A Beginner’s Guide on How to Screenshot on Mac: Tips and Tricks

Introduction

Taking screenshots on a Mac is an essential skill that can save you time and effort. Whether you want to capture a funny meme, a vital conversation, or an important error message, screenshots are a quick and easy way to do so. However, if you’re new to Mac or haven’t used it in a while, taking a screenshot may seem daunting. Fret not, because we’re here to guide you on how to screenshot on Mac.

Different ways to Screenshot on Mac

There are various ways to take a screenshot on a Mac, depending on what you want to capture. Here are the different methods you can use:

1. Capturing the Entire Screen

If you want to capture everything on your screen, including the menu bar and dock, you can use the following steps:

1. Press the Command (⌘) + Shift + 3 keys simultaneously.
2. You will hear a camera shutter sound, indicating that the screenshot has been taken.
3. The screenshot will automatically save to your desktop with the filename “Screen Shot [date] at [time].png”.

2. Capturing a Selected Portion of the Screen

If you want to capture a specific part of your screen, such as a particular window or menu, you can use the following steps:

1. Press the Command (⌘) + Shift + 4 keys simultaneously.
2. Your cursor will turn into a crosshair pointer.
3. Click and drag the crosshair pointer to select the portion of the screen you want to capture.
4. Once you’ve selected the area, release the mouse or trackpad button.
5. The screenshot will automatically save to your desktop with the filename “Screen Shot [date] at [time].png”.

3. Capturing a Specific Window

If you want to capture a particular window, such as a web browser or a file explorer, you can use the following steps:

1. Press the Command (⌘) + Shift + 4 keys simultaneously.
2. Your cursor will turn into a crosshair pointer.
3. Press the Space bar.
4. Your cursor will turn into a camera icon.
5. Move the camera icon over the window you want to capture, and it will highlight in blue.
6. Click on the window you want to capture.
7. The screenshot will automatically save to your desktop with the filename “Screen Shot [date] at [time].png”.

4. Capturing a Touch Bar

If you have a MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar, you can capture its content using the following steps:

1. Press the Command (⌘) + Shift + 6 keys simultaneously.
2. The screenshot will automatically save to your desktop with the filename “Screen Shot [date] at [time].png”.

FAQs

Q: How do I change the default save location of my screenshots? A: By default, screenshots on a Mac are saved to the desktop. However, you can change the default save location by following these steps:

1. Open Terminal.
2. Type in the following command: defaults write com.apple.screencapture location /path/to/folder/
3. Replace “/path/to/folder/” with the directory you want to save your screenshots to.
4. Press Enter.
5. Type in the following command: killall SystemUIServer
6. Press Enter.

Q: Can I edit my screenshots after taking them? A: Yes, you can edit your screenshots after taking them. You can use built-in tools such as Preview or third-party apps like Adobe Photoshop or GIMP.

Q: How do I take a screenshot of the Touch Bar and include it in a document? A: You can take a screenshot of the Touch Bar by pressing Command (⌘) + Shift + 6 keys simultaneously. Once you’ve taken the screenshot, you can open it in Preview and drag it into your document.

Q: How do I take a screenshot of a specific size? A: You can take a screenshot of a specific size by using the “Capture Selected Portion” method and inputting the size you want in pixels. To do this, press Command (⌘) + Shift + 4 keys simultaneously, and then press the Space bar. Your cursor will turn into a camera icon. Move the camera icon to the top left corner of the area you want to capture and click and drag to the bottom right corner. While dragging, hold down the Shift key to constrain the selection to a square shape. When you release the mouse or trackpad button, the dimensions of the selected area will appear. You can use these dimensions to input the desired size in pixels.

Tips and Tricks

Here are some tips and tricks to help you take better screenshots on your Mac:

1. Use keyboard shortcuts: Keyboard shortcuts make it faster and easier to take screenshots. Memorize the different methods or write them down for reference.
2. Use third-party apps: While the built-in screenshot tools are useful, third-party apps like Snagit, Lightshot, or Monosnap offer more advanced features such as annotation, sharing, and cloud storage.
3. Customize your screenshots: You can customize your screenshots by changing the file format, adding annotations, or removing the shadow effect. To do this, open Terminal and type in the following command: defaults write com.apple.screencapture type [file format]. Replace “[file format]” with the desired format, such as PNG, JPG, PDF, or TIFF. To add annotations, open the screenshot in Preview, and click on the toolbox icon. To remove the shadow effect, type in the following command in Terminal: defaults write com.apple.screencapture disable-shadow -bool true.

Conclusion

Taking screenshots on a Mac is a straightforward process that can be done in various ways, depending on your needs. Whether you want to capture the entire screen, a specific window, or a selected portion, using keyboard shortcuts and built-in tools can save you time and effort. By following the tips and tricks outlined in this article, you can become a screenshot pro in no time. So go ahead and capture that hilarious meme or vital error message, and share it with the world. Happy screenshotting!