Just in case you need to take a screenshot on Mac devices and you don’t know how to, we will show you. To do this, we will show you some common keyboard shortcuts that are easy to use since Apple gives us quite a number of options that we can easily save or delete the screenshot.
In addition, you can even use a couple of markup tools once you open the screenshot. Stick around with us, and we will explain how.
How to Take a Screenshot on Mac
There are three common keyboard shortcuts you can use to take screenshots on either MacBook or Mac Pro. However, there is a fourth one that only works with a MacBook that has a touch bar. We will show you all four commands. We will show you all four commands and how to use them.
Take Screenshot on Mac using Command-Shift-3
This is the command to use in case you want to capture your entire screen.
Take Screenshots on macOS using Shift-Command-4
You can use this command if you want to turn your cursor into a crosshair. This will allow to select the part of the screen you want to capture. You can reduce or increase the ratio as you please. To take the screenshot, all you need to do is release your mouse button or your trackpad.
You also have a lot of different options when using the Shift-Command-4 to take a screenshot. These options are:
- You can press and release the space bar to enable the crosshair change to a camera icon. This little camera icon can be moved over any open window on your Mac. You can then click on the window you want to capture to take a screenshot of it. Note that any screenshot you take using this method would have a white border surrounding the window. It will also have a little drop shadow.
- Also, press and hold the space bar on your Mac to reposition the shape and size of the selected area of your screen. You should do this after you have dragged the crosshair to highlight the area you want to screenshot before you release the mouse button or trackpad. This is particularly used to reposition the area selected initially if it is off by a few pixels.
- Holding the Shift key down will also allow you to move your mouse so that you can position the edge of the area highlighted at the bottom. Do this after you have dragged the crosshair to highlight the desired area of your screen before you release your mouse button or trackpad.
- Finally, before you release the mouse button or trackpad, you can release the Shit key then hit it again. This will help you reposition only the right edge of the area highlighted for the screenshot.
How to Take Screenshots on Mac with Shift-Command-5
This is a new command that was recently introduced in the MacOS Mojave (2018). This command calls up a small panel that will appear at the bottom of your display. It would also have some screen capture options you can select from. You would see three screenshot buttons that will allow you to capture your entire screen, a window on the screen, or a selected part of the screen.
Also, you would see two video recording buttons that will allow you to record your entire screen or a part of it. You might need to move the screenshot panel if it appears on the part of the screen you choose to capture.
Command-Shift-6 (For Touch Bar MacBooks Only)
This particular command only works for those who own any MacBook Pro model with a touch bar. Once you use the command, you will be able to take any size of screenshot across your touch bar.
Once you embrace the floating thumbnail, you would see various markup tools that can help you to annotate the screenshot. The floating thumbnail would slip away on its own, or you can swipe at it to remove it. Once you click on it, it will open a number of markup tools in a view window.
You can right-click on the thumbnail to do any of the following:
- To save the screenshot.
- To open it.
- Show in Finder.
- To delete the screenshot.
- To open it in the Markup preview window.
- To close and save it.
You should also read on how to add the Notification center widget on Mac here.
Conclusion
Now, you see that taking a screenshot on Mac is very easy and can be done quickly. Just follow any of the commands we have given you to capture your entire screen, a window, or just a selected part. Let us know in the comments if you have any difficulties using any of these commands.