macOS has excellent in-built screenshot support. If you are in a hurry, let me tell you straight up that to take a screenshot on your Mac, press together Command + Shift + 3. However, if your job demands to take screenshots frequently, learn more options to become super productive at this.
Note: The keyboard shortcuts to do screenshots work the same way on MacBook Pro, Macbook Air, iMac, Mac Mini, or any other Mac.
4 Keyboard Shortcuts to Take Screenshots on Mac
What Is a Screenshot? The term 'Screenshot' also known as a snapshot or screen capture, or print. Making screenshots of parts of your Mac display can be a valuable tool when you're trying to remember settings or a sequence of actions or explain them to someone else. Screenshot the Entire Screen: Make sure your screen displays exactly what you want to show in.
Capture the Full Screen
To take a screenshot of the full Mac screen, including the Dock, top menu bar and everything else: Press together Command + Shift + 3.
Capture Selected Portion of Screen
To take a screenshot of a selected portion: Press together Command + Shift + 4. You may leave the keys when you see the crosshair. Next, drag it to select a portion of the screen. When you are done with the selection, release the mouse key or trackpad touch. The Mac captures a screenshot and saves it. Adobe premiere torrent for mac.
Pro Tip: Suppose you make a selection of the wrong portion. You do not press the esc button and restart. Press and hold the Space bar to move the selection. Press and hold Shift to change the selection area only in one direction. And, press the Option key to increase or decrease the sides in proportion. Try it! You will love these.
Capture Any Open Window
To capture only an open window on Mac: Press together Command + Shift + 4. Leave the keys when you get the selection cursor.
Now, press the Space bar once.
Next, take the camera icon on any open window and click. Using this, you can even do a screenshot of just the Dock or the menu bar and so on. These screenshot files have a nice grey shading on their edges that look great.
Using Screenshot Tools
One button for all: Can not remember all the above keys? Just remember one set, and then you can use the tools you see to take a screenshot or even screen recording on Mac running macOS Mojave or later. For this, press together Command + Shift + 5.
After you take a screenshot using any method, you might see its thumbnail in the lower right corner. It will automatically disappear after a few seconds and get saved. Or, you may also click on it to make edits like crop, markup, share, etc.
How to Use Preview App to Take a Screenshot on Mac
- Use Launchpad or go to Finder → Applications and open the Preview app.
- Click on File from the top menu bar.
- Choose Take Screenshot and then select one of the options.
Note: Suppose you want to take a screenshot of Chrome using Preview. For this, open the Preview app from the Dock or Launchpad. Then you will see the menu for Preview in the top bar. Do not click on the Chrome window. If you click on it or any other app window, its menu will take the place on the top bar.
How to Save Screenshots Directly to the Clipboard on Mac
When you do a screenshot, it is saved to the desktop or place decided by you. However, there is an additional throwaway method to grab a screenshot and get it copied automatically to the clipboard. This won't save the actual file. You can paste the screenshot in apps like Notes, Word, Google Docs, etc. or even paste it on your other Apple devices courtesy of Universal Clipboard.
For this, press and hold the Controlkey when you take a screenshot using the above methods. For example,
- To take a full-screen grab and have it copied to the clipboard: Command + Shift + Control + 3.
- To take a screenshot of a selected portion and have it copied to the clipboard: Command + Shift + Control + 4.
- You can also use Command + Shift + 5, then press the Control button, and take the screenshot.
How to Take a Screenshot on MacBook Pro Using Touch Bar
You can also print screenshots using the TouchBar on MacBook. But first, you need to add the screenshot button to it. For this:
- Click on the Apple logo → System Preferences.
- Next, click on Extensions → Touch Bar.
- Click on Customize Control Strip → drag the Screenshot icon down to the TouchBar. When you see the icon on the TouchBar, you may drag it left or right at the desired position. Finally, click on Done.
Now onwards, tap on the Camera icon in the TouchBar to open the screenshot tools and take a screen capture.
Pro Tip: Wondered how to take the screenshot of the TouchBar itself? Press Command + Shift + 6
How to Take a Screenshot of Login Screen on Mac
Just like any other full screenshot! That is, after you power on your Mac, or are at any login window, or locked user authentication screen, press Command + Shift + 3 to take a screenshot.
This method works if you are running OS X 10.10 (Yosemite, released in 2014) and above.
Note: The screenshot file starts with LWScreenshot if it is of the main login screen (after you just power on or log out of the current user). Rest other login screenshots have the normal file name (Screen Shot Year-Month-Date and Time)
Where to Find Screenshots on Mac?
By default, screenshots are saved on desktop. You will find all of them here.
Pro Tips:
- If you have several screenshots, select them all, right-click and then choose New Folder with Selection.
- You can also drag the screenshot thumbnail to any folder.
How to Change Default Location of Saved Screenshots on Mac
- Press Command + Shift + 5.
- Click on Options.
- From under Save to, choose a predefined location. Or click on Other Location.
All future screenshots will save on the selected location. This setting will stay in effect even if you restart the Mac.
How to Change Keyboard Shortcuts to Take Screenshots on Mac
The default keys are great. However, you may modify them to any key you like. For this:
- Click on the Apple logo from the Menu bar and choose System Preferences.
- Now, click on Keyboard → Shortcuts.
- Click on Screenshots.
- Select a shortcut and then press the enter key.
- Now, press the desired new key or multiple keys combination.
How to Print Screen on Mac Using Windows Keyboard
If you use a Windows keyboard with Mac, the steps to take a screenshot remains the same. However, you have to use Windows keyboard equivalents.
| Mac Key | Windows Key |
| Control | Ctrl |
| Option | Alt |
| Command | Windows |
| Delete | Backspace |
| Return | Enter |
Osx Screenshot Draw On
So, to take a full screenshot on Mac using Windows Keyboard, press: Windows + Shift + 3.
To capture a selected part, press: Windows + Shift + 4 and so on…
How to Change Screenshot File Format on Mac
By default, the screenshots on Mac are taken in .PNG format. But, you can change it to JPG (or even TIFF/ PDF/ GIF). The process involves using the Terminal. But it is straightforward. We have an easy guide that tells you how to do this.
How to Disable Screenshot Thumbnail Preview on Mac
When you take a screenshot on modern Macs, you see its thumbnail for a few seconds. You can click on it to edit it or share it via AirDrop, Mail, Messages, etc. But, if you do not fancy this and think of it as an unnecessary intrusion, here is how to turn it off.
- Press Command + Shift + 5.
- Click on Options.
- Under Options, click on Show Floating Thumbnail to unselect it.
Signing off…
This is how you can master screenshots on Mac. I hope this guide is helpful. If you have any further related questions, feel free to ask in the comments section below.
How To Take A Screenshot On Mac Os Sierra
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I have been an Apple user for over seven years now. At iGeeksBlog, I love creating how-tos and troubleshooting guides that help people do more with their iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, and Apple Watch. In my free time, I like to watch stand up comedy videos, tech documentaries, news debates, and political speeches.
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Capturing a long web page or a document is a challenge. A screenshot will take a snapshot of your display's viewing area only. That's why the scrolling screenshots step in to save time and effort. Of course, even I don't enjoy taking multiple shots of the screen to stitch them together. The outcome is seldom pretty.
Macintosh Screen Shot
Apple's macOS now comes with built-in functionality to capture scrolling screenshots quickly. Typically, you need to press a combination of keys and then proceed to capture a screenshot. It does make me envious of Windows 10 users who just have to hit a dedicated Print Screen button to take a screenshot.
To make that task easier, we have shortlisted 5 best ways to capture scrolling screenshots for all macOS users. Before we get to them, here is something you need to know about the new screenshot tool that made a debut with macOS Mojave.
Built-In Screenshot Tool of macOS Mojave
The best place to start would be using the built-in screenshot tool that made a debut with the macOS 10.14 Mojave rollout. To initiate a scrolling screenshot, you need to hit the Shift + Command + 5 keyboard shortcut to launch the onscreen capture controls.
You can hover the mouse pointer over each option to know what it is. However, I feel that using this tool to capture the entire screen is tedious. The keyboard shortcut Shift + Command + 3 also takes a snapshot of the entire screen. That made me wonder why did Apple include an additional option in the onscreen capture controls.
That led me to the quest of discovering four ways to click scrolling screenshots on my MacBook Air. Without further ado, let's start.
1. Snagit
Snagit is a popular choice for Windows users as well since the app has been around for nearly 30 years. It's my go-to choice as well. Mostly because I've used it a lot on Windows platform before moving to macOS. From recording videos of screen activities to capturing screenshots The Grab tool lets you to click a scrolling screenshot with a simple keystroke.
Apart from that, Snagit allows you to highlight or visually annotate a few parts of the screenshots. The smart window detection will let you crop out the unwanted window borders, especially the ones that reveal some information.
My only gripe is that Snagit makes me use its editor to finalize the image. But it makes up for that by letting me drag and drop those screenshots in messenger apps, emails, and other apps.
The only thing that may be painful to swallow is the hefty $49.95 price tag. The 15-day trial is an excellent way to take it for a spin.
Download Snagit TrialAlso on Guiding Tech Can People See If I Screenshot Their Facebook Profile Picture? Read More
2. BrowseShot
Like many other tools, BrowseShot has one marquee feature. It lets you capture scrolling screenshots in PNG format. That's quite useful for anyone seeking to store a lot fine details without compromising on the quality and doesn't mind heftier file size.
Once you click a snapshot of a webpage, you can check the final details with the magnification options as well. Also quite helpful if you wish to print the full pages without disrupting the formatting.
The reason it is on this list because if offers a unique feature. It provides you an option to reset the cookies and cached data. So you don't have to store those files on your computer. That's smart.
Get BrowseShot3. Gyazo
Gyazo is a cross-platform tool for taking full-scale screenshots by pressing the defined hotkeys. Unfortunately, the macOS users will have to install the Gyazo Chrome/Firefox extension to assign shortcuts quick captures.
That's a small inconvenience to capture scrolling screenshots. You can have the Gyazo app running on the dock to swoop into action quickly. The only part I find annoying is that it opens up another tab to display the captured image with a temporary link and an editor.
Well, it does act as an option to scroll and check if you have captured everything perfectly. So you win some, you lose some with that.
Get Gyazo4. Firefox Screenshot
Yes, Firefox has the feature baked in the browser. When you click on the three-dot buttons next to the address bar, the context menu shows you the Take a Screenshot option at the bottom. A better finder attributes 6 211.
The Firefox Screenshot is the most convenient option on this list, doesn't cost anything and lets you take a screenshot of a page. After that, you get an option to copy the screenshot to another app, or you can download it. Imagine clicking a screenshots while running Firefox with dark mode extensions.
That option is quite easy to understand and smooth to use. Since it is a browser-based tool, you will have to open an offline document using Firefox. That's the only cumbersome part. Other than that, it has no editing or annotation features.
Also on Guiding Tech #productivity Click here to see our productivity articles page
Take Full Page Screenshots
Getting the details of a full webpage in a single screenshot can be quite beneficial. Also, most tools eliminate the need of scrolling through the entire page just to capture all information.
I often use a few of the scrolling screenshot tools mentioned above for saving long reads and lengthy documents. It helps me save time and reduces my dependency on specific apps to open them.
So which one of the apps mentioned above are you going to try out first? Do you want to share your favorite tool with us? Mention it in the comments section below.
Next up: Wondering how to take full page screenshots on Google Chrome and iOS? We have you covered with that in the next post
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Read Next4 Ways to Take Full Web Page Screenshots in Chrome and iOS
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