This guide will walk you through the various methods to capture screenshots on your Mac, from simple full-screen grabs to targeted selections.
1. Capture the Entire Screen
- Shortcut:
Press Command (⌘) + Shift + 3. - The
screenshot will be saved directly to your desktop or default location as a
PNG file.
2. Capture a Portion of the Screen
- Shortcut:
Press Command (⌘) + Shift + 4. - The
cursor will change to a crosshair. Drag to select the area you want to
capture. - Release
the mouse or trackpad to take the screenshot. - The
image will be saved to your desktop or default location.
3. Capture a Specific Window or Menu
- Shortcut:
Press Command (⌘) + Shift + 4, then press the Spacebar. - The
cursor will change to a camera icon. - Hover
over the window or menu you want to capture and click on it. - The
screenshot will be saved automatically.
4. Access Screenshot Tool (macOS Mojave or later)
- Shortcut:
Press Command (⌘) + Shift + 5. - A
toolbar will appear at the bottom of the screen with options to: - Capture
the entire screen. - Capture
a selected window. - Capture
a selected portion. - Record
the entire screen (video). - Record
a selected portion (video). - Choose
your desired option and click “Capture.”
5. Copy Screenshot to Clipboard
- Hold
Control along with the shortcuts above (e.g., Command + Control + Shift +
3). - This
saves the screenshot to your clipboard instead of saving it as a file. - You
can paste it directly into another application using Command (⌘)
+ V.
6. Change the Default Save Location
- Open
the Screenshot Tool using Command (⌘) + Shift + 5. - Click
“Options” in the toolbar. - Select
a different save location, such as “Desktop,”
“Documents,” or a custom folder.