Learning how to screenshot on Mac is necessary for all Mac users. This is because screenshots are a really convenient tool that allows you to save basically anything displayed on your computer screen.
It can also be very helpful when guiding someone on how to use a new application, or if you want to capture a really important message on your screen.
As useful as this tool is, it is said that Apple computers do not have a straightforward way of taking screenshots. However, the good news is that there are various keyboard commands and applications that can help you get the job done.
Luckily for you, these commands are very quick and can be learned easily. Take a look at our guide on how to screenshot on Mac below.
Ways to Screenshot on a Mac
These are several ways you can take screenshots on your macOS computer.
Using Keyboard Commands
This is the easiest way to screenshot on a Mac computer. You can use various keyboard commands to either capture your entire screen or just a part of it. Follow the steps below to do this.
Capture the entire screen
To do this, you can use any of the two methods described below.
Method 1
Press and hold your command button, the Shift button, and ‘3’ simultaneously. This would instantly capture your entire screen.
Method 2
Press and hold your Command button, the Shift button, ‘3’, and your Control keys simultaneously. This will save the screenshot in your clipboard.
Also, you can make use of the Stacks feature, which would help you to group similar screenshots together. You can right-click on your desktop and select Stacks from the menu. This would quickly toss your screenshots into a group.
Capture a selected area
To be able to screenshot a selected area of your screen, just follow any of the methods below.
Method 1
Press the Command button, the Shift button, and ‘4’ simultaneously. Then you can click and drag your pointer over the region you want to screenshot. Afterward, the image would be saved on your desktop.
Method 2
Press the Command button, the Shift button, ‘4’, and the Control keys simultaneously. Once again, drag your pointer over the selected area. Once you release your mouse, the image would be saved to your clipboard.
Capture a single window
To do this, follow any of the methods explained below.
Method 1
Press the Command button, the Shift button and ‘4’ to change your pointer to a crosshair. Then press the Spacebar to turn the crosshair to a camera icon. Then click on the window you would like to capture and the image would be saved to your desktop.
Method 2
Press the Command button, the Shift button, ‘4’, and Control keys simultaneously. Then press the Spacebar and select the window you would like to screenshot. This will save the image to your clipboard instead.
Using the On-screen Marquee
This can only work for those using the MacOS Mojave or later versions. Follow any of the methods below to do this.
Method 1
Press the Command button, the Shift button, and ‘5’ simultaneously. This would allow you to choose your target shot, either a full screen or just part of your screen. Then you can save the image to the desktop or any other location.
Method 2
Press the Command button, the Shift button, ‘5’, and the Control keys simultaneously. You can choose your target shot once again and the screenshot would be saved to your clipboard.
However, you should note that if you own a MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar, you would get options like Selected Portion, Window, or Entire Screen. Also, you can easily take screenshots of your touch bar display by pressing the Shift, Command, and ‘6’ keys simultaneously.
Using Grab
This is an application on all Macs that allows you to take a screenshot directly from your menu bar. This is the best option for those of us that don’t like to memorize shortcuts. The application also allows you to take delayed screenshots if you want to set the stage first before it captures your display.
However, you should note that the Grab application is not on the MacOS Catalina but you can use the same feature by simply pressing the Command, Shift, and ‘5’ keys simultaneously. To use Grab, just follow the steps below.
- Start by opening your Finder. Then you can select Applications on the left.
- Navigate to the utility folder and double click on it. Then select Grab.
- Immediately your lunch grab, you will now see an icon for the application on the Dock. You can decide to pin the icon for easy access.
- Then, you can take screenshots by using the Capture menu system or using your keyboard shortcuts.
You should also read on how to record your computer screen here.
Conclusion
Now, you can easily take screenshots on your Mac anytime. In case you have any challenges following our guide, feel free to let us know in the comments below.