
Hit Command + N, which will open a new Finder window.
Create a new folder by hitting Command + Shift + N.
Hit Command + Space to open Spotlight and type in Terminal. Hit Enter.
Type in the following phrase into the terminal, making sure there is a single space after the word “location”: defaults write com.apple.screencapture location
Drag the folder you previously created into the Terminal window, which will input its directory path.
Hit the Enter key.
Make sure you DO NOT delete this folder, because it will cause problems for you later on.
Take Screenshot On Mac Pro
Restore Screenshot Locations to Default
Hit Command + N, which will open a new Finder window.
Create a new folder by hitting Command + Shift + N.
Hit Command + Space to open Spotlight and type in Terminal. Hit Enter.
Type in the following phrase into the terminal, making sure there is a single space after the word “location”:defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/Desktop
This will restore the Desktop as the default location for screenshots
Take Screenshot Of Entire Webpage On Mac
Change the Output File Format
Hit Command + Space to open Spotlight and type in Terminal.
Type in the following phrase into the terminal, making sure there is a single space after the word “type.” But do not hit enter yet: defaults write com.apple.screencapture type
After the word “type” and a space, enter the image format you’d like to use. JPG, etc.
Hit the Enter key.
Paste a Screenshot from Clipboard
How To Save A Screenshot On Mac
To paste a screenshot that is stored on your clipboard, simply use the keyboard command Command + V.
Alternatively, you can right-click when in a location (such as a Finder folder) and click on Paste.