Capturing a screenshot is a useful function for many purposes, and fortunately, it can be done with ease on various devices, including Mac computers. Whether you want to capture the entire screen or just a specific area, or even record the screen, all you need to know are a few keyboard commands. Here’s a detailed guide to taking a screenshot on both MacBook and Mac desktop computers.
Capturing the Full Screen
To grab a snapshot of your entire screen, simply press the Command (⌘), Shift, and 3 keys together. This will save the image on your desktop, making it quickly accessible.
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Capturing a Specific Part of Your Screen
If you’re looking to capture a specific section of your screen, you can use Command + Shift + 4. A crosshair cursor will then appear, allowing you to select the area you want within a gray box.
If you press and hold the Spacebar after selecting an area, you can reposition the cursor to choose a different part of the screen to capture.
To screenshot a particular window, press Command + Shift + 4, then hover over the desired window and tap the Spacebar. A camera icon will appear, and the window will turn gray, indicating it’s selected. Click on it, and an image of that window will be captured. (Use the option key (⌥) if you want to remove any border edges.)
Customizing Your Screenshot Experience
If you’re having trouble remembering the keys for capturing different parts of the screen or a specific window, there’s a simpler way to take a screenshot on a Mac. Press Command + Shift + 5 to access a toolbar (or locate the screenshot tool through Spotlight).
Photo by Julia Mercado / BuyTechBlog
Various options will be available, including capturing screenshots of videos and screen recording. To personalize your experience, click on “Options” to set a screenshot timer or choose the folder where you want to save the image or video. This toolbar also provides basic options, like capturing the whole screen or a specific window.
Extra Feature for MacBooks with a Touch Bar
Photo by Julia Mercado / BuyTechBlog
MacBook users with a Touch Bar have the added functionality of being able to screenshot the Touch Bar itself. Simply press Command + Shift + 6 to accomplish this.
