The Best Ways To Take A Screenshot On Mac

Taking a screenshot on a Mac is simple once you memorize a few basic keyboard shortcuts. Apple builds these tools directly into macOS, so you do not need to download extra software. Here are the best ways to capture your screen.

Overview of Mac Screenshot Methods

Strengths & Weaknesses

Native Keyboard Shortcuts (The Fastest Way)

• Pros: Instant capture, no setup required, highly reliable.
• Cons: Requires memorizing key combinations; can clutter your desktop with files.

The Screenshot App Menu (The Most Flexible Way)

• Pros: Visual interface, allows timed delays, options to change saving location, built-in screen recording.
• Cons: Takes an extra click to activate the capture.

Preview App / Third Party Tools (Advanced Editing)

• Pros: Great for adding arrows, text, and blurs immediately.
• Cons: Overkill for quick, everyday captures.

How To Screenshot On Mac? Step By Step Guide For Beginners

Method 1: Capture the Entire Screen

Use this when you want to record exactly what you see on your monitor.

1. Press and hold these three keys together: Command (⌘) + Shift + 3.
2. You will hear a camera shutter sound.
3. A thumbnail will briefly appear in the bottom right corner.
4. The image will save automatically to your Desktop.

Method 2: Capture a Selected Portion

Use this to grab a specific image, paragraph, or graphic.

1. Press and hold these three keys together: Command (⌘) + Shift + 4.
2. Your mouse pointer will turn into a crosshair target.
3. Click and drag the crosshair over the area you want to capture.
4. Let go of your mouse or trackpad button to take the shot.

Method 3: Capture a Specific Window or Menu

Use this to get a perfectly cropped image of a single app window without the desktop background.

1. Press Command (⌘) + Shift + 4.
2. Press the Spacebar once. Your crosshair turns into a camera icon.
3. Hover the camera icon over the window you want to capture (the window will turn blue).
4. Click your mouse to capture the window.

Method 4: Open the Advanced Options Menu

Use this if you want to record a video, set a 5 second timer, or change where your pictures save.

1. Press Command (⌘) + Shift + 5.
2. An on-screen control panel will appear at the bottom.
3. Hover over the icons to choose between full screen, window, or selected portion.
4. Click Options to change the save location (e.g., Documents, Clipboard, or Mail).
5. Click Capture.

Pro Tips for Mac Beginners

• Save to Clipboard: Hold the Control key while taking any screenshot (e.g., Ctrl + Cmd + Shift + 4). This copies the image to your clipboard so you can paste it directly into an email or chat without saving a file.
• Cancel a Screenshot: If you press the shortcut by mistake, press the Escape (Esc) key in the top left of your keyboard to cancel.
• Change the File Format: By default, Macs save screenshots as .png files. You can change this to .jpg using the Terminal app if you need smaller file sizes.

You can learn how to backup an iPhone using step by step guide.

How To Change The Default Save Location For Screenshots?

The easiest way to change where your screenshots are saved is through the built-in Screenshot app menu. Here is the step by step guide to changing your default save location.

Method 1: Using the Interactive Menu (Easiest)

1. Press Command (⌘) + Shift + 5 on your keyboard.
2. Click the Options button on the control panel at the bottom of your screen.
3. Look under the Save to section at the top of the menu.
4. Select a preset location (like Documents, Downloads, or Clipboard), or click Other Location… to choose a specific folder.
5. Take a test screenshot to confirm it saves to the new folder.

Method 2: Using the Terminal App (Advanced)

If you prefer to use the Terminal command line tool, follow these steps:

1. Open Terminal (Press Cmd + Space, type “Terminal”, and press Enter).
2. Type the following command, but do not press enter yet:
   defaults write com.apple.screencapture location
3. Drag and drop your desired folder from the Finder directly into the Terminal window (this automatically fills in the exact folder path).
4. Press Enter.
5. Type killall SystemUIServer and press Enter to apply the changes.

How To Edit And Crop A Screenshot On Mac?

When you take a screenshot, a small thumbnail preview floats in the bottom right corner of your screen for a few seconds. Clicking that thumbnail immediately opens the built-in Markup utility, allowing you to crop, draw, and add text without opening any other apps.

Step by Step Guide to Native Mac Annotation

Step 1: Take your screenshot using any shortcut (e.g., Cmd + Shift + 3 or Cmd + Shift + 4).

Step 2: Click the thumbnail that slides into the bottom right corner before it disappears.

Step 3: Use the top toolbar tools to edit your image:

• Crop (📐): Click the crop icon (two overlapping right angles), then drag the thick black corners to adjust the borders. Click Apply or press Enter.
• Sketch & Draw (✏️/🖋️): The Sketch tool automatically smooths your rough hand drawn shapes (like circles or arrows) into perfect geometric shapes. The Draw tool keeps your lines exactly as you freehand them.
• Shapes (🟩/⚪): Click the shapes icon to insert squares, circles, lines, or arrows. You can use the Magnifier (🔍) to zoom in on a specific detail, or the Loupe/Mask to dim everything outside a selected shape.
• Text (Text): Click the text box icon, click anywhere on the image, and type. You can change fonts, sizes, and colors using the text style menu on the right side of the toolbar.
• Signature (🖋️): Click the signature icon to quickly sign documents using your trackpad or Mac camera.

Step 4: Save your work. Click Done in the top right corner to save your changes to the original file, or click the Share icon to send it instantly via Mail, Messages, or AirDrop.

Pro Tip: What if the thumbnail disappears too fast?

If you miss the thumbnail, you can still edit the file quickly from your desktop or folder:

1. Click the screenshot file once to select it.
2. Press the Spacebar to open Quick Look.
3. Click the Pencil/Markup icon at the top right of the Quick Look window to open the exact same editing tools.