Whether you want to save your receipts or share a with the group text, there are a handful of reasons you might need to take a screenshot of your Mac desktop. And the good news is, Apple makes it relatively easy to get that screengrab, with plenty of straightforward options.
On the Screenshot Tool, click on the Options button and you will see multiple options to save Screenshots on Mac. To Save Screenshots to a specific Folder, click on the Other option. On the next screen, select the Folder into which you want the Screenshots to be saved on your Mac. If you use DropBox or Google Drive, consider making a 'Screenshots' folder and saving them directly here- it will allow you to automatically save your screenshots to the cloud, really helpful if you tend to share most of your screenshots (with a web developer or co-worker or someone else).
Here's a simple guide for getting the job done.
Screenshot using keyboard shortcuts
If you need to take a screenshot of your entire screen, simply hit the command, shift, and number 3 keys simultaneously. Your Mac will capture a shot of your entire screen and save it to your desktop.
Want to take a screenshot of a specific area of your screen instead? Hit the command, shift, and number 4 keys simultaneously. A crosshair cursor will appear, allowing you to drag and select the portion of your Mac screen you want to grab. You can reposition the selection window by holding down the spacebar key. Alternatively, hold down the shift key to lock in the sides of the selection area while being able to position the selection window from one side only.
Let go of the cursor and Mac will automatically take a screenshot of that selected area.
Screenshot using the Screenshot app
If you have Mojave or a later macOS, you can use the built-in Screenshot app to take a screengrab.
Hit the command, shift, and number 5 keys simultaneously.
At the bottom of your screen, you'll see the Screenshot control bar. You have options for grabbing a still screenshot and for recording a video. Choose whether you want to 'Capture Entire Screen,' 'Capture Selected Window,' or 'Capture Selected Portion.'
Click on 'Options' to see what other preferences you can choose. You can set a countdown timer, decide where to save your screenshot, and choose whether you want to show the mouse cursor in your screenshot.
Hit the 'Capture' button to take the screenshot.
Editing your screenshot
Whether you take your screenshot with keyboard shortcuts or the Screenshot app, once you grab your screenshot, a thumbnail will appear in the bottom right of your screen. If you right click or do nothing, the thumbnail will simply save your screenshot.
If you click the thumbnail, you'll be able to edit the screenshot from a new window. You can also access this window by clicking on the screenshot icon where it's saved and hitting the spacebar. Then, click on the pen icon on the top right of the menu.
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Once you hit the pen icon, from the top menu bar, you'll see a number of options for editing, including adding text, rotating, and annotating. Make your desired changes, if any, then hit the 'Done' button. Your changes will automatically be saved.
Screenshot using the Touch Bar
How To Access Screenshots On Mac
If you have a MacBook Pro that's equipped with a Touch Bar, you can take a screenshot using that, too. It will require making some tweaks to your System Preferences, but if you're regularly taking screenshots, it's worth the extra effort. Adobe x standard for mac.
Open System Preferences and navigate to Keyboard.
Hit the 'Customize Control Strip' button. You'll see a list of features you can drag and drop onto the Touch Bar Control Strip. Find the 'Screenshot' button and drag it to the Touch Bar.
You'll see the screenshot option appear in the Control Strip. You can now take a screenshot by tapping on this icon from the Touch Bar. The screenshot will be saved to your Desktop.
How to take a screenshot on your Mac
- To take a screenshot, press and hold these three keys together: Shift, Command, and 3.
- If you see a thumbnail in the corner of your screen, click it to edit the screenshot. Or wait for the screenshot to save to your desktop.
How to capture a portion of the screen
- Press and hold these three keys together: Shift, Command, and 4.
- Drag the crosshair to select the area of the screen to capture. To move the selection, press and hold Space bar while dragging. To cancel taking the screenshot, press the Esc (Escape) key.
- To take the screenshot, release your mouse or trackpad button.
- If you see a thumbnail in the corner of your screen, click it to edit the screenshot. Or wait for the screenshot to save to your desktop.
How to capture a window or menu
Screenshot On Macbook Air
- Open the window or menu that you want to capture.
- Press and hold these keys together: Shift, Command, 4, and Space bar. The pointer changes to a camera icon . To cancel taking the screenshot, press the Esc (Escape) key.
- Click the window or menu to capture it. To exclude the window's shadow from the screenshot, press and hold the Option key while you click.
- If you see a thumbnail in the corner of your screen, click it to edit the screenshot. Or wait for the screenshot to save to your desktop.
Where to find screenshots
By default, screenshots save to your desktop with the name 'Screen Shot [date] at [time].png.'
In macOS Mojave or later, you can change the default location of saved screenshots from the Options menu in the Screenshot app. You can also drag the thumbnail to a folder or document. Apps similar to bluestacks for mac.
Learn more
- In macOS Mojave or later, you can also set a timer and choose where screenshots are saved with the Screenshot app. To open the app, press and hold these three keys together: Shift, Command, and 5. Learn more about the Screenshot app.
- Some apps, such as the Apple TV app, might not let you take screenshots of their windows.
- To copy a screenshot to the Clipboard, press and hold the Control key while you take the screenshot. You can then paste the screenshot somewhere else. Or use Universal Clipboard to paste it on another Apple device.
