How to take a screenshot on a Mac
If you had been using a Windows PC or Linux machine and switched to a Mac, you may need to know how to take a screenshot without the Print Screen key on your keyboard.
Have a Windows machine? Here’s how to take a screenshot on a PC.
You can take a screenshot on a Mac by capturing the entire screen, a window, or just a selected portion of the screen.
If you’ve upgraded to macOS Mojave or later, you can use the Screenshot app to capture the whole screen or to select an area of the screen, or make video recordings of your screen. To open the Screenshot you have to press Shift-Command (⌘)-5, or use Spotlight to find and open the app.
Old keyboard shortcuts, such as Shift-Command-3 and Shift-Command-4, continue to work in all versions of macOS.
Capture the entire screen
Step 1: Press the Command + Shift + 3 keys simultaneously.
Step 2: That will save a copy of your screen to your desktop.
If you add the Control key to the same combination the image will be saved to the clipboard.
Capture a selected area
Step 1: Press the Command + Shift + 4 keys simultaneously.
Step 2: With your pointer turned into a crosshair, click and drag to select the region you wish to capture. When you let go of your mouse button, the screenshot will be saved to your desktop.
Step 3: If you’re using MacOS Mojave or later, press Command + Shift + 5
Capture a single window
Step 1: Press the Command + Shift + 4 keys simultaneously so that the pointer turns into a crosshair.
A thumbnail of the screenshot briefly appears in the corner of your screen. You can edit the screenshot or wait for the screenshot to appear on your desktop.
The image you saved will be a transparent PNG of the window, along with its shadow. If you don’t want the shadow to be included, press and hold the Option key.
Using Preview to take a screenshot
The default Mac tool app Preview, which you use to open everything from photos to PDF files on your Mac can be used to capture screenshots.
Step 1: Open Preview.
Step 2: Highlight File in the menu bar.
Step 3: From the drop-down menu, select Take Screenshot and then choose From Selection, From Window, or From Entire Screen, depending on your preferences.
