How to Screenshot on Mac?: 3 Types Of Screenshot With Editing, Best Guide (2023)

How to Screenshot on Mac

Introduction

At wikihowhub.com, our mission is to empower individuals with practical knowledge and step-by-step instructions to master a wide array of skills and tasks. In this article, we’ll walk you through the process of taking screenshots on a Mac, providing you with easy-to-follow steps and valuable tips to capture your screen effectively. Whether you’re a Mac novice or an experienced user, we’ve got you covered.

Why Take Screenshots on the Mac?

Before we dive into the “how,” let’s briefly discuss the “why.” Screenshots can be incredibly useful in various situations, such as:

1. Capturing Important Information: Save web pages, error messages, or documents for reference.
2. Sharing Content: Share interesting articles, memes, or images with friends and colleagues.
3. Troubleshooting: Document software issues or bugs for tech support.
4. Creating Tutorials: Develop step-by-step guides and tutorials for your own use or to share online.

Taking a Full-Screen Screenshot (Command + Shift + 3)

To capture your entire screen, follow these simple steps:

1. Press and hold the Command key.
2. Simultaneously, press the Shift key.
3. While holding both keys, press the 3 key.

Your Mac will make a camera shutter sound, and the screenshot will be saved to your desktop as a PNG file.

Pro Tip: Changing the Default Save Location

If you want to save your screenshots in a different location, such as a specific folder, follow these steps:

1. Open Terminal from your Applications > Utilities folder.
2. Enter the following command: defaults write com.apple.screencapture location followed by the path to your desired folder.
3. Press Enter, and then restart your Mac for the changes to take effect.

Capturing a Selected Portion of the Screen (Command + Shift + 4)

Sometimes, you only need to capture a specific area of your screen. Here’s how to do it:

1. Press and hold the Command key.
2. Simultaneously, press the Shift key.
3. While holding both keys, press the 4 key.

Your cursor will turn into crosshairs. Click and drag to select the portion of the screen you want to capture. Release the mouse button, and your screenshot will be saved to the desktop.

Pro Tip: Using Spacebar for Precision

While selecting the area, you can press the Spacebar to move the selected region without changing its size.

Read more: How to Screen Record My Mac (With Audio): A Comprehensive Guide 2023

Taking a Screenshot of a Specific Window (Command + Shift + 4 + Spacebar)

If you want to capture a specific window or menu, follow these steps:

1. Press and hold the Command key.
2. Simultaneously, press the Shift key.
3. While holding both keys, press the 4 key.
4. Now, press the Spacebar.

Your cursor will turn into a camera icon. Click on the window or menu you want to capture, and the screenshot will be saved to your desktop.

Editing Screenshots

Once you’ve captured a screenshot, you might want to make some quick edits. You can do this using the built-in Preview app:

1. Open the screenshot by double-clicking the PNG file on your desktop.
2. Click the Markup icon in the top-right corner to access editing tools.
3. Use the tools to annotate, crop, or add text to your screenshot.
4. Save your edited screenshot when you’re done.

Conclusion

Taking screenshots on your Mac is a straightforward process that can be incredibly handy in various situations. Whether you need to capture an entire screen, a specific portion, or a particular window, the key combinations mentioned in this guide will help you do so effortlessly.

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