How To Screenshot On Mac : Tips & Tricks

Updated on February 18th, 2022

Whether you only need to take a quick screenshot on your Mac once in a while, are a power user with a complex workflow, or fall somewhere in between, learn how to screenshot on Mac using the free built-in macOS tools or third-party applications. Keyboard shortcuts, tips & techniques, advanced settings, and customizations will all be covered.

Check out the 2021 Apple iMac (24-inch, Apple M1 chip with 8‑core CPU and 8‑core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB) 

Also, take a look at the 2020 Apple MacBook Air Laptop: Apple M1 Chip, 13” Retina Display, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard

Here are the keyboard shortcuts for taking screenshots on a Mac if you don't already know them or need a refresher:

Fullscreen:

• 3 + shift + command
• A thumbnail of your screenshot will appear in the bottom right corner of your Mac by default.
• You can do the following:
• To alter the screenshot, click on it.
• To access additional choices, right-click on it.
• To dismiss the thumbnail, swipe it away (keep reading for how to disable thumbnails)
• Allow a few moments for it to be stored on your computer's desktop.
• To copy a screenshot to your clipboard, hold down the control key while taking it.

Selective section:

• shift + command + 4
• Then, with your mouse or trackpad, use the crosshair to pick the area you want to capture.
• You may drag the chosen part by pressing and holding the space bar.
• To cancel the screenshot, use the escape key.
• To take the screenshot you want, let go of the mouse button or trackpad.
• If you want to copy it to your clipboard, hold down the control key.

Take a look at the Bluetooth Mouse Compatible with Laptop/iPad/iPhone/Mac

Take a screenshot of a window, a menu, or the Dock:

• shift + command + 4 + space bar
• You'll see a camera icon in these screenshots.
• When you hover your mouse over different windows, the menu bar, menu items, or the Dock, a blue glow indicates what you're about to capture.
• To take a screenshot, click the window or menu.
• You may also remove the shadow border from window screenshots by holding down the option key.

To take a screenshot of the Touch Bar on a MacBook Pro:

• Shift + command + 6
• To copy the screenshot to your clipboard, add the control key to the shortcut.

To use the macOS Screenshot app:

• Go to the App Store and search for "macOS Screenshot."
• Use 5 + shift + command
• You'll now see choices for recording the entire screen, a selected window, or a specified piece of the screen, as well as the ability to start a screen recording (full or partial), "Options," and "Capture."

To change your screenshot preferences, go to Options.

A timer, save to settings, the ability to disable the floating thumbnail after taking a screenshot, display/don't show mouse pointer and remember last selection are among the features available.
You may also utilize the Capture button in the menu (or press the return key)

A handy way for quickly capturing plenty of screenshots:

• Setting a chosen part with the menu, choosing "Remember Last Selection," then using the shift + command + 5 shortcut followed by the return key, which will take the screenshot, is one.
• Another trick for MacBook Pro users is to use shift + command + 4 or 5 to obtain screenshot controls on the Touch Bar.

Another thing to bear in mind is that screenshots are not permitted in the Apple TV app. Go to System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts > Screenshots to configure the keyboard shortcuts for screenshots.

Change the default screenshot format to JPG:

Screenshots on Mac are saved to the desktop as PNG files by default, which are bigger files. Follow these procedures to change the default to JPG (lower file sizes):

• Launch the Terminal application.
• "defaults write com.apple.screencapture type JPG" is the command to use.
• Press return (enter)

We hope our easy tips and tricks answered your query about how to screenshot on Mac.

Check out the 2021 Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, Apple M1 Pro chip with 10‑core CPU and 16‑core GPU, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD)

More to read:

How To Screenshot On Windows: A Simple Guide