It is a very common situation. There is a need to screen an ephemeral error message that IT should see, get a digital copy of a receipt that cannot be downloaded, or just share a meme that is too funny with a friend. So, in the digital era, it is just as important to be able to capture what is displayed on your screen as it is to copy and paste text. However, for people who have just switched from Windows to Apple, or even for longtime users who never explored the settings deeply, it can be a little confusing to work out how to screenshot on Mac.
Where exactly is the “Print Screen” button? Why on earth are there so many different keyboard combinations?
Fortunately, macOS comes with great, built-in tools for screen capture that offer a lot more possibilities than just pressing a single button. If you want a crisp picture of one window, a grab of a particular area, or even a timed shot of a disappearing menu, the Apple ecosystem covers all of these cases.
We have checked all ways for you in this detailed article, covering methods that are available in all macOS versions. So, you will definitely have the knowledge on how to capture content correctly. Instead of reaching for your camera phone to take a shot of the computer screen, the solutions are here, from the swiftest keyboard shortcuts to the sophisticated third-party tools.
1. Shortcut Wizard: Keyboard Mastery
The majority of regular tasks do not require opening an application or looking through a menu. Quite simply, Apple has “hotkeys” embedded into the operating system that instantly perform the screen capture. After practicing these combos to the point where they become automatically timed muscle movements, you will be capturing images before you can even realize.
Capturing the Entire Screen (Command + Shift + 3)
This is the ultimate weapon—the command that “takes a screenshot of everything”. It will really capture each and every pixel on your screen (also, if you have multiple monitors set up, it will capture them all).
Step-by-step guide:
- Spot the Command (⌘), Shift, and Number 3 keys.
- While holding Command + Shift, press the number 3 key once.
- Let go of all the keys.
You may hear a shutter sound (unless your volume is muted), and a small preview window will pop up in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. Normally, a file saving operation occurs instantly and the file is deposited right on the Desktop as a PNG file with the name “Screenshot [Date] at [Time]”.
Situations that require additional information naturally qualify for capturing the full layout of the desktop or running the application in full screen.
Capturing a Selected Portion (Command + Shift + 4)
Firstly, you do not want the whole desktop with all the clutter from the Dock, the menu bar, and the messy files. Only a paragraph or a picture is of interest. The command below gives you a “crosshair” tool that lets you draw whatever you want to save exactly.
How to do it:
- Press Command (⌘) + Shift + 4.
- Your cursor will change into a crosshair tool along with the numbers of the pixels in both directions.
- Press and hold the left mouse button, then drag your mouse over the desired capture area.
- Release the mouse button or trackpad to take the shot.
Insider tip: Suppose you are dragging the box and find it is not quite centered; then, do not quite release the mouse button. Press and hold Space bar. This operation will fix the size of the box while allowing you to move it around. When you have the box in the right place, release the Space bar and then the mouse button to finish the drawing.
Capturing a Specific Window (The Spacebar Trick)
The method described here is the hidden gem that can be a great secret for producing professional-looking screenshots. You have probably noticed that tech blogs feature screens of app windows that are perfectly cropped with a nice and soft drop shadow. Most times, they do not even need Photoshop because they use the feature built-in on Macs.
Step-by-step guide:
- Press Command (⌘) + Shift + 4 (just like the previous method).
- Press the Spacebar once after the crosshair is ready.
- Your cursor will change into a Camera icon.
- Place the camera icon over the window, if it is a menu or a dialog box too, to be captured.
- Click once.
The saved file will only show that window, the rest of the desktop will be ignored, and the dialog box shadow should be seen. So this method is excellent with the focus strictly on a single app, for example, a presentation or documentation.
2. Control Center: Taking Screenshots with the App
If you find it hard to remember finger-twisting keyboard shortcuts, then Apple has introduced the visual interface that came with macOS Mojave (and the later versions such as Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, and Sonoma) making it easier for you to take screenshots and show you your options before you decide on them. In a way, the visual interface is the central hub for learning the different ways to screenshot on Mac.
You can access this overlay through the keyboard shortcut command (⌘) + Shift + 5.
There will be a toolbar at the bottom of the screen containing several icons. Each of those tools does the following:
The Interface Options
- Capture Entire Screen: The very first icon, a solid square, stands for the shortcut: Command+Shift+3. The whole display is going to be snapped.
- Capture Selected Window: Fan icon The next icon enables you to pick out a certain app. This method is similar to the spacebar trick explained above.
- Capture Selected Portion: Rectangle icon The third icon gives a resizable box. Before you are satisfied, you have the freedom to perfectly frame your photo by dragging the corners.
The “Options” Menu
The real potential of the Command+Shift+5 menu hides in the “Options” dropdown. You can determine how your captures will behave with this level of granularity:
- Timer: Occasionally, you might need a screenshot of a drop-down menu or hovering tooltip. In such a situation, when you press any key, the menu often disappears. To be able to press capture, then open the menu with your mouse before the time runs out, it helps to put a timer at 5 or 10 seconds.
- Save Location: Your desktop may be cluttered with so many screenshots that it will not be possible to make an efficient search. For the purpose of organizing your workspace, you can reroute the saving target to Documents, Clipboard, Mail, Messages, or Preview using this menu.
- Show Mouse Pointer: Screenshots by default do not capture cursor movements. When writing up a tutorial, showing the cursor is very helpful, especially if it is where the tutorial instructs to click. To include the mouse pointer in the final image, just enable this setting.
Using this approach, you will probably find that managing screen capturing is extremely easy because you get to see all that can be done in a single place and thus there is hardly a need to remember hotkeys.
3. The Native Alternative: Taking a Screenshot with Preview
Preview is most widely known to Mac users as the default application opening PDFs and images. But what many do not know is that it can also be used to make PDF and image creations in addition to viewing them. You can take a screenshot directly via the Preview app and it will be loaded in the editing window straight away, therefore skipping the step where you have to locate it on your desktop.
Commands:
- Launch Preview (you can check in your Applications folder or use Spotlight to search).
- There is no necessity to open any document, just click the menu bar at the top.
- Choose File > Take Screenshot.
You will be able to choose one of three options:
- From Selection (use a crosshair to select area).
- From Windows (capture a specific app).
- From Entire Screen (capture everything on the screen).
Main Benefit
Actually, Preview offers a convenient way to incorporate editing right after shooting.
Shortcuts save the file which you have to open by double-clicking. When you make use of Preview, the image will open automatically as an untitled document within the app.
Thus, it is very convenient for quick editing. Suppose you are a designer or a scholar who wants to crop the image, put an arrow, add captions, or change the size of the image before saving it to the folder of the project. In such a case, Preview is the right choice because it simplifies the procedure from “capture” to “edit” and then “save.”
4. The Way for the OldTimer: The Grab App
If you stumble upon this tutorial and are using an older Mac model that hasn’t been updated in recent years (running macOS High Sierra or earlier), you won’t have access to the Command+Shift+5 interface. The solution to this is a utility named Grab.
You may probably have not used one of the latest Screenshot apps very much, but still, it is a good thing to know about Grab as a fall back option for legacy users.
Locating:
- Launch Finder.
- Choose Applications.
- Go to the Utilities folder.
- Start Grab.
Using Grab you get a menu bar interface through which you can choose the Capture modes: Selection, Window, Screen, and Timed Screen. While closely resembling the highly capable features of the modern tools, the downside is that the user_interface is less visual. If you happen to be using an older machine, Grab will be your trusty co-worker when it comes to screen documenting.
5. Leveling Up: Third-Party Screenshot Apps
Native Apple tools are perfectly fine for 90 percent of the users. Yet, there is a small percentage of power users, developers, and content creators who may get stuck. For instance, the native tools do not have the functionality to take a screenshot of a webpage that scrolls down entirely and neither of them are capable of giving you a cloud space where you can store your images for sharing a sufficient link.
In case you realize the native tools are not enough for you, here are the best third-party screenshot apps:
CleanShot X
Why is it called the “gold standard” for Mac screenshot capturing? Well, CleanShot X is a completely paid Mac application that gives you the feeling of a native Apple app but at a higher level. Its main feature is Scrolling Capture which makes it possible to capture a webpage that is longer than your display size. It automatically creates a perfect join of the images. Besides, it offers a one-click desktop hiding feature that works before the screen capture is taken.
Snagit
Snagit is a big name in the business world. It is really good at adding annotations. When you have to produce a documentation with steps and use numbered balloons, professional arrows, and text callouts to communicate effectively, Snagit is the leader in the industry. Also, it gives you an opportunity to convert your screenshots into simplified user interface graphics (SUI).
Lightshot
On the other hand, if you have budget problems, Lightshot is one of the best free alternatives out there. It is easy, light and allows fast sharing. Moreover, you can upload a screenshot onto their server and get a short link to share with a colleague right off the bat, thus skipping the email step altogether.
Native Tools vs. Third-Party: A Quick Comparison
| Feature | Native macOS Tools | Third-Party Apps (e.g., CleanShot, Snagit) |
| Cost | Free (Built-in) | Usually Paid (Subscription or One-time) |
| Speed | Instant | Fast, but requires app launch |
| Scrolling Capture | No | Yes |
| Cloud Sharing | No (Local save) | Yes (Link generation) |
| Annotation | Basic (Preview) | Advanced (Step numbers, blurring) |
Troubleshooting and Pro Tips
Even simple tools may cause some problems. Below are some answers to frequently asked questions about how to screenshot on Mac quickly and efficiently.
Where did my screenshot go?
When the shutter sound is heard and the image is not visible, it is highly likely that you haven’t checked the Desktop. From the default setting of macOS, screenshots are dropped to the Desktop, starting from the top-right corner. The desktop might be still the place where they are but you may have just not noticed if your desktop is very messy.
You may also open Spotlight Search (Command + Space) and enter the word “Screenshot”. This will direct you to the list of recent files. However, if after this, you still cannot locate the screenshots, it is probable that you accidentally changed the save location from Command+Shift+5 options. To confirm this, bring up the options menu again and observe the location of the “Save to” checkmark.
How do I change the file format?
Apple, by default, saves screenshots in PNG file format, which is a lossless format that also supports transparency (for drop shadows). However, PNG files are rather large. If you would rather have smaller JPG files:
- Open the Terminal app.
- Type: defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg
- Press Enter.
- From now on, your screenshots will be in JPG format.
The Clipboard Trick
Sometimes you don’t really want to have a file at all. You just want to put an image in your mail, a Google Doc, or a Slack message. By adding Control to your shortcut, it is possible to omit the step of file creation.
- Command + Control + Shift + 3: Taking a screenshot of the whole screen and saving it to the clipboard.
- Command + Control + Shift + 4: Taking a screenshot of a selected area and saving it to the clipboard.
After you have directed your capture towards a document, simply press Command + V to paste. Your hard drive will remain clean and your communication will be faster due to this.
Conclusion
Screen capturing is a very small craft/art whose mastery can save a lot of your time. Other than just speeding up your workflow at lightning-fast Command+Shift+3, you could also go for the visual precision offered by the Command+Shift+5 menu or add editing capabilities of Preview to the mix by screenshotting on Mac.
It is advisable for most beginners to start by learning the keyboard shortcuts. Also, you should try that one “Spacebar window trick” from Section One to amaze people with your presentations and documents looking so much cleaner, professional, fresh with that shadow.
Looking for more ways to organize your digital life? It’s time for you to master the organization of your Mac folders after clearing up your desktop with lots of fresh screenshots!
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