If you want to capture an image on your Mac, you will need to use the screenshot function. People snap screenshots to document computers issues or showcase a high score on Candy Crush. Apple, staying true to its core belief of “keeping it simple” provides a few different ways to take a screenshot on your Mac computer.
How to take a screenshot on your Mac
There are three different ways to capture screenshots on your Mac using simple keyboard shortcuts.
- Capture the Entire Screen
- Capture Only a Portion of the Screen
- Capture a Specific Window
Capture the Entire Screen
To capture the entire screen, type Command (Apple button) + Shift + 3. If your volume is on, you will hear the sound of a camera shutter when your screenshot has been taken. The image will automatically save to your Desktop so there is no need to search for a “Screenshots” folder. Remember that typing Command + Shift + 3 will take a screenshot of whatever is on your screen at that moment so make to have the desired applications or windows visible on your screen.
Capture Only a Portion of the Screen
If you would rather grab a screenshot of a particular portion, type Command + Shift + 4. Small crosshairs will immediately appear that you will use to select your screenshot area. Simply find the area that you would like to capture then click and hold the mouse key and drag the crosshairs until the area of choice is highlighted.
Once you release the mouse, your image will be captured and added to your Desktop.
Capture a Specific Window
First, make sure the window you want to capture is fully visible on the screen and type Command + Shift + 4, followed by the Spacebar. A small camera icon will appear on the window you have selected and it will be highlighted as well.
Click your mouse to capture that window. You can also move your cursor and select other visible windows.
With these three methods for taking a screenshot on your Mac, you will be prepared to capture anything that happens on your screen. Let us know how your screen shooting goes in the comments or drop us a line if you any questions.
