How to Screenshot on Mac: Every Method You Need to Know

Screenshots are essential for work, troubleshooting, and sharing. Mac offers multiple ways to capture your screen—from quick keyboard shortcuts to advanced tools with annotation features.

Whether you need the entire screen, a specific window, or a custom selection, there's a method for it. And unlike Windows, Mac screenshots are high-quality PNGs by default, perfect for documentation and sharing.

Let's master every screenshot method your Mac offers.

Quick Reference: Screenshot Shortcuts

Add Control to any shortcut to copy to clipboard instead of saving to file.

Method 1: Capture Entire Screen

Keyboard Shortcut

Press ⌘ + Shift + 3

• Captures everything visible on screen
• Saves to Desktop by default
• Includes menu bar and dock
• Multiple monitors = multiple files

When to Use

• Documenting full interface
• Capturing error messages with context
• Recording entire workspace state

If you have multiple monitors, this captures each screen as a separate file.

Method 2: Capture Selected Area

Keyboard Shortcut

Press ⌘ + Shift + 4

1. Cursor changes to crosshair
2. Click and drag to select area
3. Release to capture
4. Screenshot saves to Desktop

Pro Tips

• Hold Space while dragging to move selection
• Hold Shift to lock one dimension
• Hold Option to resize from center
• Press Escape to cancel

When to Use

• Capturing specific content
• Excluding sensitive information
• Creating focused documentation

Method 3: Capture Specific Window

Keyboard Shortcut

Press ⌘ + Shift + 4, then press Space

1. Cursor changes to camera icon
2. Hover over window to highlight
3. Click to capture
4. Screenshot saves with shadow

Capturing Without Shadow

Hold Option while clicking to capture window without the drop shadow. Useful for cleaner documentation.

What Counts as a "Window"

• Application windows
• Dialog boxes
• Menus (hover over menu first)
• Desktop (click empty area)
• Dock
• Menu bar

Method 4: Screenshot Toolbar (macOS Mojave+)

Keyboard Shortcut

Press ⌘ + Shift + 5

This opens the Screenshot toolbar with all options:

• Capture Entire Screen
• Capture Selected Window
• Capture Selected Portion
• Record Entire Screen
• Record Selected Portion

Toolbar Options

Click Options to configure:

• Save to: Desktop, Documents, Clipboard, Mail, Messages, Preview, or custom location
• Timer: None, 5 seconds, or 10 seconds
• Show Floating Thumbnail: Toggle preview thumbnail
• Remember Last Selection: Reuse previous selection area
• Show Mouse Pointer: Include cursor in screenshot

When to Use

• When you need timer delay
• For screen recording
• To change save location
• For more control over capture

Method 5: Copy to Clipboard

Adding Control Key

Add Control to any screenshot shortcut:

• ⌘ + Control + Shift + 3: Full screen to clipboard
• ⌘ + Control + Shift + 4: Selection to clipboard
• ⌘ + Control + Shift + 4, Space: Window to clipboard

When to Use

• Pasting directly into documents
• Sharing in chat applications
• When you don't need to save the file

Pasting

After copying, paste with ⌘ + V in any application that accepts images.

Method 6: Touch Bar Screenshot

Keyboard Shortcut

Press ⌘ + Shift + 6 (MacBooks with Touch Bar only)

Captures the current Touch Bar display as a wide, thin image.

Changing Default Settings

Change Save Location

Method 1: Screenshot Toolbar

1. Press ⌘ + Shift + 5
2. Click Options
3. Select new save location

Method 2: Terminal ``` defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/Pictures/Screenshots killall SystemUIServer ```

Change File Format

Default is PNG. Change via Terminal:

``` defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg killall SystemUIServer ```

Options: png, jpg, gif, pdf, tiff

Disable Floating Thumbnail

``` defaults write com.apple.screencapture show-thumbnail -bool false killall SystemUIServer ```

Remove Drop Shadow

``` defaults write com.apple.screencapture disable-shadow -bool true killall SystemUIServer ```

Using the Floating Thumbnail

When you take a screenshot, a thumbnail appears briefly in the corner.

Quick Actions

• Click thumbnail: Open in Markup for editing
• Drag thumbnail: Drop into document, email, or folder
• Swipe right: Dismiss immediately
• Wait: Thumbnail disappears, file saves

Markup Tools

Clicking the thumbnail opens Markup with:

• Shapes (rectangles, circles, arrows)
• Text annotations
• Signature
• Highlighter
• Crop tool

Third-Party Screenshot Tools

CleanShot X (~$29)

• Scrolling capture
• Annotation tools
• Cloud upload
• GIF recording
• Best third-party option

Snagit (~$63)

• Professional features
• Video capture
• Extensive editing
• Templates and stamps

Shottr (Free)

• Scrolling screenshots
• OCR text recognition
• Pixel measurement
• Lightweight

Troubleshooting

Screenshots Not Saving

1. Check save location exists
2. Verify disk space available
3. Reset screenshot preferences:

``` defaults delete com.apple.screencapture killall SystemUIServer ```

Shortcuts Not Working

1. Check System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts
2. Ensure shortcuts aren't reassigned
3. Try logging out and back in

Poor Quality Screenshots

• Mac screenshots are high-quality by default
• If sharing reduces quality, check the sharing method
• Use PNG format for best quality

Got Questions About Mac Screenshots? Let's Clear Things Up.

Where do Mac screenshots save?

By default, screenshots save to your Desktop as PNG files named "Screenshot [date] at [time].png". You can change the location using the Screenshot toolbar (⌘ + Shift + 5 > Options) or Terminal commands.

How do I screenshot a scrolling page?

Native Mac tools don't support scrolling screenshots. Use third-party apps like CleanShot X or Shottr for scrolling capture. Alternatively, use browser developer tools or print to PDF.

Can I screenshot a specific menu?

Yes. Press ⌘ + Shift + 4, then Space. Open the menu you want to capture, then hover over it and click. The menu will be captured as a window.

How do I record my screen instead of screenshot?

Press ⌘ + Shift + 5 to open the Screenshot toolbar. Select "Record Entire Screen" or "Record Selected Portion." Click Record, then click the Stop button in the menu bar when done.

Why are my screenshots blurry when shared?

The screenshots themselves are high quality. Blurriness usually comes from compression during sharing (email, messaging apps). Share the original file or use a file-sharing service for full quality.

Mac's screenshot tools are powerful once you know the shortcuts. Master ⌘ + Shift + 4 for daily use, and remember ⌘ + Shift + 5 for advanced options. For more Mac tips, check our guides on clearing cache on Mac and MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro.