Oct 04, 2017 Print Screen on Mac. There are several ways and methods about which you must be aware of that how do you screenshot on Mac. Out of which, the best five ways are as follows: 1. Print Full Screen on Mac. In order to print full screen on Mac, it is the best method to opt for. It lets you capture all the things that are showing on your computer. How to Take Screenshots on Mac using Shortcuts. As we mentioned earlier, the built-in snipping tool on Mac (Grab) has certain keyboard shortcuts to take screenshots directly. Unlike the Snipping Tool on Windows, you don't need to launch the app to snip the screen. To customize the shortcuts, go to System Preferences Keyboard Shortcuts.
Capturing the Entire Screen. There are instances where you would want to capture your entire. Compared to the Print Screen Function in Windows, macOS assigned Keyboard Shortcuts for Print Screen offer more functionality. For example, pressing Command + Shift + 3 Keys captures the entire screen of Mac in a Screenshot, while Command + Shift + 4 keyboard shortcut can be used to take Screenshot of a selected portion of the screen.
Last updated:Print Screen on Mac is not as easy as windows computer but Mac does provide a lot of options compared to Windows. However, it's very complicated. In Windows, capturing a screen can be easy as pressing a single button that results in the screenshot saved on the default location. Almost every windows keyboard features a key to take a screenshot.
In the Mac, there is no dedicated key to take a screenshot but the combination of several keys can result in taking a screenshot from all the perspectives.
Let's see what are the keys and options does Mac offers in capturing the screen.
1.How to Print Screen on Mac (Fullscreen)?
This method is used to capture the entire screen (Just like pressing 'Print Screen' on Windows). This is the widely used method as it captures the whole screen. Mac allows us to do so by the combination of three keys.
Saving the file to the desktop
1. Press Command + Shift + 3 together to take a screenshot
The captured screen will be saved on the desktop as 'Screenshot' with the corresponding date and time
Saving the file to the Clipboard
If we go further, the screenshot can be saved to the clipboard instead of desktop. This will be easy if you want to copy and paste or upload it somewhere.
1. Press Command + Control + Shift + 3 together
This command will save the screenshot to clipboard
2. How to Print Screen on Mac (Selected Area)?
This will capture the selected area such as the menu bar, application window, or some selected area on the desktop. This is similar to the Snipping Tool on windows.
Saving the file to the desktop
1. Press Command + Shift + 4 together and the cursor will be changed to ✚
2. Now click and drag the cursor covering the area you want to capture
3. Release the cursor and the screenshot will be saved to the desktop.
Saving the file to Clipboard
1. Press Command + Control + Shift + 4 together and the cursor will be changed to ✚
2. Now click and drag the cursor to cover the area you want to capture
3. Release the cursor and the screenshot will be saved to clipboard.
3. How to Print Screen on Mac (Particular window or application)?
This method is used to take a screenshot of the particular app window such as Pages, Safari, Photos and other apps.
Saving the file to the desktop
1. Press Command + Shift + 4 together
2. The cursor will be changed to ✚
3. Now press the Spacebar and now the cursor will be changed to a camera icon?
4. Move the camera icon over the window you want to capture (you will notice the hovered window is being highlighted)
5. Press the cursor and the highlighted window will be captured and saved to the desktop
How To Print A Screenshot On Mac Computer
Saving the file to Clipboard
1. Press Command + Control + Shift + 4
2. The cursor will be changed to ✚
3. Now press the Spacebar and the cursor will now be changed to a camera icon?
If you are new to the Mac operating system, you may be wondering how to print a screen on a Mac. You may have already noticed the lack of a 'Print Screen' button on the keyboard. This should not make you feel that the process is complex. By using keyboard shortcuts, you can print the screen on a Mac. You can capture specific windows or select an area to capture. What they call 'Print Screen' in Windows is known as screenshots or screen capture in Mac. Depending on the screen capture action you need, there are several keyboard combinations to use.
You can pick one of the methods to capture screens and get used to it for everyday use. Let's get started and see the 7 different ways to print screen on a Mac.
Method 1: Capture the entire screen
Step 1: press keys Command + Shift +3 simultaneously.
This will save a copy of your screen to the clipboard awaiting other actions. You can repeat the key combination without the 'Command' key to save the screenshot as a PNG file on your desktop.
Method 2: Capture a selected area
Step 1: begin by pressing the key combination of Command + Shift + 4 Google chrome mac. simultaneously.
Step 2: the mouse pointer will turn into a crosshair. Use it to select the region you are interested in capturing.
Step 3: the spacebar will let you take a full-screen capture.
The selection will be copied to the clipboard. If you press the key combinations without the 'Command' key, your selection will be saved to the desktop as a PNG file.
Method 3: Using the Touch Bar
With a MacBook Pro featuring a Touch Bar, you can use the Touch Bar to pick from 'Selected Portion,' 'Window,' or 'Entire Screen' after you have simultaneously pressed the Command, Shift and 4 keys simultaneously. You can also take screenshots of the Touch Bar display using Shift + Command + 6 or touch the Screenshot Icon.
Method 4: Take screenshots with grab
If you have no time to memorize keyboard shortcuts, you can use Grab. This program is pre-installed on all Macs and will assist you in creating screenshots from the menu bar. Grab can let you take time-delayed screenshots in case you want to set the stage before you start.
Step 1: launch Grab from the utilities housed within the applications folder. Once launched, its icon will display in your dock. You can also pin this icon for quicker access later.
Step 2: you can either use the Capture menu system or the keyboard shortcuts detailed alongside the respective command.
Method 5: Timed screenshots with Grab
How To Print A Screenshot On Mac
Grab gives you the option to capture screenshots on a Mac of the entire screen, an individual window, or a selection of the window. You can do this with a time delay of ten seconds. This gives you some time to properly position your mouse or open the right window before the shot is taken.
Begin by opening Grab, then select 'Timed Screenshot' or press the shortcut Command + Shift + Z. Note that the mouse cursor will not show on the capture, but you can change that in the preferences.
Method 6: Using the preview
Preview is well known for its functions like opening photos, PDF, and other files on Mac. Printscreen on Mac is its other hidden feature you should know about. Open preview then highlights the file in the menu bar; the drop-down menu will give you the option to take the screenshot from where you can select 'From window' or 'From entire screen.'
Even though the keyboard shortcuts methods are faster, the Preview method allows you to choose where the screenshot ends. You can make edits of the screenshot using Preview before saving it with the desired file name and preferred location.
Method 7: Capture selection and save to clipboard
Printscreen on Mac, Command + Control + Shift + 4This method is more advanced but is very useful. It helps you PrintScreen on mac with options like a selected area, opened applications, menu bar, parts of a desktop, and anything else.
Option one: capture the selected area and save it to the clipboard. Press Command + Control + Shift + 4 then drag with the mouse to select and save to clipboard. This will change the mouse cursor to +with pixel coordinates. Once you click and drag selection as desired, it will save the area to the clipboard for use in other apps.
Option two: capture selection and save on desktop.
Use the Command + Shift + 4 keys simultaneously, then drag with the mouse to select the desired area. When you release the mouse button, the selected area will save on the desktop as a PNG file if not specified otherwise.
Conclusion
When you PrintScreen on a Mac, it will be sent to the clipboard or time-stamped, then save on the desktop as a PNG file depending on the method used. You do not need to memorize all these keyboard shortcuts.
Just one or two that are easiest for you, then practice on them, and you will find it very easy to print screen on a Mac.
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