Home | Uncategorized | how to screenshot on mac?

how to screenshot on mac?

By Jason Delacey
5 February 2024

Taking a screenshot on a Mac is a basic yet essential skill that can come in handy in various situations. Whether you want to capture an image, document, or a specific part of your screen, Mac offers several methods to accomplish this task. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore four simple ways to take a screenshot on a Mac, including keyboard shortcuts and built-in tools. So, let’s get started and become masters of the screenshot!

Method 1: Cmd-Shift-3
Method 2: Cmd-Shift-4
Method 3: Cmd-Shift-5
Bonus for Touch Bar MacBooks: Cmd-Shift-6
Easy Annotation
Best Laptops for 2022
Computing Guides
Conclusion

Method 1: Cmd-Shift-3

The first method to capture a screenshot on your Mac is by using the keyboard shortcut Cmd-Shift-3. This simple combination captures an image of your entire screen. When you press these keys simultaneously, you will hear a camera shutter sound effect, indicating that the screenshot has been successfully taken. The screenshot will be automatically saved as a file on your desktop.

Method 2: Cmd-Shift-4

If you want more control over the area you capture, you can use the keyboard shortcut Cmd-Shift-4. This combination turns your cursor into a crosshair, allowing you to select a specific portion of your screen. Simply drag the crosshair to highlight the desired area and release the mouse button or trackpad to capture the screenshot.

After pressing Cmd-Shift-4, you have additional options:

Press and release the spacebar: The crosshair changes into a camera icon, enabling you to capture a specific window. Move the camera icon over the desired window and click to take a screenshot. This method adds a white border with a drop shadow around the captured window.
Press and hold the spacebar (after selecting an area): This option locks in the size and shape of the selected area but allows you to reposition it on the screen. By holding down the spacebar, you can adjust the position before releasing the mouse button to capture the screenshot.
Hold down the Shift key (after selecting an area): This locks in each side of the selection area, except for the bottom edge. You can then move your mouse up or down to adjust the bottom edge position. By releasing the mouse button, pressing the Shift key again, and moving the mouse, you can reposition the right edge of the selection area.

Method 3: Cmd-Shift-5

Introduced in MacOS Mojave, the keyboard shortcut Cmd-Shift-5 summons a small panel at the bottom of your screen, offering a range of screen capture options. This method works on the latest Macs, including the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the new M2 chip.

The screenshot panel provides three buttons to capture the entire screen, a specific window, or a chosen area. Additionally, there are two video-recording buttons that allow you to record the entire screen or a selected portion. On the left side of the panel, you’ll find an X button to close it, or you can simply hit the Escape key.

The Options button on the right side of the panel offers various settings. You can choose the save location for your screenshots, such as the Desktop, Documents, Clipboard, Mail, Messages, Preview, or a custom location. Additionally, you can set a 5- or 10-second delay to prepare for capturing items that might disappear when using the screenshot tool.

By default, the Show Floating Thumbnail option is enabled. This places a small preview thumbnail of your captured screenshot in the lower-right corner of your screen, similar to the screenshot procedure on iOS. However, you can disable this feature if desired. Another option allows you to include or exclude the mouse pointer in your screenshots or videos.

If the screenshot panel obstructs your view, you can click and drag its left edge to move it to a more convenient location on your screen.

Bonus for Touch Bar MacBooks: Cmd-Shift-6

If you own an older MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar, you can take a screenshot of your Touch Bar itself. Simply press Cmd-Shift-6, and your Mac will capture a wide and skinny screenshot of the Touch Bar.

Easy Annotation

When you embrace the Floating Thumbnail, you gain quick access to Markup tools that allow you to annotate your screenshots. You can swipe the Floating Thumbnail away or let it disappear on its own, and the screenshot will be saved in the last location where you saved a screenshot. Clicking the Floating Thumbnail opens it in a Markup View preview window, which provides various annotation tools similar to those in Preview.

Right-clicking the Floating Thumbnail offers several options:

Save the screenshot: Choose to save the screenshot to your desktop, Documents folder, or clipboard.
Open in: Open the screenshot in Mail, Messages, Preview, Photos, or show it in Finder.
Delete: Delete the screenshot if it didn’t turn out as expected.
Open in Markup: Open the screenshot in the Markup preview window mentioned earlier.
Close: Close the Markup preview window and save any changes made.

Cmd-Shift-5 has become a favorite shortcut among many Mac users due to its convenient annotation features, eliminating the need to open Preview and allowing for quick deletion of undesired screenshots. The delay options are also appreciated for capturing time-sensitive content.

Post Views: 101

how to screenshot on mac?

Front Line:

Taking a screenshot on a Mac is a basic yet essential skill that can come in handy in various situations. Whether you want to capture an image, document, or a specific part of your screen,...

About The Author